Nikon SLR Cameras

Nikon Photography: 35mm f1.8 vs 50mm

Guest
Guest

I'll try and make this quick. First, I'm an amateur automotive photographer. Simply a hobby I love.
I have a d3200.

As a car photographer, bokeh is a key point for CaR shots.

Question: I have a 50mm 1.8D. I'm deciding on the 35 1.8g or the 50 1.8G. Both excellent. I want the 50 because bokeh is better, however the 35 doesn't seem to give that "compressed" telephoto shot which I hate the sight of, like the 50mm does.

So what should I get?

Also please don't lecture.me on understanding focal lengths. I understand well.

qrk
qrk

What does boke mean to you. Selective focus (not the meaning) or the quality of the out of focus regions (the actual meaning). The boke (quality of the out of focus regions) from both those lenses is OK, but not excellent. Both have rounded aperture blades that might not be to your liking if you want starbursts like the 50mm f/1.8d does because of the straight blades.

Comparisons I've shot between the 35mm f/1.8g and the 50mm f/1.8d both show about the same boke quality which I'd give a so-so rating to. Not bad, but not excellent.

If the 35mm gives the sort of perspective you are looking for, by all means, get the lens. A little secret, the depth of field doesn't change much between different focal lengths if you keep the subject coverage the same (requires changing the distance between camera and subject) if your distance is more than a few feet away.

fhotoace
fhotoace

I shoot a whole lot of cars.

Cars at car shows, rallies, at drag strips and on the track.

I use a wide range of lenses. A 12-24 mm is a great lens for shooting cars being shown at events. How much forced perspective you want is controlled by the focal length you use. When shooting cars on the drag strips, I use a 24-70 mm lens, usually at between 50 and 70 mm. When shooting cars on a track (like a NASCAR event), I use long lenses like a 300 mm or 200-400 mm lens.

It is up to you as the photographer to get the experience using different lenses to shoot the subjects they love to shoot. To get to this point, it is going to take your time and your willingness to learn what different focal length lenses actually "see" and do to the subject, either by compressing (using a telephoto lens) or producing a forced perspective to add drama using a super wide angle lens

I hope you can see that none of us can give you an answer for your specific issue. Only you can determine what works for you. This includes your technical expertise as well as you ability to compose compelling images

You will probably find that even a 35 mm lens is not wide enough to capture many of your car shots because of the fact that you will have to backup too far to compose your shot and will run into a problem with the other people walking around viewing the cars.

keerok
keerok

You already want the 50mm. Go for it. You will have difficulty shooting cars up close but I hope you still have the kit lens with you for matters like that.