AF-S Nikkor Lens Comparison: DX 35mm 1.8G vs. 50mm 1.8G vs. 85mm 1.4G
Whenever anyone gets their first get a DSLR and have a kit lens, they look into purchasing a portrait lens of some type to get that gorgeous bokeh in the background. I’ve purchased two fixed lenses at lower price points and splurged on another, and by the end of this blog post, I hope you’ll know which is right for you.
CONSIDERING LENS INTENDED USE
It’s important to consider everything when you’re looking at purchasing a lens. For travel you’re not going to want to carry around a heavy lens unless you think you’ll need something that zooms. While zoom lenses are able to give you more options with framing your shot and can get you that nice background blur when zoomed in, you always want to shoot wide and crop in if you can. This is why I’m a big fan of fixed lenses.
However, you need to consider if you have a full-frame camera or a cropped sensor. Most of the beginner cameras will have a cropped sensor and it’s likely you don’t need a full-frame. Buying lenses for these cameras are cheaper. My professor, a grad student at UO felt that he had no need to get one, so if you don’t need it, don’t worry.
Using fixed lenses and whether your camera is full-frame is mostly going to make a difference in how far you stand from your subject. If your camera is full-frame, you’ll be able to get the same shot without being as far from your subject. But if you use a full-frame camera with a lens made for a crop sensor, you’ll need to change your settings in order to avoid a vignette effect on the lens.
If you’re traveling, for example, most places are packed and you won’t be able to get a shot without passersby with the distance you need from your subject. You’ll also want a lightweight lens to carry around. In this case, if I’m taking a photo of someone I’ll use my 35mm or just my iPhone. When I take portraits, I tend to use my 50mm and 85mm to get a creamy bokeh.
MY TOP 3 FIXED LENSES
#3 - AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G - $199.95 | Weight: 200 g/7 oz
A versatile lens that I use interchangeably with my 50mm 1.8G for travel. This lens is light and allows for wider angle shots for landscapes as well as portraits when used at f/1.8. I absolutely love how I can get a variety of shots with this lens. If you’re looking to get your first fixed lens, while this isn’t my favorite, if you’d like travel shots with the option to have a better blurred background, this is for you. I have eliminated this lens from use as it took a fall and now isn’t the most reliable with focus.
#2 - AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G - $219.95 | Weight: 185 g/6.6 oz
A photo of Japan from above
One of the first photos ever taken with my 50mm back in 2011
The first fixed lens I ever had, purchased in my sophomore year of high school. It’s held up great over the years and I’ve used it for senior portraits and traveling. The first day I got it, I grabbed a friend, and not fully knowing how to use my D3000, I started shooting photos. Here’s a true testament to how much this lens can add to the “professional” look of your photos.
I’m not kidding when I say I was incredibly excited about getting this. In fact, the Facebook album of my first photos ever taken with this lens still exists and it’s titled “first afternoon with my new 50mm :D” It’s proven to be a very worthwhile purchase.
Nikon markets this as a portrait and travel lens and at a lower price point, it’s great for anyone from amateurs to professionals. Whenever I do portrait shoots I alternate this with my 85mm 1.4 to get that gorgeous creamy bokeh. I’ve traveled with this and my 35mm in my backpack and it’s a light lens that can get you great photos.
#1 - AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.4G - $1,599.95 | Weight: 595 g/21.0 oz
I know you saw the price, so yes, I fully acknowledge this is incredibly expensive. Like, even more than the typical amateur’s camera. I was lucky and bought this barely used off of someone from craigslist for just $960. I highly recommend you buy this used if you can. But when you purchase it, closely inspect it for scratches and try it on your camera.
This is my favorite lens by far. No, I’m not a professional but dang does it make my photos look great. It’s also incredibly heavy. If you’re looking for a travel lens, this is not what I’d recommend. First off, if someone steals it, boo. You’re out a lot of money. Not just a few hundred bucks. You also won’t want to risk damaging it. But if you’re going somewhere and you know you want portraits, bring it, just leave it back at where you’re staying if you don’t need it.
It can also be difficult to focus quickly. Because it’s so sharp and it’s focus is so narrow, it will often focus on something and you won’t notice, for example this focused on her left eye only:
One thing to keep in mind is that you need a relatively high shutter speed and low ISO if you’re wanting to shoot at 1.4 in daylight. The above was edited in post. You’ll need to either edit in post-production or purchase a Neutral Density Filter to counter it.
COMPARING SHOTS
Each photo was taken approximately 5ft away from the subject (my dog). These are raw photos on a full-frame camera (not crop sensor, hence the vignette looking effect on the 35mm DX. Click an image to view it larger.
35mm 1.8
50mm 1.8
85mm 1.4. - Overexposed
And finally, here are some edited versions:
35mm 1.8
50mm 1.8
85mm 1.4
I hope this helps you figure out what you might be willing to purchase! I’m a big fan of the 85mm 1.4 but it’s definitely not something you need to get gorgeous shots.