Help choosing a lens

[325Ti]

Afternoon

I'm pretty much clueless when it comes to cameras

Bought my first slr last year when my first child was born - a Nikon 3100 with the standard 18 - 55 lens

Now kid number 2 is on the way i want to invest in a few new bits to help getting better pictures having borrowed bits from my brother in law below

I like soft / natural colours with the background soften / out of focus

Majority of pictures will be of the kids and quite up close, so my questions

1) do I go 35 or 50mm?
2) do I stick with Nikon or buy a different brand?
3) also flashes - is there any difference between additional flashes or are they all similar? Just want a basic lens that I can point at the roof

Thanks

[mrdemon]

I like soft / natural colours with the background soften / out of focus


that's all about settings on your camera nothing to do with the lens. just learn to use what you have imo

[Lakelord]

Agree with the above. You want to be using Aperture Priority mode and chose the lowest f number you can. This will give you a shallow depth of field, keeping your subject in focus and blurring the background. Just google Nikon Aperture Priority Mode and I'm sure you will get lots of good hints, tips and results out of the outfit you have without having to invest in further kit.

[Simpo Two]

mrdemon said:

I like soft / natural colours with the background soften / out of focus

that's all about settings on your camera nothing to do with the lens. just learn to use what you have imo

No and yes - a kit lens will only offer limited shallow DOF. In this instance I'd go for a 50mm f1.8.

As for flash, defo get one with a bounce head - personally I'd stick with Nikon but I think Yongnuo (sp?) make one that's compatible. Or get Nikon one s/h from eBay.

'Soft and natural' colours are up to the processing, whether in camera (JPG) or manually later (RAW).

[325Ti]

Lakelord said:

Agree with the above. You want to be using Aperture Priority mode and chose the lowest f number you can. This will give you a shallow depth of field, keeping your subject in focus and blurring the background. Just google Nikon Aperture Priority Mode and I'm sure you will get lots of good hints, tips and results out of the outfit you have without having to invest in further kit.

Maybe it's my lack of knowledge and experience but I've had a play with the settings mentioned above with my lens and then repeated the process with a 35mm lens and the results seemed a lot different

[325Ti]

Simpo Two said:

mrdemon said:

I like soft / natural colours with the background soften / out of focus

that's all about settings on your camera nothing to do with the lens. just learn to use what you have imo

No and yes - a kit lens will only offer limited shallow DOF. In this instance I'd go for a 50mm f1.8.

As for flash, defo get one with a bounce head - personally I'd stick with Nikon but I think Yongnuo (sp?) make one that's compatible. Or get Nikon one s/h from eBay.

'Soft and natural' colours are up to the processing, whether in camera (JPG) or manually later (RAW).

I'm interested as to why the 50mm over the 35mm?

Also - what's the difference in the 2 lens below?


http://www.jessops.com/online.store/categories/pro...

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/categories/pro...

They both seem to be 50mm and f1.8?

[Simpo Two]

Note that aperture (size of hole, 'f') is a separate issue from focal length (field/angle of view, mm).

I suggested 50mm over 35mm as if you're doing portraits it gives you a bit more distance to subject and a nicer perspective. But it's up to you; 35mm would be a better general purpose lens for your camera.

Of the two lenses you linked to, the AF-D has older screw-drive focus, the AF-S has newer ultrasonic focus. I don't think your 3100 will autofocus with the former.

Edited by Simpo Two on Saturday 4th October 18:52

[Morbid]

I use a 50mm f1.8 to photograph my son, and I rarely use any other lens now. If you're interested there are a few (!) shots of him on Flickr.

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/73553172@N04/

[oddman]

I've a 35mm1.8 and a 50mm1.4

The 50mm is definitely better for portraits

The 35 is a fantastic landscape carry anywhere lens

[325Ti]

Morbid said:

I use a 50mm f1.8 to photograph my son, and I rarely use any other lens now. If you're interested there are a few (!) shots of him on Flickr.

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/73553172@N04/

Some fantastic photos there - just a few indeed!

[325Ti]

oddman said:

I've a 35mm1.8 and a 50mm1.4

The 50mm is definitely better for portraits

The 35 is a fantastic landscape carry anywhere lens

Ok thanks

Looking like a 50mm is the winner

Although I think my budget will only stretch to a f1.8 and not the f1.4

[Morbid]

325Ti said:

Morbid said:

I use a 50mm f1.8 to photograph my son, and I rarely use any other lens now. If you're interested there are a few (!) shots of him on Flickr.

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/73553172@N04/

Some fantastic photos there - just a few indeed!

Thank you . Lots of family who like to keep up to date with his progress. Lens was a pressie from my fiancée as was the Speedlite which is great. I'm sure the Nikon equivalent will be equally as good. Bouncing off the ceiling is the best way like you say, softer light and your kid won't get blinded!

[RobDickinson]

'soft and natural colours' - this is down to a few things.

Shoot with good light, either flash or natural. You wont get soft if you are shooting in direct mid day sun.

Learn to balance ambient with flash, and bounce flash or use modifiers, best off camera if you can do, wireless triggers are pretty cheap now.

