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Anyone else think 35mm is not wide enough for DX normal prime?

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Glen78 said:
I have a D3100 and bought a 35mm f/1.8G as a normal walk around prime for low light conditions but am finding it not wide enough for my liking and often switch back to the kit lens. Especially indoors I feel like I am always backing into walls or other people to get the shot. Does anyone else feel this way? There doesn't seem much else available in terms of wider and affordable DX primes. I am thinking of selling this and getting a used Sigma 30mm f/1.4 which might still not be wide enough, although I cannot justify the cost of the 24 or 28mm FX primes.
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I don't know why nikon made this DX lens in a 35mm, dont know what drug they were on. it is not wide angle at all on DX. I would't even bother with the sigma 30mm, i would rather keep this nikon, for the price cant go wrong with it. Get your self the 20mm 2.8 or a zoom 2.8.
 
I think your missing the point of the 35mm 1.8 it's not designed as a wide angle prime. It's field of view is 52mm on a film camera or FF camera and that has been over the years the normal walkabout lens for film users at 50mm. Because it says '35mm' doesn't make it a wide angle prime with this kind of view on a dx camera, it was made to give a very similar view as the 50mm prime on a FF camera. This is due to the fact it gives a very similar view to that of your eyes.

If your looking at a wide angle prime as a walkabout then something around a 20mm (30mm field of view on a FF) or 28mm (42mm view on a FF). You have to take into account distortion etc.

I'm someone who's shot a lot of film with a 50mm prime and find the 35mm 1.8 an ideal dx lens to walkabout as light sharp prime because it gives such a similar view. As others have suggested if your not finding it wide enough for indoor shooting get something like a 17-50mm 2.8 with a view of losing 1 stop of light.
 
I agree, unfortunately many of my shooting situations allow me to move closer but not as much flexibility to move farther a way and I find a mid range zoom is the best fit for me in these situations. The less I have to change lenses the better as I not only need to be ready for photo opportunities but with two young daughters I have to engaged with what they are doing as well.
 
...and I'll likely show you an image that would be more compelling cropped closer.

I'm not saying there is no need for a range below 35mm, in reality there is a lot of need in a lot of situations.

But what I am saying is, more times than not when people feel the irrational panic that they can't get back far enough, what they should really be saying to themselves is, "Get closer!"

-Suntan
 
I agree the 35 is not quite wide enough on DX sometimes. I have a Nikkon 24mm f/2.8 D that is pretty awesome for that situation, but it would be manual focus only on your camera.
 
For some years now, I've used a 28/2 (on Sony DSLRs) as my normal. I briefly tried a 35mm first, then chose the 28. My walkaround camera, pre-digital, was a 70's era compact rangefinder with a 40/1.8 that I really liked. But I also used a 50mm on film and got along with that just fine.

So now I've had the 35/1.8 for the D7000 for more than half a year and I get along with it just fine. I'd prefer a 28, but it's not a big deal; I wouldn't consider spending the money on the bigger, heavier FF 28/1.8 just to get that FL.
  • Dennis
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Gallery at http://kingofthebeasts.smugmug.com
 
Dennis said:
mistermejia said:
I don't know why nikon made this DX lens in a 35mm, dont know what drug they were on. it is not wide angle at all on DX.
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Are they only allowed to make wide angle DX lenses ?
  • Dennis
--
Gallery at http://kingofthebeasts.smugmug.com
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No Dennis, they are not, they can make what ever they want, in fact, the more they make, the more money they make. me "PERSONALLY" i do use the 35mm once in a while, but i find the FL kind of weird, like if i am using my 50mm, but just a BIT wider, its an akward feeling, that's all.

As to the 28G, that is a lens more designed for FF, why would you want to pay $700 for only 7mm more?? With 700 dollars you can actually get a used 17-55 2.8, might as well.
 
Glen78 said:
I have a D3100 and bought a 35mm f/1.8G as a normal walk around prime for low light conditions but am finding it not wide enough for my liking and often switch back to the kit lens. Especially indoors I feel like I am always backing into walls or other people to get the shot. Does anyone else feel this way? There doesn't seem much else available in terms of wider and affordable DX primes. I am thinking of selling this and getting a used Sigma 30mm f/1.4 which might still not be wide enough, although I cannot justify the cost of the 24 or 28mm FX primes.
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I also feel this way. Don't get me wrong...my 35 is a great lens and my most used by far. But I often would like it a bit wider. What is funny is I HAVE a Sigma 30mm for sale right now, and I bought the Nikon to replace it. With my D40 i just find the Nikon focused more consistently accurate. I'd actually consider the 28/1.8 G myself as a normal prime.

If your interested in a very clean Sigma 30, PM me.
 
mistermejia said:
mistermejia said:
mistermejia said:
I don't know why nikon made this DX lens in a 35mm, dont know what drug they were on. it is not wide angle at all on DX.
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me "PERSONALLY" i do use the 35mm once in a while, but i find the FL kind of weird, like if i am using my 50mm, but just a BIT wider, its an akward feeling, that's all.
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That's fair; I find 50mm on APS-C useless for my own tastes. But as for what drug Nikon was on ... it's the APS-C equivalent of a 50 ... about as mainstream and vanilla ice cream as you can get !
mistermejia said:
As to the 28G, that is a lens more designed for FF, why would you want to pay $700 for only 7mm more?? With 700 dollars you can actually get a used 17-55 2.8, might as well.
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It's a FL I'd prefer, but I wouldn't spend that kind of money or carry the weight to get it. (That's my problem with pricey FF WAs in general ... you're paying for optics designed to do something you don't need them to do ... so I'd never be able to justify the cost of a 24-70/2.8 even though I would enjoy the range on APS-C).
  • Dennis
--
Gallery at http://kingofthebeasts.smugmug.com
 
Silenus said:
I also feel this way. Don't get me wrong...my 35 is a great lens and my most used by far. But I often would like it a bit wider.
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It's funny that the big companies are so stuck in the mud in this regard while the little guys are thinking outside the box a little.

I'm not sure if any of Nikon's 50mm lenses are DX; I know Sony's 50/1.8 is APS-C only (the 50/1.4 is FF) and they have a 50/1.8 for the NEX system. Their normals are 35mm (as with Nikons DX 35/1.8).

Meanwhile, Samsung does a nice 30/2 pancake, Panasonic has the 20/1.7. Fuji did a 35mm normal, but opted for a 60mm macro/portrait lens instead of 50mm and will be doing a 27mm pancake lens. Sigma has 30mm; Tamron does 60mm (I know Nikon does, too).

It seems like these big, bureaucratic companies must just look at last years sales, see that 50mm lenses sell, and decide to stick with 50mm lenses (never mind that nobody really wants a 75mm equivalent) and so on. (Or in Canon's case, decided you don't need a dedicated 1.6X crop normal.)

But anyway, 28 versus 30 versus 35 isn't a make or break for me by any stretch; I'm perfectly happy with 35 (nice, light, sharp, fast, cheap) even if 28 feels like it has a little more breathing room.
  • Dennis
--
Gallery at http://kingofthebeasts.smugmug.com
 
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