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Choosing a Lens

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argyle409
Posts: 1401 - Karma: 1,890
My friend is going off to college to major in photography, so graduation present I thought I'd buy her some kind of lens for her camera. I finally decided to buy her a 15mm fisheye lens and then when I was talking to her week ago and she told me her parents bought her a fisheye for her gift, fvck! So I returned the lens and now I don't know what to get her, she wants a tilt-shift lens too, but I don't have that much money to spend on her.

So what would you guys recommend me to get her since I don't know that much about lens specially since she been doing it for couple years and I got got a dslr week ago. She doesn't really do action shots more landscape and people and artsy shots, heres her flickr if that helps too recommend me a lens for her. Thanks

Forgot to ad she has a Nikon D40 with a NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II
Apr 25 2009 7:05PM
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SteezyOhio
Posts: 6044 - Karma: 60
maybe you could buy her a D80? i mean i dont know what a nikkor fisheye costs, but the canon and sigma versions that are capable with the canon, cost $600 +, and the D40 body costs, $300? idk id get her a straight up 50mm focusing lense, low aperture, and they run decently cheap, atleast for canon
Apr 25 2009 7:26PM
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WSMFP
Posts: 824 - Karma: 122
she would love a nikkor 55-200mm, there also pretty cheep on amazon.
Apr 25 2009 9:20PM
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thisandthatfilms
Posts: 7713 - Karma: 525
ya either a 50mm or like a 85-300mm... or the d80 bpdy.. sick cam
Apr 25 2009 9:27PM
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argyle409
Posts: 1401 - Karma: 1,890
From what I have heard a 50mm would act like a 80mm since it would be used on a D40 which has some different "ban" or something that makes the lens act different...so the new 35mm f/1.8 from Nikon would act like 50mm would that be better
Apr 25 2009 10:32PM
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josh.
Posts: 3469 - Karma: 42
and thats why that 15mm you got her and took back would not have been a fisheye.

and yeah get her a 50mm its great for portraits on that camera due to the crop factor.
Apr 26 2009 2:33AM
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argyle409
Posts: 1401 - Karma: 1,890
So the 15mm fisheye won't act like fisheye on her camera?
Apr 26 2009 6:18PM
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blackoutbill
Posts: 2918 - Karma: 282
Correct. Take the 15mm and multiply that by 1.6 or whatever the crop factor is. So it would act more like a 24mm lens
Apr 26 2009 6:31PM
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*Fujative*
Posts: 8554 - Karma: 183
nikon is 1.5

i say go for a prime 35 or 50 low f/ for sure.
Apr 26 2009 6:37PM
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blackoutbill
Posts: 2918 - Karma: 282
Ah ok thanks I wasn't too sure. But yeah definately go for this^
Apr 26 2009 6:41PM
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argyle409
Posts: 1401 - Karma: 1,890
Hmm well would the fisheye still give the fisheye effect of the circular roundness to the picture of is that getting cropped out. Since I should probably tell her that, and maybe buy her a D80 or D90 body or does that apply to both those camera's too?
Apr 27 2009 5:25PM
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LC.
Posts: 5952 - Karma: 2,423
50mm and 85mm. I've shot 90% of my college work on those two (the rest on wide and tele zooms). Fisheye and tiltshift are the two most specialised lenses out there, bad idea.
Apr 27 2009 6:26PM
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SteezyOhio
Posts: 6044 - Karma: 60
yea she really doesnt need a fisheye or a tilt, like this guy said those are the 2 best lenses for her
Apr 27 2009 7:11PM
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josh.
Posts: 3469 - Karma: 42
the only nikon body's that it doesn't apply to are the d3, d3x and d700. and of course all their film body's.
Apr 27 2009 7:38PM
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Jordan
Posts: 4079 - Karma: 2,122
first of all, it's called a crop factor.

Second, I would recommend the 50 f/ 1.8, best lens for the money hands down.

35 is also a solid choice, I like the 12-24 f/4 too for wider angles.

Or... just get the 70-200mm f/2.8 VR haha.
Apr 27 2009 8:05PM
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argyle409
Posts: 1401 - Karma: 1,890
Yeah I am pretty set on the Nikon 50mm f/1.4, or get her a Nikon 35mm f/1.8 and 55-200mm f/4-5.6.

She already is getting the fisheye she just really wanted one since she wants one to play around with and have the curved effected that i gives, her parents are getting one so its out of my hand now.
Apr 27 2009 9:46PM
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BigM1218
Posts: 998 - Karma: 13
i agree with everyone else. I had a similar set up as her (d60 instead of d40 though) and the 50mm f/1.8 has been a great addition. its great for indoor and lowlight shots and everything else. The only problem is that it doesnt autofocus on the d40 cuz it doesnt have an internal motor. it can be annoying but if its for mostly portraits and artsy stuff, it should be fine. I also got a 55-200 that goes perfectly with he 18-55. Its nice for some telefoto stuff and its cheap. I mean if you were prepared to drop the $500 or $600 or whatever for the fisheye, then just get those 2 lenses instead and she'll be set
Apr 27 2009 10:10PM
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cobra_commander
Posts: 16909 - Karma: 4,682
50 1.8 is really the only lens you need.
almost 70% of the shots i take with my 'L series' tele's and wide angles I wish I took with my 50. my composition would probably have ended up being about 50x better.
I just use the zoom's cause I'm lazy as fuck and don't like boot packing 50 ft up hill to check out an angle I might not use.
Apr 28 2009 2:18AM
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*Fujative*
Posts: 8554 - Karma: 183
you would need to get a full frame camera, aka starting at the D700.
Apr 28 2009 2:22AM
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benk
Posts: 1342 - Karma: 988
this^ or get the nikkor 10.5mm or sigma 10-20mm. why would you spend the extra money for the f/1.4? the 1.8 would be fine and its only like $110 you cant be it
Apr 28 2009 3:06AM
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*Fujative*
Posts: 8554 - Karma: 183
for me the 1.8 lens is too much of a toy. dont get me wrong, it is an amazing lens. But the 1.4 is overall much sharper and not so "cheaply" made.
Apr 28 2009 7:40AM
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niels043
Posts: 814 - Karma: 184
get her a canon dslr
Apr 28 2009 10:56AM
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Big_Spence
Posts: 16177 - Karma: 4,352
this.
Apr 28 2009 2:52PM
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