New Lens for Nikon D60

Andy

I want a new couple of new lenses for my camera (D60). Fancy a fixed 50mm and also a fisheye just to play around with.

Would like cheap as possible really. Any suggestions?

mattyg2004

Fisheye = samyang 8mm fisheye Check the bay

I've got a 50mm but also thinking of getting a 35mm as on a recent boat trip the 50mm was to long to use on deck.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-50mm-F1-8 ... 770&sr=8-2
or
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-AF-S-DX-3 ... 847&sr=8-1

mrfmilo

+1 for the 50mm 1.8.

No idea for fisheye, don't really like em. Do you want it for having fun with, or just for wide angle shots? I'd much rather have a good 12-24mm wide angle.

Anonymous

Note that you are limited to AF (AF-S/AF-I) lenses with the D60. Not really a problem as most are AF-S lenses these days. AF-S/AF-I basically have a motor in the lens, the non AF ones rely on a motor in the camera which the D60 doesn't have.

35mm lenses are great on DX format cameras. With the DX crop it's effectively a "normal" lens as they are called (field of view approximate to human vison). A quality prime lens and fast at f/1.8 too for the AF-S version.

50mm 1.8 also good but more for portraits with DX. Usually you find a lot of people say to get 50mm because they're cheap, except the AF-S version is not, and they're a "normal" lens, except on a DX camera it's not. Still a nice lens though.

Considered macro? I can recommend the Tamron Di 90mm AF macro. Cheap good quality macro lens and not bad as a portrait 90mm prime lens too.

Not sure on fisheye stuff other than I'd use them only occasionally and can be expensive. Would be nice to have, but yeah, rather the 12-24mm... mmm nice. Be prepared to pay for it though!

Andy

mattyg2004 wrote:

Fisheye = samyang 8mm fisheye Check the bay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Samyang-NIKON ... 360wt_1185

That one?

Giraffoto

If you just fancy a lens to play around with - hire one first! If you find you use it about twice and don't feel like printing the results, you'll have saved yourself a few quid. Also, be aware that there aren't many fisheye lenses with built-in motors, so you'll be manually focussing on the D60.

The DX equivalent of the good old 50mm is about 32mm for the same angle of view - on a DX camera 50mm is a short portrait lens rather than a viable standard. Fortunately, Nikon make the AF-S 35mm just for us DX owners - that's my recommendation if you have to go prime. However, the 18-55mm VR that I got with my D60 is a great lens for the money, and covers the same focal length range: it's all down to if you want the large aperture capability.

butcher of bakersfield

I have a Canon 50mm f1.8, so can't comment on the Nikon option, but I assume it's much of the same. And it's a great lens. Awesome for portraits, amazing depth of field, and visibly sharper than most. An absolute steal for the £75 it cost me.

Fisheyes by their nature are generally expensive, so you might want to put a bit more thought into exactly what you want. But I've seen and heard good things for the Samyang lenses. And you'll not find anything cheaper. Nothing worth having anyway. That 8mm is a bit extreme (hence you might want to put some serious thought into what you want) but very capable.

Other options would be Sigma and Tamron. I have the Sigma 10-20mm myself, and it's nice.

Fatamorgana

You are waisting you time on a gimmicy fish-eye.
I note that the National Geographic annual competition was not accepting any fisheye len images.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/p ... est/rules/

Always, always buy the very fastest lenses you can.
There's a good interview with Tim Allen, late of the Independent and latterly the stills photographer with the BBC's Planet team: all he uses is the fastest prime lenses. Period.

One lens, a 50mm 1.4 or a 35mm 1.4.
If cost is a factor, then the 50mm will blow the 1.8 into the weeds and it's not until you own one will it become apparent just why the best professionals use and advocate the fast lenses - don't let the great unwashed tell you the 1.8 is worth buying, it's simply not in the same league, I know, I own both.

butcher of bakersfield

Not everyone has £300 burning a hole in their back pocket. But most can stretch to £75... And the 1.8mm is a bloody good lens regardless. At the end of the day, if you were going for the fastest, you wouldn't go for the 1.4 either ... so it comes down to budget at the end of the day.

Anonymous

Again, you're limited to AF-S(or AF-I) internal motor lenses, which are more expensive than the old 50mm lenses which relied on the motor in the camera and were cheaper.

Fatamorgana

"At the end of the day, if you were going for the fastest, you wouldn't go for the 1.4"
That is the fastest 50mm lens that Nikon make; f1.4.
That's the one to buy, not the 1.8 which is OK - if you see your work as OK, then buy an OK lens.
To take it to the next level always buy the fastest lenses.

I can tell you the very same for the 85mm.
Having owned both the 1.8 and the 1.4, the 1.8 doesn't even come close. It's 1/3 of the price too.

If you can not see the difference between the two, then buy the OK lens as your work will not go beyond OK. If you want what lies beyond OK, then you need to make that financial committment.

The 50mm f1.4 is only worth it if you buy the new G and not the dog-D lens which isnot worth considering.

delcol

this is probably to late for you but for future ref..

i had a few lenses for my canon 7d off these, very reasonably priced to..
http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/used-e ... tAodcyJ5Ig

i have sold stuff to them as well.. highly recomend them..

also used these to.
http://www.mifsuds.com/

butcher of bakersfield

Fatamorgana wrote:

"At the end of the day, if you were going for the fastest, you wouldn't go for the 1.4"
That is the fastest 50mm lens that Nikon make; f1.4.
That's the one to buy, not the 1.8 which is OK - if you see your work as OK, then buy an OK lens.
To take it to the next level always buy the fastest lenses.

I can tell you the very same for the 85mm.
Having owned both the 1.8 and the 1.4, the 1.8 doesn't even come close. It's 1/3 of the price too.

If you can not see the difference between the two, then buy the OK lens as your work will not go beyond OK. If you want what lies beyond OK, then you need to make that financial committment.

The 50mm f1.4 is only worth it if you buy the new G and not the dog-D lens which isnot worth considering.

Sorry, I shoot Canon (who do 1.2 and 1.0!), so I probably had my head in the clouds a bit there. I do believe Nikon have a 1.2, but I don't understand what lenses you can use on what these days, so don't know how much use it is...

The thing with the 1.8, whilst you're absolutely right, you get what you pay for and all the rest of it, the f1.8 will still outperform much more expensive zooms, if we're to put it into perspective - saying it's 'OK' is relative. And the OP did say cheap!

Fatamorgana

http://bythom.com/Sigma-50-HSM-lensreview.htm

http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/sigma_50_1p4_c16/

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/reviews.htm

All respected web resources about lenses and cameras.
Hope this helps.

Anonymous

All respected web resources about lenses and cameras

Well, the first two are. Ken's a bit up his own arse sometimes.

In fact dpreview is respected for reviews but don't go near the forums!

Thom however is a photography god