If you had around $750-800 to spend on 3 lenses...

K

Krunko

Well-known member
I need to buy some lenses now that I have my M2 with the nikon mount. What lenses would you get for around this amount of money. I'm thinking I should get a 50mm, 20 or 28mm, and then something around 100mm or more. I appreciate any help.

I'm thinking I should spend the most money on the 20 or 28mm, right? I figured that will be used more than the 100mm+. Any suggestions would be helpful.

-chance
 
Yeah a fast 20-28mm definitely costs. A 50mm 1.4 is a definite good one to have. I'd then get a 85mm 1.8 another nice one without breaking the bank. Those are the first two I bought...I think then I went 105mm f 2.8 (ok lens)...then I bought a Vivitar Series 1 135mm f2.3 (I like it alot) for like 100 bucks. Obviously the fast lenses will eat your budget quick...that 35mm f1.4 is buttery, but steep. So I suggest those first two and then maybe someone else can chime in on the third.
 
You can get a 1.4/1.8 50mm Nikon for around a hundred bucks....that should be your stock lens.

My Nikon kit is 3.5 20mm, 2 24mm, 2.8 28mm, 1.4 50mm, 1.4 85mm 2.8 35-135, 3.5 80-200mm

My nicest lenses by far are the 50mm and the 85mm with the 35-135 zoom being third in the order. Those three I use the most with one of the wides thrown in.

You can cheap out with your zooms a little bit since good ones are out of the price range.
 
I'm looking at the 24mm Nikon lenses and it seems that they are all auto focus. Am I going to be ok with this, or do I need MF? I just want to make sure there is enough play on the focus adjuster to get pretty precise focuses.
 
You want only MF lenses for your kit.

I ended up getting all of my lenses on ebay...you can get some good deals. My 80-200 zoom cost me $30!
 
When you shoot without the adapter what type of zoom ranges are you using mostly? Is having fast lenses with big apertures an issue for the type of shooting you are doing?

p.s.
Rob is that avatar of yours from The Killers?

davide
 
i bought a tokina 20 - 35 f2.8

It covers a great range and is still pretty fast. Oh and sharp too.

Any wides in my TimeFest piece were shot with this lens.
 
Depending on what look you are after, I shot UNZEIT with Zeiss middle format glass on a LEX. And they do some real magic.

All you need is a Nikon to Zeiss adapter for $20.

The lenses usualy go for under $200 (if you are patient you can get em for under $80 on Ebay)

Got a 50, 80, 120, 180 and 300 Zeiss plus a 30 Arsat (russian glass). All together for about $500.

Don´t worry about the speed - most of them say 2.8 but my 80/2.8 Zeiss is almost as fast as the 1.5/50 Nikon because of the bigger lens diameter.

Frank
 
Here's the list of lenses I bought and where they came from.
24mm 2.0 for $220 Craigslist
50mm 1.4 here for $75 Here in the marketplace
85mm 1.8 for $250 Craigslist Auto Focus but works well in Manual
180mm 2.8 for $30 Craigslist (Thrown in with the 24)

Total $575 and I'm very happy.
 
i got the following nikons for 600 from keh
35mm 1.4
50mm 1.4
85mm 1.8

It is a nice normal range of lenses.
I like being faster on the wide side because yo can always walk lights in for close ups. the 24mm 2.0 has a lot of distortion in it and i don't like to use it unless i have to. the 28 2.8 is good but slowwwww on the wide end.
 
Krunko said:
I need to buy some lenses now that I have my M2 with the nikon mount. What lenses would you get for around this amount of money. I'm thinking I should get a 50mm, 20 or 28mm, and then something around 100mm or more. I appreciate any help.

I'm thinking I should spend the most money on the 20 or 28mm, right? I figured that will be used more than the 100mm+. Any suggestions would be helpful.

-chance
Click to expand...
The basics are wide - medium- and long. I would suggest you try to find a used Sigma 17-35mm to cover your wide end (I paid 160.00 on Ebay), spend the most for a 50mm 1.4 or 1.8, which can be pricey, and then look for the absolutely outstanding Nikon 105mm lens. You can go longer, but to get the faster lenses, i.e. below F4, be prepared to pay, or to get real lucky, as I saw in this thread, one person getting a 180 2.8 for $35. I paid 175 for mine, but it was mint. I paid 75.00 for a 300mm from the stone age, and pretty banged up, but usable.

Good luck. You won't believe the difference a 35mm adapter makes.
 
that sigma zoom is not a constant aperture. it's a 2.8-4. You don't ever want to shoot with adapters and have a lens as slow as f4 unless it's a specialty lens or it's a zoom meant only for outdoors. Indoors you're ****ed.
50mm 1.4 are pretty cheap
 
Is there a quality difference in a Manual focus vs. AF if it's the same lense. For instance is the glass quality of a nikkor 1.4 AF going to be the exact same as the nikkor 1.4 MF?
 
Not sure about the quality of the glass but the major difference will be in the focus throw of the lens.
The AF lens will spin very little from Min. focus to infinity.
The MF lens will spin much more usually.
 
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