Nikon 35mm f1.8G vs. Nikon 50mm f1.8G on a D3100

[bmboy]

Your opinions on the 2 lenses? I know that there are extensive comparisons and reviews between the 2 lenses on the net; however I'm still undecided on which one to get... My primary reason for getting either of these lenses is for shooting in low light and the improved sharpness. I'm currently using a Sigma 18-200 HSM lens and I'm happy with it in terms of versatility, but it's not that great in low light conditions. I'm currently leaning more towards the 50mm, due to it's compatability with DX and FX camera's in the event that I upgrade my body in the future, but the slightly wider angle of the 35mm is just as tempting...

It seems the going rate is around the R2500 region for either lens. I could swear I saw the 35mm going for R1999 not too long ago...

 

[koffiejunkie]

The question is, do you want wider or narrower? I suppose it depends on what you intend to shoot with it. For people shots during social gatherings I would take the 35mm. I use a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 (awesome lens, by the way) but even that is slightly narrow to my taste.

Forget about FX. Unless you have one on order, both these lenses are too cheap to be concerned about that, and they keep their value well, so you can always sell it on.

 

[bmboy]

Apart from the focal length, are there any differences in terms of performance between the 2 lenses? I've read about focusing issues with the 35mm. Is that something that I should be concerned about?

 

[Quantum Theory]

I've had no focusing issues with my 35mm on a D90. Love the lens. Even good for landscape and street shots. The focal length is loads more usable than 50mm...

 

[bmboy]

Yeah the 35mm seems marginally more versatile in terms of focal length when compared to the 50mm. I'll use this weekend to decide which to get, but its a tough choice. Wish I could get both...

Any idea who has the best deal on these lenses at the moment? Best I can find for the 35mm is R2399. The price of the 50mm seems pretty much the same everywhere at around R2500.

 

[mic_y]

Apart from the focal length, are there any differences in terms of performance between the 2 lenses? I've read about focusing issues with the 35mm. Is that something that I should be concerned about?

the focusing issues you read about dont happen to be the post where I was moaning about mine on this very same forum?

basically, I am still not happy with my 35mm on a D300s. There is still some fairly significant problems with focus when not using Live View. it is usually front-focusing. And due to all this, the lens cant focus on infinity at all, so there go all landscape shots...

once again, maybe I have just been unlucky, but 2 in a row is a bit much. will see what happens. Maybe pay in extra and get the 50mm 1.4G.

 

[bmboy]

the focusing issues you read about dont happen to be the post where I was moaning about mine on this very same forum?

basically, I am still not happy with my 35mm on a D300s. There is still some fairly significant problems with focus when not using Live View. it is usually front-focusing. And due to all this, the lens cant focus on infinity at all, so there go all landscape shots...

once again, maybe I have just been unlucky, but 2 in a row is a bit much. will see what happens. Maybe pay in extra and get the 50mm 1.4G.

Yes I think it may have been your post. You were using it on a D300 right? Is that not a full frame camera? Could that not be the problem seeing that it's a DX lens? Although I'm not quite sure I understand the problem you had with the lens as I'm still relatively new to photography.

Unfortunately the 1.4g is a little out of my price range.

 

[Mier]

Love my 35mm/1.8 have never used the 50 though

 

[bmboy]

So I went with the 35 Ordered from SA Camera. Should hopefully get it by tomorrow Quite impressed by the way they keep me updated with the order. Ordered late last night and already got an email this morning saying that it's being processed and that I should get a tracking number shortly.

 

[mic_y]

Yes I think it may have been your post. You were using it on a D300 right? Is that not a full frame camera? Could that not be the problem seeing that it's a DX lens? Although I'm not quite sure I understand the problem you had with the lens as I'm still relatively new to photography.

Unfortunately the 1.4g is a little out of my price range.

Nope, the D300s is the top of the range crop sensor body. You are thinking of the D700 which is full-frame.

In terms of the problems I have with the lens I will explain in easy terms: if i place the camera 1m away from an object, when autofocusing, the camera will focus on 90cm instead of the meter, resulting in everything at 90cm being in focus, and with the fairly shallow DoF at F1.8, the actual intended subject of the photo is out of focus...

When you get your lens, make sure to test it using MTF Mapper (look for the thread in this forum)...

 

[koffiejunkie]

In terms of the problems I have with the lens I will explain in easy terms: if i place the camera 1m away from an object, when autofocusing, the camera will focus on 90cm instead of the meter, resulting in everything at 90cm being in focus, and with the fairly shallow DoF at F1.8, the actual intended subject of the photo is out of focus...

Don't you have MFA on the D300S?

 

[bmboy]

Nope, the D300s is the top of the range crop sensor body. You are thinking of the D700 which is full-frame.

In terms of the problems I have with the lens I will explain in easy terms: if i place the camera 1m away from an object, when autofocusing, the camera will focus on 90cm instead of the meter, resulting in everything at 90cm being in focus, and with the fairly shallow DoF at F1.8, the actual intended subject of the photo is out of focus...

When you get your lens, make sure to test it using MTF Mapper (look for the thread in this forum)...

Ok i understand now. I will test it out when the lens arrives.

Also what are your opinions on UV filters? What effect do they have on the photos? I ordered one of those Hoya filters with the lens. I see these filters come with a different number of coatings, the more coatings the more expensive the filter. Does this make a difference? I ordered the one with 3 coatings. I cant seem to find much information regarding the number of coatings.

