Any suggestions?

Nikon AF-S 105 f/2.8 VR Micro
Nikon AF-S 70-200 f/2.8 VR
Nikon AF-S 24-70 f/2.8 VR

Sigma 18-50 f/2.8 HSM
Sigma 50-150 f/2.8 HSM
Sigma 150 f/2.8 HSM

or Sigma 30mm f/1.4 HSM

etc.
but nothing cheap

I was about to suggest the 85 f1.8... but on D40 a bit hard la.... maybe have to jump directly into 70-200 VR... but expensive la

how bout nikkor is 105mm vr.
good for macro and portrait.
price around rm2.5k.

that macro is only f2.8 -> Not geng enought for potrait la...

Maybe have to bite the bulllet and jump directly to 70-200 f2.8 VR. With that lense and when use focal length started from 135 at f2.8, the power of magic started....

but with 70-200 f2.8vr price already can buy three D40 or two D80body or one D300body

hmm my fren last time say nikon a lot of lens to chose from and much more cheaper compare to the competitor..i dont even realise the available choice is so expensive..

d40?
portrait?
cheap?

hahahaha...no way...
at least 2.5k will be gone...
i m using a d40 myself...so i know the problem u r having...
i suggest get the 70-200 or 24-70...=)...
105 is not bad either!

TS,, any specific budget?

D40 is for people who won't change lens. Full stop

sell d40,
get d80,
get the 50mm f/1.8..

cheaper but not cheap also..haha

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 HSM

I know... I have many friends having the same problems... After many many dissuccion... except bite the bullet to 70-200 VR. Since Nikon also commited to CMOS, image quality from newer, higher end camera is no longer loose to others. It also mean unlikely to switch system. And also mean safe can buy that lense la... Think for future la...


It might be true for most Nikon camera, except D40 that Nikon decided to throw off the autofocusing motor. I think it is a Nikon mistake.... Or else 85 f1.8 will be a great choice.


105 is only f2.8, not enought power la...


Focal length not enought for potrait la... 30mm is for those 'environement type potrait' that include lots of surronding... Not everyone cup of tea la...

All of that is still cheaper compared to 70-200mm lens or the other recommended lenses here hahaha

now hard to sell slr...sony coming with a200 i hear is less than 2k..pentax also new slr..and only god know when canon come out with 450d and 500d.. more feature n less $$ ..future buyer really can get good bargain.

Yeah it is always beneficial to the consumers when prices drop. I just hope that the variety for lenses for both Sony and Pentax would be more freely available here especially if they intend to market them aggressively.

Hmmm... never thought that buying a D40 would be so expensive lol.

f2.8 fast enough or not for shooting indoors without flash? I never tested before (and lighting in shops are usually 'good' which won't reflect its performance in low-light).

To those that suggest getting a D80 plus cheaper lens, no thanks because I already have a D40. Selling it now would mean losing more cash. Besides, the D40 is damn small and lightweight where as the D80 is quite bigger. The cost of lens also might be higher but then the loss when selling them in the future is much less.

Anyone using the old 50 mm f1.8? This one doesn't auto focus but I'm curios if it will be good enough. Planning to take candid shots for family gatherings. Worried that manually focusing will make me lose the candid moments.

i'd suggest the Sigma 18-50 f/2.8 HSM. Budget wise i think this is the best you can get

sigma 50mm f2.8 macro can do portrait as well

i have found that macro/micro lens to be slightly slower in focusing. Candid shot for family gathering will be a challenge for these lens.

Just buy a 50mm F1.8 lens and practice alot of manual focusing. I know one friend of mine who has a d40 n 50mm f1.8 did that, and his taking good pics. Practice more, that all he says!

hhehe using manual focus is no fun at all...no fun...especially if u want to focus it fast..

ts want lens that can AF with D40..

Hmm.. I believe I've not googled for this one yet.

Thanks for the alert about focusing performance on macro lenses. One of the questions I was about to ask was whether or not it's ok to get one of the macro/micro lenses.

although is macro/micro lens, but they still can b use as a normal lens

Actually for shooting slowly, I don't mind slowing down my pace to focus manually.

