So Ive been rocking the kit lens on my D5600 for a year and its finally time to upgrade because the low light performance is just killing me. I mostly do shots of my kids at the park and some family portraits when we visit my parents in Ohio next month. I have narrowed it down to the 35mm f1.8G DX since everyone says its the gold standard, but I am also looking at the 50mm f1.8G because the bokeh looks better for portraits... though I am worried it might be too tight indoors. I have only got about 250 bucks to spend and need to buy something by next week. Which one should I pull the trigger on for a better all-rounder?
Ive been down this exact road with my old D5300 when I was chasing my toddlers around. Honestly, the 35mm is the way to go for an all-rounder. I remember trying to take shots at a birthday party with the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G and I literally had my back against the wall just to get two people in the frame. It is way too tight for indoor stuff on a DX sensor because that 1.5x crop factor turns it into a 75mm equivalent focal length. Technical specs for the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G make it the clear winner for your situation:
- Effective focal length is about 52.5mm which provides a very natural perspective
- Fast f/1.8 aperture gives you significantly more light than your kit lens at the same zoom
- Rear focusing system keeps the lens compact and fast for tracking kids The 50mm definitely has slightly smoother bokeh for those dedicated headshots, but if you are at the park or a cramped living room in Ohio, you are gonna be frustrated with how much you have to back up. I eventually sold my 50 and stuck with the 35mm for like three years. It hits that sweet spot of being wide enough for a group shot but fast enough to blur out a messy background. Plus, it usually sits right around 180 bucks brand new, so it fits your 250 budget perfectly. You could even grab a SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO SDXC with the leftovers. Get the 35mm, you wont regret it.
