A little over a year ago, I decided to get into photography. I didn’t know if I would stick with it or not so I decided to go with a cheaper DSLR and bought a Nikon D60 with a double lens kit (18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 and 55-200mm f/4.0-5.6). I started taking photos and learning the fundamentals – shutter speed, aperture, ISO and how to use my camera. Later, I also bought a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 (recommended by a friend), to use for indoor low lighting situations. Not having the experience of using other prime lenses, I can’t say it’s bad or good, but it works for me and I make use of it.

So why do I like this post? It’s informative for me to know what other photographers have in their lens arsenal and why they prefer those lenses so I can better decide what other lenses I would like to have. Good work and thanks for sharing!

The real question is whether the 35mm f/1.4 AI-S is worth the money.

Anyway, the Sigma 30mm is a solid option and a nice lens, generally. The Sigma 50mm 1.4 has been fraught with issues and every one I have used has had distortion, focus and build quality. I have heard good things about it but those good things have been marred by my coming across a clutch of bad examples of that lens.

The 50mm G series Nikkor had awfully slow focusing on the D700 until a firmware upgrade fixed it. It still focuses slow on the D300. Like, in fact, focussing through glue. I find the G series also displays more edge distortion than the D. Whatever comes next for the 85mm D, I hope it isnt as bad a step forward as ’twas from 50mm f/1.4 D to G.

This is a good chart for Nikon lens compatibility:
http://www.nikonlinks.com/unklbil/bodylens.htm

Just to add to what you said about the 50mm D; no D-series lens will focus on the bodies you mentioned.

> every lens you stick on your [DX] camera body won’t actually be at the
> focal length stated on barrel

It will. The focal length doesn’t depend on sensor size, only the field
of view (often stated as an *equivalent* focal length) does depend.

> its a 1.6 x crop

It’s 1.6 on Canons, 1.52 on Nikons.

> [the Nikon 35mm f/1.8 G AF-S DX] has the G type focussing

G is not a focusing type, it only means “no aperture ring”. This lens
has the AF-S type focusing.

Let me add that the Sigma 30 mm f/1.4 is also a viable option. A little
bit wider and faster than this Nikon, but also more expensive and with a
somewhat slow AF in low light.

> the 50mm [f1.4 AF-D] is a solid investment if you are a DX owner

Beware that this lens won’t autofocus on cheaper DX bodies. Owners of
D40, D40x, D60, D3000 and D5000 should use the newer AF-S model if they
want autofocus.

Regards,

Edgar.