So my sister just handed down her old Nikon D3500 to me because she upgraded, and I am completely lost. My best friend is having her first baby next month here in Chicago and she asked if I could take some nice portraits of her and the baby. I really want to do a good job but every time I try to take photos with the lens that came with the camera (it says 18-55mm on it), the background just looks super cluttered and not at all like those professional blurry background photos you see online.
I started looking up lenses online and honestly my head is spinning. There are so many numbers and letters and I have no idea what DX even means really, I just know my camera is a DX one. People keep talking about 50mm and 35mm and f/1.8 but I don't know what is actually going to work on my camera. I really don't have a lot of money to spend on this, my absolute max budget is like 150 to 200 dollars if I push it, because I also had to buy a memory card and a bag.
Sorry if this is a really dumb question but I am so stressed about ruining these photos for her. Is there a cheap lens that will give me that blurry background look without me having to stand a mile away or zoom in like crazy? I keep seeing a Nikon 50mm 1.8g mentioned but then some people say it is actually 75mm on my camera and now I am just totally confused. What is the best cheap portrait lens for a beginner with a DX camera like mine?
TL;DR: I would suggest a used Nikon AF-S DX Micro-NIKKOR 40mm f/2.8G for cheap baby portraits. Just make sure to watch your shutter speed indoors. Hit me up if you need more tips!
> I keep seeing a Nikon 50mm 1.8g mentioned but then some people say it is actually 75mm on my camera I started out years ago doing baby portraits with a D3100 and the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G. That 75mm equivalent is actually perfect for portraits because it flatters faces and gives a tighter crop, though you gotta step back a bit. If you want a cheaper alternative, the Yongnuo YN 50mm f/1.8N is a decent budget option for DX.
Don't sweat it, we all started right where you are. To get that nice blurry background, you just need a lens with a wider aperture (that's the f/1.8 part). For your budget, I highly recommend looking at these options:
- Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G
- You can find this easily for under $150 used. It works amazingly well indoors because you don't have to stand too far back.
- Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G
- A bit tighter, but the background blur is even creamier. Just make sure you get the AF-S version so it actually autofocuses on your D3500. I've used the 35mm DX for years and have absolutely no complaints, it's a killer little lens for the price.
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