Wah lau: 18-50MM f2.8 is 2.2k!

^of course you better don check through shashinki. Its cheaper than that.

Your worry and concern is right. You do need autofocus for candid shots, some more a good auto-focuser. But choices are hard... really...

Maybe the closest for your camera is the new macro 105 f2.8 VR. That's all....

105vr is good...but i think a bit long for candid...why not take 17-55 instead?
it is also a good range for portraits...

Did some reading and someone suggested for portrait shots the following lenses :

AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D
AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D (Really cheap @ RM 428 RSP)

Are these any good? Seem to meet the <f/2.8 requirements.

Here is the more realistic price list.

AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D (RM1000)
AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D (RM380)

how bout 18-200vr. also good for portrait and candid. the f2.8 lens r pricey.

How about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 HSM?
My friend has one and made excellent photos from it but beware...many bad copies, have to test thoroughly before buying.

Good if you are in a studio environment and outdoors with bright lights, if he wants indoor candid shots, the 18-200mm VR has to go with a flash or else you might have to pump the ISO to about 1600 to get any decent low light candids.

i selling 28-70mm sigma F2.8
interested let me know
thanks

This 2 lens have to manual focus if using it with D40 right ? As the lens doesn't come with built in AF motor right ?

if what you want is just to shoot portraits, having to manual focus is no biggie, especially with a bright lens

ahhhhh another f2.8 lover...

any f2.8 is expensive.....

tammys and siggies are the cheaper options....

D40/X.......only sigmas support with HSM

18-50 f2.8 HSM...works with D40/x.....

18-200 nikkor is another great lense....
can't have big apperture.....go high ISO....
anyway i like some pix with f8 stops...or f10....depending....gives the depth sharper.....

learn to hold your camera longer....hehehehehehehe go to slow shutter lor...

when u meet waterfall.....pratice it!

D300 can do...

nikkor 17-55 f2.8?

nikkor 50mm 1.4 fast enuf....

I had tried the Nikon 17-55 on D300. It is a bit bigger than my Canon 17-55, with slightly slower autofocusing... maybe it is just on the D300... yet to have try on D3.

Ok... I think the 17-55 is meant for demanding serious amature who has at least D200 or D300 la... and certainly not for those using D40 la...


The poster was using a Nikon D40, not Canon 40D. The D40 do not has something call a autofocusing motor inside the camera, thus lots of Nikon lenses cannot autofocus liao...

This is indeed a headache... because there are 3 D40 camera in my office and asking me the same question, but withouit affordable answer...


I like that lense personally. It think it is a great lense for such a camera. But... yeah I know it was not what the posted originally thought about.

i think this will become a drawback for most potential d40 owners...high total cost of ownership in the future if they wanna upgrade their lens..

Just wondering Sigma 30mm f/1.4 can be used at portrait shooting ?
And, will it be a good choice using 30mm f/1.4 under low light ?
Sorry very new in DSLR

can.... just nice

But with 30mm, the photographer might have to get real close & personal with the subject. Depending on situation, this might or might not be possible.

30mm is good for full body shot, 50mm for half body, 85 for head and shoulders, IMO. But then again you can always adjust your zoom, by moving yourself.

Hmmm... good "guide" here.

But is it worth to pay extra RM600-700 for the 50mm f/1.4 compared to the 50mm/f1.8?

Well it all depends on what you want. When shooting with the 50mm f/1.8 at wide open, you might not achieve the sharpness you want. You might have to set it to f/2 and above to get the superbly sharp images you have.

Compared to the 50mm f/1.4, shooting under low light would be extremely helpful as well so some people do feel that paying RM1000 for this lens is worth it.

I tried the 85mm f/1.4 on Sunday and it was sweet!

50mm f/1.4 better built

Hmm... So... you are saying that a 1.4D can shoot at 1.4 and still having sharp image out?



Build is just a small part of it. If the performance is the same, then I can buy 2.5 lens with 1 lens price.