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Suggesgtion for prime len shooting low light with D300S

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goone

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Helo,

What is the best len to pair with D300s for shooting under low light condition, especially without using flash, been doing some research but could not come up with any good one, the nikon 35 f1/8 with some excellent review but does it good enough? current len is 16-85. Any info greatly appreciated
 
The 50mm F1.4G IMO is an excellent low light performer. Mounted on a tripod with remote, the lens will still take a good pic in near total darkness.
 
The 35/1.8G is actually a very good lens at a bargain price. Here are some other alternatives to consider. I own them all and use them under low light conditions. Hard to say which I prefer the most:

24/2 AI-S. Good examples worth a buy.
35/1.4 AI-S. An oldie but a goodie.
35/2 ZF just superb but MF only.

50/1.2 AI-S. Great in low light but not super sharp in the corners if that's important.
50/1.4 AF-D or AF-S both are good.
50/1.4 ZF some folks don't like this one. I do. MF only.
50/2 ZF super sharp. MF only.
85/1.8 AF-D. Excellent value for money.
85/1.4 AF-D. A classic ultra-sharp lens and great in low light.
100/2 ZF. Just excellent. MF only.
105/2 AF DC A classic.
105/2.5 AI-S. Good examples becoming hard to find. MF only.

I dropped my 35/1.4 onto a hardwood floor from a height of about 4ft and other than broken lens cap and UV filter no damage to the lens or misalignment of the elements. For this and it's great IQ maybe this one is my sentimental favorite...
--
Sensorly yours...
 
Interesting, I thought your current lens is 17-55.
And yes, 35/1.8 is good enough.
Cheers
--
http://www.pbase.com/andrzejmakal/galleries

D300::D50::ZEISS25/2.8::N24-70::N18-200VR::N35/1.8::S10-20::S150Macro::N50/1.8::SB600::sb400
 
The 35/1.8 would be my favorite on DX. Fast, light, sharp wide open, beautiful colors and bokeh for the money.

Dominic
 
Thanks for all the suggestions, yes I do have the 17-- 2.8 but in the process to return the len due to the weight and also the result is not what I am looking for when shooting with low light, any experience with the Sigma 30mm f1/4.
 
I have the Sigma 30 and it may be my favorite lens. But it is a bit heavier than the Nikon 35. If weight is an issue to you, you might want to check out what the Sigma feels like on your camera before you buy.

The price of the 35 can't be beat, but in real world shooting, the Sigma 30 is a better lens.
 
The 50mm f/1.4 makes the most sense in your case. Since you are looking for speed, it is preferable to the f/1.8 lenses. Also, you pay much more for f/1.4 in any other focal length.

--
Kam
 


and the 85/1.8 focuses faster than the 35 1.8

It does have that very small depth of field when needed too.
 
The 50mm is slightly longer than the 35mm which suggests that you need a slightly higher shutter speed to ensure you get a steady, sharp image at maximum aperture.

A 50mm on DX is a short telephoto so 1/80 is probably the benchmark speed. A bit of practice can get you lower.

A 35mm is closer to a normal on DX so 1/50 is the benchmark. 1/50 to 1/80 second is 2/3 of a stop. f/1.4 to f/1.8 is also 2/3 of a stop. The practical difference then, between the 50mm f/1.4 and 35mm f/1.8 is much of a muchness then, depending upon your ability to handhold. I think the framing and perspective opportunities afforded by either lens should be the determinant factor (and price, too!) rather than the raw aperture speed.

--
Mike

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mking/
 
35mm 1.8, have one and love it! sharp, fast, beautiful bokeh, and cheap!

however, do keep in mind that with 35mm, you do need to get closer to the subject (which is another good reason of this lens for indoor use), but you might be not able to depends on the situation (e.g. outdoor, walking around, busy area)! 50mm might be a better choice if getting close isn't an option in your case.
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Gary

My photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/garyngo/
 
I can only speak for my own experience ...

at 50mm, either the Nikkor 50/1.4G or the Sigma 50/1.4 EX-DG, both are superb, BUT , alternatively if you can live with Manual focus, I would stand for the Cosina made Voigtlander 58/1.4 SL-II, even better is the Zeiss ZF or ZF.2 50/2.0 Macro ( lost a stop of speed but the best imaging quality at this focal length

The Tamron 60/2.0 Macro a good choice and relatively cheap

I do second the Nikkor DX 35/1.8

--
  • Franka -
 
I have the 35/1.8G, and it's been great so far. Fast enough, and very usable wide open. 50/1.4G sounds awesome too - I'd love to get my hands on one at some stage.

--
Pavel
http://flickr.com/photos/pavel/
 
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