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TOPIC: DSLR with Prime Lense
 

sean
DSLR with Prime Lense
1 Year, 10 Months ago
Hey Photo Geeks:

My wife has been complaining about the shutter lag on our old piece of junk point & shoot camera. That gave me a perfect excuse to look at DSLR's today. I stopped by a pawn shop and found a Nikon D40 at a reasonable price.

The thing that concerns me, though, is still the size of the DSLR's. Certainly they have shrunk down quite a bit in the last couple years, but you still can't slip a DSLR into a shirt pocket - which means now you've got to lug around a camera bag, too. Yuk!

But I'm wondering...

What if I were to put a 35mm prime lens on a D40 or D3000 DSLR? That would cut down the size significantly. The AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens earns rave reviews on B&H Photo website, and it is very fast at f/1.8 - seems perfect for indoor flashless shooting.

Maybe I wouldn't need to lug around a camera bag after all?

Would I be crazy to buy a D40 or D3000 camera with only this 35mm prime lens? (I don't think I have the $$ to shell out for both the prime lens plus a zoom lens on top of the camera body).
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bobjr79
Re:DSLR with Prime Lense
1 Year, 10 Months ago
I have a D40 with the kit lens 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6. Now I'm wishing I would have gotten the AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX. If your on a budget I'd suggest the D40 at the pawn shop. I'm sure the D3000 is the better camera. I'm just not convinced it's the better camera for the money. You could probably skip the bag if you want but I'd get a cover for the LCD screen and a UV filter for the lens.
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sean
Re:DSLR with Prime Lense
1 Year, 10 Months ago
Thanks bobjr79. That's all good advice.

Are you regretting the zoom lens because of the physical size or because of the low light capability?
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bobjr79
Re:DSLR with Prime Lense
1 Year, 10 Months ago
I'd say the low light mostly.
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ADADDY_DUBBS
Re:DSLR with Prime Lense
1 Year, 10 Months ago
Hi,

You will get great photos with the DSLR, and will have more options than with most point and shoot. The only thing to think about would be when you us a 35mm film prime on a DSLR you will loose the auto focus ability. Therefore, you'll get better shutter response, but you'll have to take more time obtaining critical focus manually.

I would suggest spending the extra money on a nice fast (f2.8 or better) lens that is designed for the DSLR you purchase. Then get an on camera flash with a diffuser and bounce the light. You'll get great results.

Good Luck!
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beskrowni
Re:DSLR with Prime Lense
1 Year, 10 Months ago
the lens he mentions has auto-focus.

to respond to the original poster. i carry around a D90 with the 35mm lens all the time. i think the larger size is worth the trade off in picture quality, not to mention the greatly reduced shutter lag and super fast burst mode (which is essential for photographing toddlers).
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Daddy Clay
Re:DSLR with Prime Lense
1 Year, 10 Months ago
I just bought myself that lens to go with my D60. It's scheduled to get here this Friday, just in time for me to shoot our annual Easter Egg Hunt. I'll let you know how it goes. Also from B&H camera (amazing prices there).

I also used birthday bucks from both grandmas, and a timely royalty check to invest in an upscale zoom lens, the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II Zoom Lens. But I didn't tell my wife, so guess what she got me for my birthday?

A somewhat less fancy zoom, the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/4-5.6 G ED.

No problem, I trade the second zoom for a flash, right? But this is a marriage, so it's complicated. I have a long history of going out and buying for myself what my wife wants to buy me for a gift. Only I tend to go higher end. And it makes her really frustrated with me. This is a perfect example.

Still haven't figured out how I'm going to tell her.
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concretin_nik
Re:DSLR with Prime Lense
1 Year, 10 Months ago
Trade it in for some really nice photo albums AND prints for the kids photos. Something cam related, yet the whole family will enjoy... the flash, not so much.

And no dishes.
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sean
Re:DSLR with Prime Lense
1 Year, 10 Months ago
Thanks fellas! Haven't heard anybody recoil in horror to my original idea of buying only a prime lens for this camera, so I think I might go for it.

As for the wife....well, here was the verbatim exchange:


> Would you go for a camera like this? Remember that the downside of this type of camera is that the lense is fairly large, so you can't just throw it in your pocket or your purse. On the plus side, the image quality is great, and
there is zero shutter lag. You can actually shoot
several pictures per second, continuously.


graphic


LOVE it. I don't care about throwing it in my pocket.
How much?


I found that it's also possible to buy it with a
shorter/smaller lens as well.
$500 total.



JEEEESUS! I can't talk about that right now. You should have lied to me


I'm not sure what that answer means???
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uncle_sutts
Re:DSLR with Prime Lense
1 Year, 5 Months ago
Oh my, all this Nikon talk is making me silly, (since in my avatar i'm wearing a Canon hat!!