 

[fvdbergh]

Also what are your opinions on UV filters? .... Does this make a difference? I ordered the one with 3 coatings. I cant seem to find much information regarding the number of coatings.

You can find a comparative review of different UV filters here
http://www.lenstip.com/113.1-article-UV_filters_test.html
and continued here
http://www.lenstip.com/120.1-article-UV_filters_test_-_supplement.html

At the very least, I found the review highly entertaining, with comments such as "When we compare the radiation transmission chart of this filter and a regular piece of glass we can see that, in the visible range, the glass has a higher transmission rate than the filter". You may be able to figure out whether your Hoya filter is included in one of the reviews.

I cannot comment from experience on whether it is a good idea or not to use a UV filter --- I have never bothered to perform any systematic testing. I certainly do use some type of filter (either UV or just a clear protective filter) at the seaside. As I understand, the sea spray can be harmful to the optical coatings on your lens front element. Filters are also great at keeping greasy fingers off your lens front element when you have a toddler

The lenstip article does argue that UV will only really become noticeable if you have less atmosphere above you (which absorbs/scatters UV), i.e., on a mountain. The CMOS sensor in a modern DSLR will still be sensitive to UV light (the portion not filtered out by the glass in the lens itself), e.g., see
http://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/2262/are-digital-sensors-sensitive-to-uv

So if you have a good UV filter (like the top ones in the Lenstip article) that does not cause additional flares, then you are probably safe in leaving the UV filter on your lens, but keep in mind that it will probably not be filtering out that much UV most of the time. A bad UV filter, on the other hand, could ruin your image by producing horrible flares...

 

[bmboy]

You can find a comparative review of different UV filters here
http://www.lenstip.com/113.1-article-UV_filters_test.html
and continued here
http://www.lenstip.com/120.1-article-UV_filters_test_-_supplement.html

At the very least, I found the review highly entertaining, with comments such as "When we compare the radiation transmission chart of this filter and a regular piece of glass we can see that, in the visible range, the glass has a higher transmission rate than the filter". You may be able to figure out whether your Hoya filter is included in one of the reviews.

I cannot comment from experience on whether it is a good idea or not to use a UV filter --- I have never bothered to perform any systematic testing. I certainly do use some type of filter (either UV or just a clear protective filter) at the seaside. As I understand, the sea spray can be harmful to the optical coatings on your lens front element. Filters are also great at keeping greasy fingers off your lens front element when you have a toddler

The lenstip article does argue that UV will only really become noticeable if you have less atmosphere above you (which absorbs/scatters UV), i.e., on a mountain. The CMOS sensor in a modern DSLR will still be sensitive to UV light (the portion not filtered out by the glass in the lens itself), e.g., see
http://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/2262/are-digital-sensors-sensitive-to-uv

So if you have a good UV filter (like the top ones in the Lenstip article) that does not cause additional flares, then you are probably safe in leaving the UV filter on your lens, but keep in mind that it will probably not be filtering out that much UV most of the time. A bad UV filter, on the other hand, could ruin your image by producing horrible flares...

Thanks for the info. I honestly don't see any significant differences between using and not using a filter in some of those tests, in fact some of them look worse with a filter. However I only looked at the Hoya tests and I'm not sure what the model of the filter is that I've ordered.

In these tests I actually think the filter made the pics worse in terms of the flair:
http://www.lenstip.com/113.13-article-UV_filters_test_Hoya_72_mm_UV_G_-_Series.html
http://www.lenstip.com/113.14-article-UV_filters_test_Hoya_72_mm_UV-0_-_Standard.html

This one looks like it didn't make any difference and it came out tops:
http://www.lenstip.com/113.15-article-UV_filters_test_Hoya_72_mm_HMC_UV-0.html

This might be the one I ordered. Will have to wait and see when it arrives. I guess I'll just use it for extra protection.

 

[mic_y]

Don't you have MFA on the D300S?

Koffie, yeah i did the AF-Fine tune, and even at +20 it was still front-focusing. The weird part was that it also depended on the distance to the subject. At the short end (30cm) a setting of +10-12 was enough. As soon as the distance was over a meter, even +20 was not enough. Even at +20, the lens still refuses to focus on infinity...

 

[koffiejunkie]

Koffie, yeah i did the AF-Fine tune, and even at +20 it was still front-focusing. The weird part was that it also depended on the distance to the subject. At the short end (30cm) a setting of +10-12 was enough. As soon as the distance was over a meter, even +20 was not enough. Even at +20, the lens still refuses to focus on infinity...

Sounds like you got a bum lens.

 

[mic_y]

Sounds like you got a bum lens.

yup, I could imagine that would happen with one, but i swapped it out, and the second one is doing the exact same thing...

 

[koffiejunkie]

yup, I could imagine that would happen with one, but i swapped it out, and the second one is doing the exact same thing...

Bum batch at your dealer? I have a couple of friends with lens, and none of them have focus problems with it. I don't know if they observe focus shift, but if they did to the extent that you describe, they would have mentioned it for sure.

 

[mic_y]

Bum batch at your dealer? I have a couple of friends with lens, and none of them have focus problems with it. I don't know if they observe focus shift, but if they did to the extent that you describe, they would have mentioned it for sure.

mmm, seems to be the case. Well, dad said he is taking it in to Nikon today, and will see where it goes from there. Either another swap-out, or return, and get a 50 f1.4g

will keep updating till things are resolved

 

[bmboy]

So I got my lens yesterday Must say I'm loving it so far. Will give it a proper test this weekend! Just waiting for the filter to arrive which they say will take 3-4 weeks...