Best lenses for Bokeh
I'm looking for a lens that will fit a Nikon D5000, I'm a beginner in photography but I would love to purchase a lens that produces a lot of bokeh because it's so pretty. Any suggestions?
Something with a really low aperture.
Like the other person said, a lens with a really low aperture such as f/1.8 or f/2.8 will work wonderfully.
Also, on photojojo.com, there's something called a 'bokeh kit' - so you can make star-shaped bokeh for example. See here - http://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/bokeh-Kit/
This website also gives bokeh comparisons with various Nikon lenses: http://www.kenrockwell.com/...arison.htm
Hope I've helped!
On a D5000, unless you want to manually focus your lenses, you'll need a lens with the built in motor (AF-S). For good bokeh, you'll need a fast lens with a low aperture, such as a f/1.4, f/1.8 or even f/2.8. The least expensive option will be the 35mm f/1.8, which costs around $200, but I've never liked the bokeh I get with it. The 50mm f/1.4 would be great if you have around $400 to spend.
Another option would be to just buy an older lens (AF-D). You can usually get a 50mm f/1.8 for less than $100 and you'll just love the bokeh you get from it. Once you upgrade bodies to a camera that can focus this lens you'll be even happier!
Nifty fifty. 50mm f1.8 (140$Can)
I had a nifty fifty. I think it got stolen. It was a great little lens: I used it for portraits, and at it's wide open setting, the background was oh, so soft!
If you see a nifty fifty, please pass it along.
The problem with this lens, however is it requires an auto focus motor in your camera. My D90 has one, but your D5000 does not.
Therefore, I would suggest a Nikon 35mm 1.8G. Http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/35mm-f18.htm
Cheers, I hope this helps!
50mm f1.4
85mm f1.4
70-200mm f2.8 VR/VR II
80-200mm f2.8
Sigma 50mm f1.4
Sigma 85mm f1.4
Sigma 70-200mm f2.8
But remember that bokeh can only produced with the right background.
I'd say generally something between a focal length of 50mm and 135mm and with as large a maximum aperture as possible, f/1.4 for a 50mm going up to f/2.8 for a 135mm. Bokeh is taken to mean two things nowadays, most recently it simply means all the blurry background. It used to only mean the spots of light in a blurry background, which are shaped by the lenses aperture. A cheaper lens would create hexagonal bokeh and a top quality lens would create circular bokeh. The more dedicated photographer only uses the second, older, meaning. They create attractive cascades of bokeh in the backgrounds, bokeh being the little spots of light in the blurry background.