D90 and Prime Lesnes - Which ones?

D

Davidonabus

Member
Hey folks. I am primarily a still photographer. I use a Nikon D2X currently, with a number of high quality zooms.

However, I want to get some primes for the upcoming D90 purchase, as I realize this will make the camera even more film-like.

So, my question is this.

I am going to get a 24mm, 50mm, and an 85mm.

Do I get older fully manual AIS lenses:
24 F2.0 AIS
50 F1.4 AIS
85 F1.4 AIS

Or do I get new "D" auto focus lenses (with aperture rings):
24 2.8 AF D
50 1.4 AF D
85 1.8 AF D

I prefer lenses with auto focus, but I realize that when shooting video the focus really only comes in handy before the film starts rolling. But, I'm also more likely to use the AF primes for my still photography over fully manual primes... so, I need to think about that as well.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

David
 
Davidonabus said:
Hey folks. I am primarily a still photographer. I use a Nikon D2X currently, with a number of high quality zooms.

However, I want to get some primes for the upcoming D90 purchase, as I realize this will make the camera even more film-like.

So, my question is this.

I am going to get a 24mm, 50mm, and an 85mm.

Do I get older fully manual AIS lenses:
24 F2.0 AIS
50 F1.4 AIS
85 F1.4 AIS

Or do I get new "D" auto focus lenses (with aperture rings):
24 2.8 AF D
50 1.4 AF D
85 1.8 AF D

I prefer lenses with auto focus, but I realize that when shooting video the focus really only comes in handy before the film starts rolling. But, I'm also more likely to use the AF primes for my still photography over fully manual primes... so, I need to think about that as well.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

David
Click to expand...


IF you can afford them, get the D auto focus lenses, why not? As they all have aperture rings, there is no real problem with 'em.
 
The new 50/1.4 AFS is pretty sweet, with and lighter then earlier versions. I use it with my D3 all the time, great Bokeh!
 
Thanks guys.

Jeff: That does look like a nice lens, for sure. But I'm definitely looking for a lens with an aperture ring in order to gain some more control over the video functions!
 
The only problem with the af's is that you need to switch back to f/22 every time you want to enter live view, you can't just leave the aperture where you want it and switch back and forth.
 
Hey Matt. Thanks for this info. Could you explain this a little more?

Are you saying that you can't use live mode while shooting? I'm not fully sure of the workflow yet.

The Manual AIS lenses don't have this same limitation?

Any further info you could give me would be helpful!

David
 
once you start using the aperture ring on an af lens the camera throws an error. if you're already in live view you can still shoot video but you can't shoot stills and you can't enter live view if you haven't already. with a manual lens you don't have this problem since the camera doesn't even know you're changing the aperture. there's no mechanical coupling, just electronic.

/matt
 
Matt,

Aww, I think I've got it.

So, really, the only downside is that I can't easily switch back and forth between stills and video, right? (I'm not concerned about that)

If my workflow is mainly

a) put camera in liveview.
b) adjust aperture
c) shoot video
d) adjust aperture
e) shoot video

I should be ok? Or would having the non AF lenses be better? Sorry to belabor this..

David
 
yes. i don't see any real reason for you to get af's though, you already have zooms that you like for stills and manual lenses are both cheaper and easier to use, better manual focusing, more compact, and if you get the newer models they're optically as good too.

/matt
 
Matt. Finding the used manual lenses in the Toronto, Canada area has proven difficult! The used AIS lenses I listed in my first post cost about 200 dollars more (in total) than the NEW AF lenses I've been scoping out.

What you say makes sense.. but I'm not sure I'm gonna find the manual lenses on the cheap.

Also.. it'd be nice to have the AF lenses available for my still photography as they're ridiculously fast lenses.

With that said.. I thought that I had my decision finalized. Now I'm unsure again ;)

d.
 
no surprise given the speed difference. f/1.4 lenses are expensive regardless of when they were made. look for the f/1.8-2.8 manual lenses and you'll see cheap. there's also ebay, i would never buy a used lens from a shop.

/matt
 
Here's a question though..

We're going to pickup the D90 fully realizing that we'll likely sell it off when a newer, better camera by Nikon is released that does video.

What do you suppose the likelihood is of Nikon better being able to ulitize the AF lenses for video in future cameras?
 
Hey, I've been meaning to bring this up, but what about ekai's suggestion of using a piece of scotch tape on the Af-D connectors that he mentioned in the "Understanding and Optimizing" (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=146661&page=5)? Have more people tried that? This way you could theoretically and temporarily turn an AFD into a fully manual lens without the EE problem.

And BTW, the lens I've been enjoying the most on my D90 is my 28mm2.8 AI-S.
 
Manual-focus lens benefits:
1. Better for filmmaking for their comparatively longer focus ring travel.
2. Better for filmmaking due to manual lenses' focus ring dampening (resistance). AF lenses have minimal dampening (so the AF motor can move freely), making it more difficult to pull focus accurately when operating manually.

AF lens benefits:
1. AF is an extremely useful feature for shooting stills.
2. Smaller, lighter, excellent optical properties.

I bought the fastest manual-focus Nikkors made in all short to medium lengths for my D90 for filmmaking, including a 35mm f/1.4 and a 50mm f/1.2. This was kinda the whole point behind having a Nikon DSLR available as a filmmaking option--to be able to buy a set of very fast, high-quality "primes" at a fraction of the cost of "real" cine primes. Some fast Nikon lenses are only available in AF (e.g., Nikkor 85mm f/1.4). I kind of resolved myself to buy TWO sets of Nikkor lenses: Manual lenses for filmmaking, and AF-S lenses for shooting stills. Even if Nikon does employ autofocus capability in a future 24p DSLR, most filmmakers would have no use for such a feature since focus pulling in filmmaking is more desirable to be manually determined (e.g. racking focus between two characters in a single frame).

My personal recommended focal lengths for a short set of "primes" for 1.5x crop factor DSLRs:

14mm, 20mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm.

The the non-fisheye (rectilinear) 14mm f/2.8 Nikkor is pretty pricey, but it gets you to a 21mm FX-frame equivalent for gorgeous wide-angle shots. This is a huge piece of glass, but it has stunningly little barrel distortion for a lens this wide. It's pricey, but for this property alone, it's worth its weight in gold. Although I think it used to be offered in both manual and AF versions, it seems only the AF version is currently available (I have the AF version).
 
Last edited:
Thanks for all the info guys.

I did end up getting the 24mm 2.8 AFD, 50mm 1.4 AFD, and the 85mm 1.8 AFD. I'd LOVE to add the 14mm (non fish-eye) to the kit, but like you said, that one's a little bit pricey. I might have to wait until next year to get that one!

I'm pretty happy with the setup right now.

I actually don't mind the feel of the focus on these AF lenses. I don't have much to compare it to, I guess.. but I had performed some pretty successful rack focuses with it! I'm content.

Gonna add a Glidecam HD-2000 to the kit next week.

d.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top