Prime lens for D5000..35mm f1.8 or 50mm f1.8?

[ion-man]

Hi folks, I am asking your opinions on lenses again. This time I am asking for help with choosing a fast prime for my D5000. Since this forum doesn't offer Private Mail, I have to resort to asking publicly.

So which is best for my camera, the 35mm f1.8 or the 50mm f1.8? I think I read that the 50mm won't auto focus on my D5000 so I am leaning towards the 35mm. Please offer opinions.

[johneeo]

Hi folks, I am asking your opinions on lenses again. This time I am asking for help with choosing a fast prime for my D5000. Since this forum doesn't offer Private Mail, I have to resort to asking publicly.

So which is best for my camera, the 35mm f1.8 or the 50mm f1.8? I think I read that the 50mm won't auto focus on my D5000 so I am leaning towards the 35mm. Please offer opinions.

 

Are you aware of this website?

[Leukoi]

I have both of those. I use the 35 1.8 far more than the 50 1.8. I've used my 50 on cameras that can and can't autofocus it. It's a lot better with autofocus, but it's not anywhere near unuseable manually focusing it. If I had a D5000, a 35 1.8 would be the first lens I'd buy for it.

[ion-man]

Are you aware of this website?

 

Yes, I am.

[ion-man]

I have both of those. I use the 35 1.8 far more than the 50 1.8. I've used my 50 on cameras that can and can't autofocus it. It's a lot better with autofocus, but it's not anywhere near unuseable manually focusing it. If I had a D5000, a 35 1.8 would be the first lens I'd buy for it.

 

Thanks very much for your response. I've gone back and forth with the decision to get one of these two lenses for a few months now and I just needed some specific info to tip me over.

Tipping!

[highflyingrealtor]

Hi folks, I am asking your opinions on lenses again. This time I am asking for help with choosing a fast prime for my D5000. Since this forum doesn't offer Private Mail, I have to resort to asking publicly.

So which is best for my camera, the 35mm f1.8 or the 50mm f1.8? I think I read that the 50mm won't auto focus on my D5000 so I am leaning towards the 35mm. Please offer opinions.

If I were only shooting portraits, then I'd get the 50mm. I have the 35mm on my D40 and for me it's much more useful.

[chipmaster]

As general purpose fast prime the 35 1.8 is the one to go for.

 

The 50 1.4G is the one you'll need to get for the D5000 as the cheaper and older 50 1.8D or faster 50.14D as you noted are screw driven autofocus of which your body can't drive. The 50 1.4G is nice but very pricey. Unless you want to do tight portrait type shots I would think the 35 is much more flexibible.

 

Best means different things to different people. The 35 1.8 is the cheap DX and a screaming value designed for the DX bodies and gives you the same FOV as the classical 50mm on film/FX.

 

Hi folks, I am asking your opinions on lenses again. This time I am asking for help with choosing a fast prime for my D5000. Since this forum doesn't offer Private Mail, I have to resort to asking publicly.

So which is best for my camera, the 35mm f1.8 or the 50mm f1.8? I think I read that the 50mm won't auto focus on my D5000 so I am leaning towards the 35mm. Please offer opinions.

[ion-man]

Thanks for the feedback guys, it goes along way in helping me. I've read opinions on a few camera forums and there is a wide derth of info with regard to crop factor and sensor size etc. What I appreciate from you guys is real-world use, not just technical jargon. Thanks much. I'm not much into portraits as such so I think right now my choice is the 35 mm f1.8, maybe the f1.4 in the future when I upgrade my gear.