Best dSLR and lens for still life, portraits, ¯o?

May 2021 4 62 Report

Best dSLR and lens for still life, portraits, ¯o?

I mainly do still life and portraits, but also some macro. Ive never had a dSLR camera so i want some advice from people on what model to get? i heard nikon and canon make good macro lenses. i would prefer a dslr from one of those two companies because i know a lot of people with those cameras who love them. the nikon d40 seems affordable and good quality, and ive heard good things about the canon eos 50D. what cameras do you prefer that are affordable? preferably under $600?

i know a decent bit about aperture and f-number from internet research. i really like the effects of bokeh and shallow DoF (without it looking blurry in a crappy-quality way) what lens is best for the type of photography im into? should i invest in a macro lens? or should i stick with a non-macro lens with a low f-number? i also have to consider pricing, because i cant afford 1,000 dollar lenses. are there lenses that can switch between low and high aperture? should i get a high aperture lens? and for portraits, if i prefer headshots or partial bodyshots what would be the best.. length? like mm? ive heard longer is better, and people say 105mm is good?

so what would be some affordable, good-quality options?

Arts & Humanities / Visual Arts / Photography

deep blue2

Verified answer

For choosing the camera body - you really want to go into a camera store & try out both Canon & Nikon models & see what feels best (they both make good DSLR entry models, so technically there's very little difference). Check weight, 'feel', where the commonly used buttons are & how tricky the menus are to navigate.

The Nikon D40 has been replaced by the D3000 but you can pick up D40's second hand. The Nikon D3000 and D5000 don't have a focus motor in the body so will only autofocus with Nikon AF-S lenses or Sigma HSM lenses - but you can use any Nikon lens, you'll just have to manually focus. Most camera deals come with a kit lens (usually 18-55mm) which is good for general photography - if you're sure you won't want this lens then you can buy just the body.

You probably won't need 2 lenses to do still life/macro/portraits. The Nikopn 60mm f2.8 macro will also double as a portrait lens, as will the Nikon 105mm f2.8 macro - both excellent quality. A cheaper option, but still good quality is the Sigma 50mm f2.8 macro. I have this lens on a D300.

Here is a macro shot with it;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/deepbluephotography/3...

Here is a portrait shot with it;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/deepbluephotography/3...

Another good lens (& cheap at just over £100) is the Nikon 50mm f1.8 (they don't make a f1.7!!). Again it is not an AF-S lens so will need manual focusing. The f1.4 version IS an AF-S lens but is nearly £300!

Kevin K

The best lens in Nikon's macro series is the newest 60mm F2.8N glass. It will run around 650.00. It has the nano coating, which makes the contrast a bit better. It's the cheapest glass that has the N coating right now.

That same lens will be great for portrait work, it's a 90mm equivalent on a crop sensor. One of the better portrait lenses is the 85mm, so the 60mm with crop is close to that.

The best camera for a budget is a Nikon D90, around 750.00 or so.

I like the D90 over the D40 because of the sensor and built in motor for autofocus lenses.

Any lens on a DSLR can switch between high and low aperture.

A 105mm is a bit too long, especially on a crop sensor. It's the middle lens of the "portrait series". 85mm, 105mm 135mm for full frame sensors and film.

If you want a lower cost alternative, the Tokina 28-80mm is around 350.00 on ebay, and is a great lens. Here's a shot taken with it on a D300:

http://cgipix.com/Portfolio_Utah_Vacation_Travel_A...

Anonymous

I purchased the same type set in the Pentax line and I couldn't be happier, with one reservation. I'll get to that latter. I am not familiar with the size of the Nikon lenses in question. If you can get a special price verses buying the extra 55-200mm separately--DO IT! I purchased my Pentax w/ the 18mm-to-55mm. Then purchased a 28-to-200mm Tamron lens. I found the Tamron just too heavy to lug around! I sold the Tamron and purchased the 55-200mm. Needlessly to say I spent a lot more than if I had bought a similar kit in the Pentax line. The only problem, I had when I reentered the digital single lens reflex arena was that, now I need a macro lens as my 28-55mm does not focus close enough for flowers shots. So goes the world of the interchangeable lens reflex (DSLR) cameras. Good Luck!