honestly i am so over my 18-55mm kit lens it is driving me crazy. I am trying to take some decent portraits of my sister and her kids for their holiday cards and everything just looks so... muddy? The background wont blur at all even at 55mm and the low light performance is just trash. Im using a D5300 and i thought it would be better than this but im just hitting a wall. My logic was that the kit lens covers the range so it should be fine but its totally not. I have a wedding i need to shoot for a friend in like two weeks here in Chicago and i am panicking because i dont have a fast lens.
So I was thinking about getting the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G because everyone says its the gold standard but then I read that on a DX body it acts like a 75mm and I worry that might be too zoomed in for indoor shots? But then the 35mm might not give that nice compression for faces and might look weird. I only have about $200 to spend maybe $250 if I stretch it or buy used from KEH but I need it like yesterday. Is there some hidden gem I am missing or should I just suck it up and get the 50mm? I really need something that wont make my photos look like they came from a 2010 blackberry...
^ This. Also, jumping in here because I spent years shooting with a D90 and D7000. I learned the hard way that focal length matters more than aperture when you are stuck in a small room. For a wedding, you really need to consider how much space you will actually have.
- Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G: This is basically the standard lens for DX. It is wide enough for full body shots and small groups indoors without needing to stand in the hallway.
- Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G: Way better for tight headshots and that creamy background blur. But on a D5300, it feels like a telephoto. I once tried shooting a reception with just a 50mm and it was a nightmare because I couldnt fit more than two people in the frame. Honestly, the 35mm is more versatile for a wedding, but the 50mm is a better pure portrait lens. Depends on the venue size really...
Tbh I snagged a used Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G for $130! That fast f/1.8 aperture is incredible for low light. Totally saved my budget wedding shoot. So sharp!
I totally get the frustration with that kit lens, it honestly feels like a toy once you realize what you are missing out on! I was in the exact same boat when I started out with my first digital body. I thought the zoom was everything, but my photos always looked flat and just... blah. I remember trying to shoot a friends backyard party and the lighting was slightly dim, and every single photo came out looking like a grainy mess. It was so embarrassing! I finally pulled the trigger on a fast prime lens and let me tell you, it was absolutely life-changing! I distinctly remember the first time I snapped a photo of my niece with it. The background just melted away into this beautiful, creamy blur and her eyes were tack sharp. I actually did a little happy dance in my living room because it finally looked like a real photo and not a cell phone snap! Even when I was shooting in tight spaces, I found that I just learned to zoom with my feet by moving around a bit more. That extra reach actually helped me get way more flattering shots because people didnt feel like I was shoving a camera right in their faces. It makes such a massive difference for portraits. You are gonna love seeing that jump in quality once you ditch that kit glass for something faster, seriously it is the best feeling in the world! Trust me, that slight zoom is actually your best friend for making faces look natural.
