The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Nikon Df + Primes advice...

etrigan63

Active member
Time for me to query the photographers I respect the most once again.

Building a Df Travel 3 lens kit.

I have two prime lenses for my Df:

1. AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G
2. Nikon 35mm F/2 AFD

I was contemplating a zoom like the Sigma 24-105 f/4 A, but that is one heavy piece of glass. The 50mm is great on the Df, but I find the 35mm kind of "meh". In order to be able to afford this, I was thinking of getting Nikon's f/1.8 lenses that match the 50mm.

So my three lens kit would be:

1. AF-S NIKKOR 28mm f/1.8G or AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G ED
2. AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G (already own)
3. AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G

Comments?

I will have to do a bit of housecleaning in the B/S section to help pay for this...
 

Swissblad

Well-known member
I would go with the 28mm and 85mm f1.8 combination.

The latter is a very good lens.

Would make a nice travel rig - look forward to seeing the pix.
 

Steen

Senior Subscriber Member

+ 1 :thumbup:


Basically I'm with Swiss on this.

AF-S Nikkor 28mm f/1.8 G + AF-S Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 G, that 's exactly my choice of autofocus optics if I need to travel light.
None of them are heavy, the 28mm is 325 g, the 85mm is 350 g.

Some illustrative 28mm full size examples:
http://www.getdpi.com/forum/nikon/38058-got-my-28mm-1-8g-must-have.html#post428457
http://www.getdpi.com/forum/nikon/38058-got-my-28mm-1-8g-must-have.html#post432977

Some illustrative 85mm full size examples:
http://www.getdpi.com/forum/nikon/49045-d610.html#post581672


- - - - -


Addendum I

IF I bring a suitcase I might also consider either the AI-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.2, or an AI-modified Nikkor-S Auto 50mm f/1.4 just for the fun of the sweet wide-open aberrations.
But I do not necessarily need that focal length in between the 28 and the 85mm for travel-light photography.


- - - - -


Addendum II

IF you want ultra-wide over wide there's the Voigtländer Color-Skopar 20mm f/3.5 SLII Aspherical.
It's a marvellous, tiny little optic, and it's only 200 g.

Some illustrative 20mm full size examples:
http://www.getdpi.com/forum/nikon/45223-interested-voitlander-lenses.html#post505481
http://www.getdpi.com/forum/nikon/38653-zeiss-21mm-nikon-14-24mm.html#post433353
http://www.getdpi.com/forum/nikon/41453-decent-wide-landscapes-2.html#post474588
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
My favorite prime travel kit is 28/50/85, it's all you need. My favorites have become the more exotic, faster f1.4 glass simply because I like the way they draw, but they are definitely around 2x heavier for travel than the 1.8's. If you don't shoot much wide open and are up at 5.6 most of the time, then the 1.8's are the way to go. That said, while large and heavy by itself, when I want to go light I generally want convenient too, so I mount the 24-120 and call it a day -- all done with one lens, no stepping in/out or swapping lenses to get proper framing -- and it doesn't weigh much more than the 3 f1.8 primes :thumbs:
 

etrigan63

Active member
Thanks Jack. You, Guy and the rest of the gang here are what make GetDPI such a special place.

I had thought about the 24-120 lens, but I really want to run this camera with primes (since I can no longer afford a Leica). There is a cost factor as well. I am going to have to sell off some accumulated gear to fund this endeavor.
 

jlancasterd

Active member
Thanks Jack. You, Guy and the rest of the gang here are what make GetDPI such a special place.

I had thought about the 24-120 lens, but I really want to run this camera with primes (since I can no longer afford a Leica). There is a cost factor as well. I am going to have to sell off some accumulated gear to fund this endeavor.
My 'Leica-replacement' kit is the D810 with Sigma 35mm and 50mm Art f1.4 primes (and the 24 Art, when it appears). For recent travel around Switzerland I used a D800E and the Nikon 24-120 f4 and was very happy with the versatility of that combination.
 

asiafish

Member
I sold off my Canon 6D kit after my trip to Europe last fall and again am thinking of a smallish full-frame DSLR kit. In Germany and Austria I used the 6D with Canon 24-105 and generally found it a decent kit, but on the heavy side. I would rather go with primes and think either 35 and 85 or 24/28, 50 and 85.

Options are another 6D and the Canon 35/2 IS and 85/1.8, or the Nikon Df and a similar lens kit discussed in this thread.

My question to the OP is, how do you like the 50/1.8? Canon's is total junk in construction though decent optically. Is the Nikon 50/1.8 bundled with the Df kit worth it? Would I be better off with an older AIs Nikkor 50/1.4? I'm thinking manual focus at 50 and 85mm would be fine, and might even substitute the 85 for a 105/2.5, which is a lens I've always liked the rendering of. 35mm really is the only FL that needs to be autofocus as it will be on the camera most of the time when just walking around.
 

etrigan63

Active member
The Nikon 50mm f/1.8 is very nice. I happen to like the way it renders. I had one so I got the body only with my Df.
 

etrigan63

Active member
Just a quick update:

Sigma sent me a 24-105 F/4 DG OS A lens to test on the Df. Very sweet lens and sharp, sharp, sharp. Here is a shot of it on my Df:


Nikon Df + Sigma 24-105 f/4 DG A Lens by Carlos Echenique, on Flickr

and some photos taken with it:


UM - Campus Life by Carlos Echenique, on Flickr


Chariots of Fire by Carlos Echenique, on Flickr


Belen Hispanic Heritage Festival 2014 by Carlos Echenique, on Flickr


Pensive Cat by Carlos Echenique, on Flickr


IMG-20140927-1825 by Carlos Echenique, on Flickr
 

Bryan Stephens

Workshop Member
My favorite prime travel kit is 28/50/85, it's all you need. My favorites have become the more exotic, faster f1.4 glass simply because I like the way they draw, but they are definitely around 2x heavier for travel than the 1.8's. If you don't shoot much wide open and are up at 5.6 most of the time, then the 1.8's are the way to go. That said, while large and heavy by itself, when I want to go light I generally want convenient too, so I mount the 24-120 and call it a day -- all done with one lens, no stepping in/out or swapping lenses to get proper framing -- and it doesn't weigh much more than the 3 f1.8 primes :thumbs:
The only difference in my lens kit is that I have substituted the 24 1.4g for the 28 1.8g. For some reason I prefer the look of this lens. With regards to the do-all zoom, I have not tried the 24-120 but have read excellent things about it, as well as the 80-400 which may suit my needs more since I do more sports shooting, especially with my D4.
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
Bryan,

To be 100% clear, I carry the 1.4 lenses -- the discontinued ASPH 28/1.4 Nikkor AF, 50/1.4 Sigma Art, and 85/1.4G because I like the way they draw -- the draw alone is worth the weight for me, but I do shoot them wide open enough to justify them.
 
Top