Lens advice for Nikon D3000

[Sotongirl]

Hi, I have had a Nikon D3000 for a little while now and as I have some post-christmas vouchers burning a hole in my pocket I am thinking of buying a second lens in addition to the 18-55mm kit lens that came with my camera.

I like the idea of a prime lens rather than a larger zoom as I think it would better suit the kind of photography I do. I understand that as I have a Nikon D3000 I need an AF-S lens and have found a 35mm 1.8f lens that I like the look of. I wondered if anyone has any advice on this type of lens and what they would recommend buying? My budget doesn't really stretch to the 1.4 - are any other brands of lens compatible? I can't find any information on what Sigma lenses are compatible with - is there anything I should be looking out for?

Thanks for your help!

[graham_c]

Hi Sotongirl
Welcome to the forum, I have a Nikon 35mm lens that i use on my D5000 and have no problems with it at all.

[Phil Hall]

Hi Sotongirl and welcome to the WDC forum.

The Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX AF-S lens you've picked out is a great choice. The fast maximum aperture of f/1.8 will allow you to take lovely shallow depth-of-field shots, while also making it possible to shoot in lowlight without flash.

With the 1.5x crop factor of the D3000, this will give you a 35mm focal length equivalent to 52.5mm - roughly what the human eye sees, making it a very versatile lens. At under £200, this is a great addition to your kit bag.

[peterhull90]

I've got my eye on one of those too. It seems to have pretty good reviews from everywhere.
If you haven't already done this, try setting your zoom lens to 35mm and then you can see what sort of field of view you would get and whether that suits you (I was considering the 50mm lens too but I decided it was a bit too long for what I wanted)
I've got a question too - the 35mm came out in 2009 (I think), do people here think a new model might be imminent?

Pete

[Phil Hall]

Hi Pete,

That's a good tip. A 50mm lens on a APS-C DSLR like the D3000 becomes a short telephoto. Ideal for portraits, but not quite as versatile for general shooting.

Can't see the 35mm DX being replaced soon, so think you're on safe ground to invest.