For family, children, & newborn photography would u recommend the 84mm 1.4 or the 35mm 1.4 lens?? I'm torn between both.
241542
If I had a just a choice between the two lenses I would choose the 35mm. Reason? Wider angle to easily fit family and friends in the picture without having to backup to make them fit all the time.That being said, I would also look for a lens that would give me the best of both worlds like a 24mm - 85mm, or something in the range of 24mm to 200mm.Purchasing a really nice zoom lens that can give you the wide angles you need for indoors and family closeups in small spaces combined with a good telephoto range for closeups of more distant subjects should give you more versatility.
241543
Both should be optically excellent, and I like the 1.4 aperture to keep away from flash, especialy around newborns. My preference would be the longer lens, because I prefer to get a closer image while maintaining my distance. The quality of high end Nikkor zooms has gotten to just about stop using primes but back in the day, my preference for this was 105mm 2.8 Nikkor lens. You would get about the same reach mating the 85mm to a DX chip, but with FX I would even think about a slightly longer lens, smaller maximum aperture and kick the ISO up a little bit. My favorite thing about this camera, compared to the D300 it replaced, is the superiority of images shot in low light. Both should be optically excellent, and I like the 1.4 aperture to keep away from flash, especialy around newborns. My preference would be the longer lens, because I prefer to get a closer image while maintaining my distance. The quality of high end Nikkor zooms has gotten to just about stop using primes but back in the day, my preference for this was 105mm 2.8 Nikkor lens. You would get about the same reach mating the 85mm to a DX chip, but with FX I would even think about a slightly longer lens, smaller maximum aperture and kick the ISO up a little bit. My favorite thing about this... » Read More Both should be optically excellent, and I like the 1.4 aperture to keep away from flash, especialy around newborns. My preference would be the longer lens, because I prefer to get a closer image while maintaining my distance. The quality of high end Nikkor zooms has gotten to just about stop using primes but back in the day, my preference for this was 105mm 2.8 Nikkor lens. You would get about the same reach mating the 85mm to a DX chip, but with FX I would even think about a slightly longer lens, smaller maximum aperture and kick the ISO up a little bit. My favorite thing about this camera, compared to the D300 it replaced, is the superiority of images shot in low light. « Show Less
241544
I have the 85 f1.8D and 35 f2D and they are fantastic. The two lenses you mention should be even better. The 35 is such a versatile focal length, I have been using as my all purpose lens.
241545
If you are looking for a great portrait lens then go with the 85mm 1.4, it's fantastic. The 35 mm is a great lens too but better as a walkaround lens for general photography. You definitely want longer focal lengths for portraits.
241546
For photographing people, I would go with the 84mm, because you get a slight compression which produces more flattering shots.
1163547
Fixed lens are ALWAYS sharper and the 1.8 is great in low light situation. Kit lens are not as sharp and usually slower (3.5 or 5.6) and therefore limit ur shooting possibilites. If u want a zoom spend the money for a fast one (2.8). I never buy kit lens. I bought d3200 body and 50mm 1.8vs and i have used it very often for newspaper gigs recently in a variety of lighting situations. The extra sharpness and speed payed off. My shots were crisp and clear when printed in the newspaper.
1065199
I don't like the 50mm 1.4. I do have the 35mm 1.4 and I love this one much better.
464455
The 18-55 is a great lens, but the 23mm prime is a magic lens. Since I've acquired the 23mm I hardly use my 18-55. Maybe it's still the honeymoon phase, but I just love the 23. It renders images in a different way than the 18-55, and the speed/DOF of 1.4 really does make a difference.
935597
It's very close in quality to its 1.4 counterpart. The L version has a very slight edge in contrast and sharpness. I opted for the 35mm f2 IS because the difference wasn't large enough for me to justify spending twice as much for the 1.4.Hope this helps!
1041294
I would recommend 23mm 1.4. The 35mm is a great lens, but 23mm is more useful as general purpose, also AF is faster and quieter. If you are not willing to spend for 23mm's cost, then 35mm 1.4 is next choice. Compare to 23mm 1.4, the AF of 35mm is slower, noisier. Also, 35mm is too narrow as general purpose while it's too short for portraits in my taste. I think 23mm 1.4 and 56mm 1.2 are great lenses to have, if you can afford them both.
464449
For me its the lens I hd to have and I'm very happy with it. 35mm equivalent is one of my two favorite focal lengths 85mm (new XF 56) is the other. I also like the clutch based manual focus. The 23 is the lens I use the most. Only take out the 18-55 when I need to travel lighter.
814300
The 85mm 1.8 would obviously have less depth of field when opened up, which may be useful to throw the background out of focus for portraits. The 3.5 is also macro, great for close focusing for small objects. I got it because it seemed to be a good compromise. I use it both ways. If the macro function were not important to me I probably would have gotten the 1.8 although it's also more money.
2064344
Thanks for your reply. I need a good lens to photograph swim meets and football, both for children. Maybe I should consider the 70-300. I want sharp pictures.
1078335
The 50mm 1.4 is great for indoor low-light portraiture, unless you are shooting groups of people -- you may not have enough space to step back. Lately I've been using the 85mm 1.8 more. The extra length does a better job of blurring the background at shorter distances, which helps isolate the subject further. Indoors it's great for tight crops of faces and outdoors I mostly use it for candid shots while street walking. One thing to keep in mind though, the longer focal range requires you to shoot at a relatively faster shutter speed, which makes it tougher to hand hold in dim light. I've considered upgrading to the 85mm 1.4, although that opens up a whole new can of worms... long story short, most feel the 1.8 is better bang for the buck, while the rest are convinced that the 1.4 is legendary. (For what it's worth, I'm using these lenses on a D90, APS-C)
501122
Thanks for the feedback. I ended up getting the Canon 17-55/2.8IS. It was more expensive, but I had come across some extra money. I've had that lens for several month now and it's awesome. The zoom range is excellent, it's great having f2.8 through the whole range, and the IS adds probably at least 3 stops. It's very sharp when I do my part, especially when it's stopped down a couple clicks. I would still love to get a lens like I described in my OP, but I'm looking at a wide angle zoom and a better telephoto lens before that one.
956489
I would go with the 18/135 lense . Have had both , 18 is newer , better technology , wider and lighter . Pictures are outstanding
990748
I would suggest getting the 35mm because it's going to be a lot more useful for 99% of your shooting situations. Unless you really need to get up close to a subject, like during a football game, the 35mm is the best choice. It's excellent in low light, great for portraits, and really really fast. It's an excellent buy, you won't be disappointed. If you're still uneasy, go to a store to try it out. I went to B & H to try it out, where I made my final decision.It all really comes down to putting each in your hand and trying them out to see which one will suit you better. Good luck!
369534
Actually I have the same question... However, based on the reviews I have seen so far, I think I will go for the 18-135mm. Everybody recomends the good range that it provides, and buying it individually it becomes an expensive lens. On the other hand the 18-55mm will force the need for having an extra zoom.
1120723
I agree with Aaron on the Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 lens. Beautiful results at the cheapest cost you could possibly ask for. I have the D5100 body as well, and after I got the 35mm lens, it didn't leave my camera for months!
633525
Honestly, I'd think it was less a question of which lens is better than if you have a full-frame or crop sensor camera, and how far you are willing to stand away from your children to take their photos. With a crop sensor camera in particular, you'll have to be across a large room to take full-body shots of your children with the 85mm.
204308
My comment would be that for the 85mm, the minimum focus distance is pretty far away and pretty zoomed in for indoors. I would think the 60mm will give more flexibility especially for shots of the baby close up and baby plus mom