Can anyone point me toward a decent budget lens for my Nikon D3500? Honestly, im so fed up with the kit lens that came with the camera because it just cant handle low light at all and everything looks like a blurry mess indoors, its making me want to throw the whole thing out the window. Im trying to shoot some portraits of my dogs and my apartment is basically a cave so I really need something that can open up wider, maybe a prime lens? I only have about 200 bucks to spend right now since I just blew my savings on a trip to Chicago, so I cant go crazy on those expensive pro lenses. Ive been looking at the 35mm f/1.8 but I keep reading mixed things online and its getting super confusing. Does anyone know if that one is actually worth it or if there is something better that wont break the bank? I really need to get this sorted before my sisters wedding next month because if I show up with photos that look like they were taken on a potato again shes gonna kill me... so what should I actually buy?
If you want something different than that 35mm, you should check out the Nikon AF-S DX Micro-Nikkor 40mm f/2.8G. Its pretty sharp and works well for portraits since you can get closer to your dogs without too much distortion.
- Good for close-ups
- Affordable price point
- Sharp for the money It might be slightly tighter than a 35mm, but the image quality is solid for those indoor shots you are struggling with.
^ This. Also, if you want something with a bit more reach for the pups that still fits your budget, look into the Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G. It produces incredible bokeh and gives you that extra bit of separation for portraits. Honestly, for the price, the sharpness is unbeatable. Just make sure you bump up your shutter speed so you dont catch any motion blur from the dogs moving around!
Listen, dont throw your camera out the window just yet. That kit lens is definitely the bottleneck, but you dont need to spend a fortune to see a massive difference. Honestly, the Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G is exactly what you need. I used one for years on my old D3300 and honestly, for the price, it is pretty much unbeatable. It lets in so much more light than your kit lens that you wont even believe it. Shooting in a dim apartment becomes way less of a headache because you can actually keep your shutter speed up and not deal with that grainy, blurry mess. It is perfect for those dog portraits too since it gives you that nice creamy background blur that makes the subject pop. Just keep in mind it is a prime lens, so you have to use your feet to zoom, but trust me, the sharpness is worth the trade-off. You should be able to find one used or even refurbished for well under your 200 buck budget. My advice? Grab it, practice shooting with it a few times before your sisters wedding, and you will be golden. You are gonna be so much happier with the results than you are now, believe me.
Building on the earlier suggestions, honestly I have the exact same problem with my setup. I have been fighting with low light shots in my apartment for over six months now and I am just as lost as you are.
- tried messing with ISO settings
- constantly dealing with motion blur
- losing my mind over these indoor photos Its super frustrating because I just cant seem to get anything sharp without enough light. I really hope someone can give us a straight answer because I am about at my wit's end too.
