honestly im so done with this 18-55mm kit lens it just looks so boring and the background never blurs out the way I want it to. my logic was that any lens would work but I was so wrong and now im just annoyed. I tried using my dads old 50mm manual lens but I cant get the focus right on my D7500 and its driving me crazy. I have about 400 bucks to spend and I need something before my cousins graduation next month here in Seattle. so I was thinking about the 35mm 1.8 but people say its not a real portrait lens? but then the 85mm seems way too zoomed in for the small indoor party. I just want that nice creamy look without fighting my gear every single second. what actually works for dx?
Look, forget the manual lens struggle. Ive been there and trying to nail focus at f/1.8 on a D7500 viewfinder is just a recipe for a headache, especially at a busy graduation. If you want that blurry background without breaking the bank, you need the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G. People call it the nifty fifty for a reason. On your DX sensor, its basically a 75mm equivalent which is perfect for portraits. It hits that sweet spot where faces look natural but you arent standing a mile away. Since you mentioned the indoor party, the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G is also a killer choice. Honestly, for 400 bucks you could probably find both used on a site like MPB and still have money left for a fast SD card. The 35mm is wider, so its better for those group shots, but the 50mm is what gives you that creamy look you're after. The 85mm is gorgeous but yeah, in a cramped Seattle living room, you'll be backing into walls trying to fit people in the frame. Over the years I've realized that the 50mm 1.8G is the best value-for-money lens Nikon ever made for hobbyists. Stick with the 50mm for the hero shots and grab the 35mm for the tight spaces. Both have snappy autofocus so you wont be fighting your gear anymore... just point and shoot.
