Should I buy a 50mm F/1.8 G or D?

J

Jim

New member
I have a D90 and a D3100. I've been shooting for about 2 years, and I do a lot of work for my school's yearbook. I'm looking to invest in a fast 50mm, but am unsure about which is best. Here's my dilemma; the 50mm D costs about $120, but will only autofocus on my D90. The 50mm G will work on both bodies; however it costs about $240. The D90 is definitely my main body, but I still really like my D3100 and use it regularly. Which lens should I buy?

Thanks in advance
-Jimmie
 
Get the 50mm D and learn to manually focus when you use it on the D3100. It really isn't that hard. I bought the 50mm D for my D90 and it is everything you'd expect it to be. Currently it is on an F100 and working very well thank you. And I have no intention of selling the D90 anytime soon.
 
First decide that you have a known use for a 50mm f1.8 lens. Don't get it because so many people gush about it. Portrait lens? Not bad, but not great. Remember, back in the good old days of 35mm cameras, nobody was using a 75mm lens for portraits, so I don't know why people suddenly think that a 75mm equivalent lens is enough for portraits.
Anyway, if you do want the shallow depth of field look from the wide aperture, get the 50mm G. It is a little (not a lot) better corrected to be decent sharpness at the wider aperture. And it will provide a more exact autofocus than fumbling with the manual focus with your D3100. The days of manual focus that some are nostalgic for included focusing screens with split rings and microprisms to help you with that manual focusing.
 
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