Nikon d5200 Lens Issues

[Jafro]

Hello Everyone !

 

Although im new here to the forum, i've been working with DSLR's for almost 2 years and i've been learning a lot, however there are a few things that confuse me and I was hoping someone around here could help me out.

 

Around where I live most shops dont have a lot of options in terms of lenses so the lenses I can test are very limited, I currently own the kit lens and a 35mm f/1.8G, and im currently looking for a more versatile lens that could replace both of them and wouldnt cost me too much as im a run and gun shooter and having to switch lens depending on what im filming mutiple times becomes annoying, and the fact that the kit lens always looks worse and cant go lower than f/3.5 doesnt help either, so in short terms im looking for a lens that has the same quality as the 35mm and works almost as good in low light but gives me the zoom range of the kit lens.

 

The only sort of cheap lens I've come across with these caracteristics is the Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 EX DC, the only thing im not sure of is if the image wuality will be as good as the 35mm Prime seeing as this is a zoom lens.

 

If anyone could help me out with this one or even point me to a better lens id really apreciate it.

 

 

[dahlfors]

Cheap/affordable is different for different budgets, so I list a few of the more affordable alternatives here:

 

At around the budget of the Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 there's also a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 that might be worth checking out. These are your cheapest alternatives. They're not up to the performance of Nikon's own Nikkor 17-55 f/2.8, but they're not far behind - at a fraction of the price.

 

A bit more expensive but excellent: the new Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8. It has shorter range of focal length, but impressive performance and the best lowlight performance you'll find in a zoom.

 

Depending on how wide of a lens you need, there is also Sigma 24-70 f/2.8.

 

I recommend to google for reviews on these lenses as well as checking youtube for reviews. If you run&gun, image stabilisation in lens might help you a lot.

 

I can also tell you that for Nikon DX cameras the 35mm f/1.8 is a good performer and an excellent lens for its budget, which you might have noticed. However, when compared to other lenses: 1) sharpness isn't bad wide open, but there are sharper lenses. 2) bokeh isn't too bad, but again - better can be had. 3) there's a bit of distortion.

What this means, is that the 35mm f/1.8 is a good allround performer, but not without its weaknesses - and that there are other primes that have far better performance. This also means that a well built allround zoom lens can come close to it in performance, and perhaps even beating it. From what I've picked up from the test shots I've seen with the 18-35mm f/1.8 Sigma - I in fact expect that one to beat it.

 

For an affordable budget of allround zooms for a D5200, I don't think there are any worthy additions to this list - high performance zooms tend to get pricy.