Soft also can be shallow DOF, the 50f1.8 will give you more subject isolation and better bokeh than the nikon 35 which whilst its a nice lens doesnt have the creamy bokeh it should.

Natural is partly down to processing, dont max the contrast, get the right WB etc.

[Simpo Two]

325Ti said:

Although I think my budget will only stretch to a f1.8 and not the f1.4

Don't worry. I have the f1.4 and in practice the DOF at f1.4 is so fag-paper thin I never use it below f2

[ExPat2B]

OK for 200 pounds you can transform your photography.

Pick either the Nikon 35mm or 50mm 1.8 lens.

Then get a Yongnuo 560 flash.

Put the flash in S1 mode ( Optical trigger ) in manual mode, at about 1/2 power. Point the flashing leds towards you, and the flash head backwards at a white wall or ceiling with the built in diffuser covering the flash head.

Set the camera to manual, ISO 100, aperture F3.5 to 5.6, shutter speed 1/200

Set on camera flash mode to manual, 1/32 power, rear curtain sync.

Set the focus to single point focus, and compose the shot with the focus point directly on their eye.

Now take a pic - the on camera flash gives the lights a catchlight, and illuminates the iris, and triggers the off camera Yongnuo flash. The yongnuo will turn the entire wall and ceiling into a softbox and give wonderful shading across the face without the horrible flat look of on camera flash or harsh shadows.

You can also do this with a wide aperture for shallow depth of field, but you will need a Yongnuo wireless flash trigger for best results, as the on camera flash is overpowering even at 1/32 when you are at f1.8. You can block the on camera flash with some IR transparent plastic, but this is a bit clumsy compared to a wireless trigger.

[Simpo Two]

We don't tackle flying through rock until a little later in the program

[Morbid]

Haha ! Great comment Simpo

Did you miss this bit in the OP Expat?

I'm pretty much clueless when it comes to cameras.

It's an interesting technique you describe though.

[325Ti]

ExPat2B said:

OK for 200 pounds you can transform your photography.

Pick either the Nikon 35mm or 50mm 1.8 lens.

Then get a Yongnuo 560 flash.

Put the flash in S1 mode ( Optical trigger ) in manual mode, at about 1/2 power. Point the flashing leds towards you, and the flash head backwards at a white wall or ceiling with the built in diffuser covering the flash head.

Set the camera to manual, ISO 100, aperture F3.5 to 5.6, shutter speed 1/200

Set on camera flash mode to manual, 1/32 power, rear curtain sync.

Set the focus to single point focus, and compose the shot with the focus point directly on their eye.

Now take a pic - the on camera flash gives the lights a catchlight, and illuminates the iris, and triggers the off camera Yongnuo flash. The yongnuo will turn the entire wall and ceiling into a softbox and give wonderful shading across the face without the horrible flat look of on camera flash or harsh shadows.

You can also do this with a wide aperture for shallow depth of field, but you will need a Yongnuo wireless flash trigger for best results, as the on camera flash is overpowering even at 1/32 when you are at f1.8. You can block the on camera flash with some IR transparent plastic, but this is a bit clumsy compared to a wireless trigger.

Thanks for the reply - I understand about half of it - but will give it a go sometime

Had a look at the Yongnuo 560 - the series 3 is out now - amazon have a few around 45 / 50 quid - is that about right?

It seems quite a complex flash with lots of settings - I had been looking at something more basic - ie it's either on or off - but guessing a better flash will be much better if I get my head around the settings

[Simpo Two]

325Ti said:

Had a look at the Yongnuo 560 - the series 3 is out now - amazon have a few around 45 / 50 quid - is that about right?

It seems quite a complex flash with lots of settings - I had been looking at something more basic - ie it's either on or off - but guessing a better flash will be much better if I get my head around the settings

Flashguns can be as complex if not more so than cameras. If a flash is only on or off, you have to juggle the camera settings to get the exposure right, if indeed it's possible. In short it's another variable to add to the mix, and a second light source. Which means you have to juggle:

Aperture
Shutter speed
ISO
Ambient light
Flash power

That's OK if you're in a studio, as you have plenty of time and nothing changes, but outside, it's a bit like riding five horses at once. Set some on Auto and kick the rest

[eltawater]

I have a D7000 (used to own a D3100), a 35mm 1.8g, a 50mm 1.8D, and a Nikon SB900 flash.

I also have a daughter who, for the past 13 months, has suffered at all of the above being pointed at her.

Going against the grain here, I have found that the best photos I have taken of her since she was born have been with the 35mm. It's an excellent general purpose lens, and the great aperture range means that you can take a lot of liberties with low level light before having to resort to a flash.

I've found the 50mm to be just too closely on a crop sensor to be as flexible. As your children get older, they don't tend to stay still long enough in the frame, so it's a godsend sometimes to have some of the extra breathing space of the 35mm
Since it was purchased a few months ago, it's not really been out of the bag more than half a dozen times. It was really only bought out of curiosity to find out what everyone is raving about







I'm actually selling my 35mm in the near future as my Tamron 17-50 2.8 has made it redundant...

Edited by eltawater on Monday 6th October 09:53