I'm currently shooting a Canon 5D Mark II, coupled with a Canon 100-400mm L f/4.5-5.6 and never gotten better results. I as a cardinal rule never ever ever use a flash around infants due to high exposure levels of light to the retinas/skin. I just find it easier, even in low light shooting without a flash at all, (5D2 is 25,600 ISO capable) I know I know here come the Nikon guys shooshing me already. This is NOT a light or small rig to say the least, but 21.1 MP on a full-frame sensor gets me the results I want. Plus HD video as well, but not very handy since it doesn't focus like a camcorder. I love Canon, but this comes down to chevy vs. ford, where both have their up's and downs, at that point it's up to you! The smaller the dslr the better, downfalls however are size, noise, weight, crap you have to drag along, cam bag etc etc. Unless you really want a dslr, stick with a point n shoot, dslr's are built tough, on both sides of the fence, but my rig weighs in at 7.2 pounds!!! That's a lot of cam to be chasing a 2 year-old with. Just my .02

Bri-
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eborchardt
Re:DSLR with Prime Lense
1 Year, 5 Months ago
You can't go wrong with a Nikon DSLR and the 35mm F/1.8 prime. It's my favorite lens out of my three. I have the 18-55mm kit and the 55-200. The clarity out of a prime lens is far greater than the kit lenses. With the 35mm on a D40, you'll want to get real close to your subject. The attached picture was taken with my 35mm and my D5000. I added a soft focus, but otherwise it's straight off the camera.


This image is hidden for guests. Please login or register to see it.
Last Edit: 2010/08/18 23:07 By eborchardt.Reason: I used imageshack to host my picture.
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DaddyRoger
Re:DSLR with Prime Lense
1 Year, 4 Months ago
I got myself a new 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED VR II for my D90. I've had the kit 18-105 lens. I personally like the thought of not having to switch lenses often. The 18-200 is quite compact for a super zoom.

@DaddyClay what has been your experience with it?
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Daddy Clay
Re:DSLR with Prime Lense
1 Year, 4 Months ago
@daddyroger I actually gave away the 18-55mm that came with the camera to a friend that busted the plastic bayonet on his. I basically stopped using it when I got the zoom, which I use in all cases unless I'm shooting indoors. I find that it's a great all-purpose lens. It fits neatly into my Lowepro sling camera bag, even with the zoom attached. Not too bulky. I took it with me to the beach every day this summer.

Love it.
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Oldmischief
Re:DSLR with Prime Lense
9 Months, 1 Week ago
If money is an issue, keep in mind, you do not have to buy new. Obviously you know some of this since you are looking at a camera from a pawn store. B&H has a fantastic online used store, I have gotten multiple lenses as well as my current camera from them for fractions of their "new" cost. They have a great reputation and rate/price the items based on condition. If you are willing to wait a little, do a little more research and risk a little more, you can find some pretty cool deals on your local Craigslist.com page as well.
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Oldmischief
Re:DSLR with Prime Lense
9 Months, 1 Week ago
If money is an issue, keep in mind, you do not have to buy new. Obviously you know some of this since you are looking at a camera from a pawn store. B&H has a fantastic online used store, I have gotten multiple lenses as well as my current camera from them for fractions of their "new" cost. They have a great reputation and rate/price the items based on condition. If you are willing to wait a little, do a little more research and risk a little more, you can find some pretty cool deals on your local Craigslist.com page as well.
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sean
Re:DSLR with Prime Lense
9 Months, 1 Week ago
Hey Oldmischief -

Thanks for the response. I actually ended up buying a reconditioned Nikon D3000 body from Adorama, and then a new f1.8 / 35mm lens.

This fast lens is absolutely great indoors. No flash necessary! Awesome! The D3000 camera even has a "no flash" shooting mode on the main selection dial, which prevents the flash from trying to pop up when least desired.

However, with all that said, my experience thus far is that I still need to buy a zoom lens for outdoor stuff. The prime lens is absolutely all you need for indoor shooting, but I just don't find it to be the right selection for shooting kids outdoors.
Last Edit: 2011/05/03 19:26 By sean.
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DaddyRoger
Re:DSLR with Prime Lense
9 Months, 1 Week ago
I have the D90 and 35mm f1.8 on almost all the time. Its a great low light lens Its fast, lightweight and was amazingly prized. My profile picture is taken with it. I think its out of stock now and the price has almost doubled!! For outdoor I use a 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED VR II its a bit expensive but its all the zoom you will ever want and you can avoid switching lenses.
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Oldmischief
Re:DSLR with Prime Lense
9 Months ago
Sean-

Glad you found something that worked for you! I personally went Canon so I don't know enough about Nikon lenses in order to suggest a good one to you.

Best of luck
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Oldmischief
Re:DSLR with Prime Lense
9 Months ago
Sean-

Glad you found something that worked for you! I personally went Canon so I don't know enough about Nikon lenses in order to suggest a good one to you.

Best of luck
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