Looking for prime lens suggestions (Nikon compatible only, please)?
In the market for a new lens or three… I was after the 50mm 1.8G but saw sample photography for others such as 85mm's and even 35mm's. I was impressed. If the prices are low enough with high quality I will buy more than one kind. Since I can't find my nifty 50 ANYWHERE online or in store, I'm looking for another great portrait lens that will give me a great performance in both low lighting sessions and great light. Must also be FAST, sharp, and give great bokeh. My skills are improving so I would like to improve my accessories for my passion. I only have a D3100… Not amazing but it has made me A LOT of money so far… Kind of attached to it now. I also only bought the 18-55 and the 55-200. What is going to be a good quality addition to my photography family given all of the info I laid out?
The quality of the images you produce at this point in your experience will have much more to do with your current skills.
The D3100 has features that old school photographers could not even dream of having when they were learning how to become skilled at exposing and composing their images. There's NO reason why the D3100 can't supply you with many years of experience while you hone your skills.
Lens wise, sure, prime lenses do have better performance than a similar zoom lens at the same focal lengths, but you will never see the difference. Prime lenses are faster than zoom lenses, this is true, but they do not have the versatility of a zoom lens.
The two lenses you have now will cover almost all the subjects you may want to shoot.
If you ever intend to shoot city or landscapes, look at the 10-24 mm lens as your next purchase.
Your D3100 is fine. I would look at the 50mm f1.4 which you can get at Samys Camera online. That lens will be spectacular on that body. If you have made a lot of money with the camera then that lens is not gong to be out of your price range. You will never need to replace that lens. The other great lens is the 85mm f1.4 but that's a lot more money. On your body the 50mm is slightly telephoto and will be a great portrait lens.
The 50mm will be in stock agian end of next week.
You got zoom lenses that cover 35, 50 and 85mm. I assume you're not using those to determine the best focal length for you because that means doing something? Well, in that case, buy the 85mm, the 35mm is very wide for portraits.