Nikon 50mm f/1.8 with D60

[annnewjerz]

Just wondering if anyone out there has this lens and uses it with one of the Nikon models without the auto-focus built into the body. I have the D60 and have been looking at prime lenses. For the price - it seems everyone loves the 50mm Nikon, but since I have the D60 I was leaning towards the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 which is about $300 extra.

That being said, I have been turning the auto-focus off of my 18-200mm VR lens to try focusing it manually and (knock on wood)...it doesn't seem that hard. Would that be the case with the 50mm as well or is there some difference between manually focusing the 50mm and manually focusing the 18-200mm??

Anyone have any experience with this? If so - any opinions on which would be a better choice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
Ann

 

[ukcatfan]

There is one big difference. The DOF is tiny when the aperture is wide open on the prime. You can miss the focus spot at say f/5.6 and never know, but if you miss it at f/1.8, the shot will not be usable. This is not to say MF is impossible, but expect to have considerably more setup time per shot.

 

[Chikabowa]

I would go with the Sigma with that particular camera. Why?

1) It gives you an extra stop which can come in handy.
2) The Sigma 35mm will auto focus with the D60. The Nikkor 50mm will not. And yes, if you are focusing manually while shooting wide open, it's hard to nail your focus.
3) With the 1.5 crop factor of the 50mm it ends up being 75mm. While Sigma 35mm f1.4 will be shooting at 52.5mm. This is a truer aspect to what your eye sees in real life.

So all in all, I would choose the Sigma 35mm f1.4 over the 50mm f1.8 with the D60.

 

[frugal_mar]

You could also wait until the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G AF-S Nikkor Lens is released.

Do you know anyone who owns the 50mm f/1.8? It would be great if you could borrow that lens and try it out to see if you can actually focus manually and achieve your desired results.