momofmany

I was told in a photography class that the 50mm 1.8g lens is the only one to get after the kit lens for a beginning photographer.
I have a nikon d5100 and later learned about the smaller size of my sensor. I spent the money on the 50mm, but I think I made a mistake and gotten a 35mm or a different lens altogether for taking walk around pictures or pictures of my grandchildren.
Should I sell it? I don't have an unlimited budget, but I'm getting better at using my DSLR and want a good second lens
Thanks all

LEGALDR Loc: Southern California

I would suggest using the 50mm and your kit lense. I would imagine that each lense has a use that the other doesn't. Use the 50 in lower light shots to take advantage of the 1.8 characteristics. If after a good testing you find that you are not satisfied with the 50, sell it. My guess is that you will keep it.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

On your camera a 50mm lens is a short telephoto... It should work very nicely for portraits, even in tighter spaces and low light.

I wouldn't call it the "only" lens to get, after the kit lens. But shoot with what you've got and find out where you feel you are lacking, then add accordingly. Maybe you'll want a wide angle lens for scenic shots... Or maybe you'll want a telephoto if your grandkids play sports. Or maybe you'll want a macro lens to shoot extreme closeups. There are lots of possibilities, but the best way to find out what you'd find useful is to get out and shoot, and see what (if anything) you feel is lacking.

amehta Loc: Boston

I really, really dislike the "you must get the 50mm f/1.8" meme. I also don't think the 35mm f/1.8 is the lens you must get.

The real answer is it depends, mainly on your photography goals and secondarily on your budget. With the kit lens (which one?), if you look through your favorite pictures, what focal lengths do you tend to use? That will help you decide which lens would be best for you.

I'm not sure if you can get most of your money back if you sell it. If you can only sell it for $100 or so, then you might want to keep it.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

I shoot with a D7000 which has the same sensor as the D5100.

A 50mm lens is considered a "normal lens" on full frame cameras. However the D5100 is not a full frame camera.
A normal lens on the d5100/d7000 is 35mm.

The Nikor 50mm f1.8 is a fantastic lens, it is fast, sharp, has good bokeh. I find it is great for portraits and images of people. It's not a the best walking around lens for me because it's slightly too long for that. 50mm on the d5100/d7000 = 85mm on a FF camera. But it is perfect for the right venue.

I also have a 35mm f1.8 DX lens and it is my go-to walking around lens. It is also fast, sharp and has good bokeh. So definitely consider getting one. But don't sell that 50mm lens. It's great for family events and candid portraits of the grandkids, just not too close.

DSLR's are about lenses. Camera bodies come and go but find a lens you like and keep it forever.

50mm f1.8 Example

(Download)

35mm f1.8 example

(Download)

50mm f1.8 Example #2

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

I am completely in agreement with Anand here, although his reply was more specific. Anyone that tells you "you must do..." is suspect by definition and should be treated with an element of disdain.

In my personal opinion, you have purchased a good lens, that has many good uses, but all lenses have a time, a place, and a use profile. In other words, if you do not know what effects you wish to create, it is hard to decide what characteristics the most appropriate lens will have.

The general preference for a "50mm f/1.8" lens is based upon an outdated 35mm film-based SLR base-line that a prime (but affordable) lens that delivered the closest to normal perceived perspective to the human eye was the best lens to start with. It was generally the "standard lens" shipped with most SLR cameras.

In the digital era both the rules and the technology have changed.

An f/1.8 lens is a very useful thing, especially in low light, or as a portrait lens, but it is no longer the default lens that it used to be in the 35mm film-based SLR days.

So, you most likely have a good lens, but be careful who you take advice from. Especially me!

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

Mom, there is no must in photography. Dslr cameras are all great and will serve you well. I would work with what my budget allowed. I don't know what kit lenses you have but I would stick with them until you really understand exposure and composition. When that happens, the ahh-haa moment, you will know what you want and will only be constrained by your budget. I wish you good luck and have fun.

ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

I have a D700. It has a cropped sensor like your. I have the 50mm and also a 35mm. I love shooting with these prime lenses because they are very sharp and, being a fixed focal length, force you to really pay attention to composition. They are also fantastic in low light. I don't subscribe to the notion that "you must have......or .....otherwise you are not a photographer". You are staying within your budget and working on your craft. I applaud that. Keep your 50mm it is a great lens. If you want to have the equivalent of a "normal" lens for your sensor, then it would be a 35mm.

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

there is no such thing as a "must get" lens, you decide what you need based on what and how you shoot.

davidheald1942 Loc: Mars (the planet)

Hi Momo & good morning.
If I may, my personal opinion of the nifty fifty is not
nearly as high as some of my contemporaries.
Myself and a lot of guys that have had the photo bug
for fifty years or more consider the 50 as the last go-to
lens in our bag.
My personal favorite walk around was always the 28mm.
After I bought a 24mm it replaced my 28mm. I soon
bought a 20mm and I used it a lot, but it never replaced
my 24mm.
Us *old dogs* have a hard time changing and I still like
the wide more than the tele.
I'm just saying,,,
ronny

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

A 50mm lens on a full frame camera produces an image equivalent to what the eye sees. On a crop sensor like your D5100, a 35mm lens will produce that image.
I think your instructor lead you astray. There is no one lens that is the only lens to get. Lens choices depend on what you want to accomplish.
I have a D600, which is a full frame camera, and the lens I use most is a 50mm f/1.4. I also have a micro lens for macro/close-up work. and a 70-200mm zoom that I use for shore birds when I'm at the beach.
I'm sorry that you got snookered into buying that 50mm lens. You could try selling it or trading it in (I use B&H photo) and use what you get toward a 35mm or some other lens. Let us know what you decide.

Ol' Frank Loc: Orlando,

Personally I love the 50 mm f/1.8. However, it stays in my bag most of the time and I use my Sigma 18-250 as a walk around on my Nikon D90. The 50mm comes out when it gets a little dark or when I want some portrait type pictures of family, especially inside with ambient light. For the price, keep the 50 and build your kit from that.

momofmany

Thanks for the replies and support I think I'll hold it for a while and experiment : mostly in low light abd see how it does. Then I'll think about selling.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

I have both the 35mm and 50mm, and only in rare situations do I regret not having the other lens on my camera instead. You simply adjust to the lens on your camera by either moving in a little closer or farther away from the subject while you are composing your shot.

Julian Loc: Sarasota, FL

No crop sensor on the 700!