The Nikon AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8D Lens should be the first lens that any aspiring photographer, professional and amateur, should buy. It is a fixed, or prime, lens meaning that you can not "zoom in/out" like other lenses. The focal length is always at 50 mm. This length is perfect for outdoor shots and portraits, and I have had success using it inside of museums. Speaking of museum, the fixed f/1.8 aperture makes the lens ultra fast and great for low light conditions. Framing pictures will take a bit of getting used to if you have never used a prime lens before because you will have to physically move backwards and forwards in order to effectively zoom in or out, but one of the great things about doing this is people tend to think you're a professional! The size of this prime lens is very small and compact, I prefer carrying it as my daily lens because it does not stick out like my other zoom lenses.

templated

Yuma, AZ

this is a great lens. it is a perfect first portrait lens. the lens is very sharp and can obviously go down to f1.8. at around 100 bucks new it is the perfect lends for someone on a budget.this was the first lens i purchased for myself after buying a dslr. it is still in my bag with me. it is very small. the only drawbacks of this lens are that it focuses slowly and loudly. and the lens will not autofocus on a camera like the nikon d40 that lack the focus motor built into the camera body. those cameras need to have lenses that have the focus motor built into them like the sigma 50mm 1.4 which costs hundreds more. for the price this lens is hard to beat. even if you ended up buying the newer 50mm lenes down the road this would not have been a bad investment. it will serve you well for many years and will greatly improve your ability to shoot in low light situations without having to bump up the iso too high.

crappyhouse

Boise, ID

If you have an SLR camera and you have kids, this is a necessary lens.  I thought that this was a great addition.  I looked at the f/1.4 but this was just a much better price.  I couldn't believe the difference between the two.  This lens is so wonderful, though, because of the speed.  That is so important when you are trying to capture kids in the moment.  I underestimated how big a difference it would make, but purchased it because it came so highly recommended from all my friends who were in a similar stage with a similar camera.   The only downside is that you can't really zoom a ton with this guy since it is just the 50mm.  The other downside is that depending on what camera base you have, you cannot auto focus either.  That just means you need a lot of practice with it.  That is fine for people who love taking pictures all the time, but make sure you have gotten the knack before you are taking a picture of something really important!

SarahHerbert

Gilbert, AZ

I have plenty of lenses, but this is the single lense that I leave on my camera when not in use.  It works great, every time, and lets me capture the moment quickly, without having to struggle to get the right focus with an adjustable lense.  The picture quality is clear, crisp and easy to edit. This is the lense I use on my D-90 for taking "snapshots" - quick pictures of the kids doing something I don't want to forget.  It turns my DSLR camera into something that is as easy to use as a simple point and shoot.  It takes the effort out of capturing quick moments and lets me focus more on enjoying those moments as they happen. It is an expensive lense, consider the limitations (its not adjustable).  However, I believe that everyone needs a quick and easy "go to" lense, one that they can use effortlessly and without thinking about it.  For me, the nikkor 50mm f/1.8D is that easy "go to".  I highly recommend this lense

sheasavings

Largo, FL

I read a book on photography and the author mentioned how great fixed length photos are at such a decent price.  So the first upgrade I ever bought for my first DSLR was this little guy.  It really inspired to keep going with my photography.  This produces some of the greatest portraits you have ever seen, and its just so easy.  The thing that makes it so great is the low F stop of just 1.8.  This allows more light to enter in the same amount of shutter time.  An effect of this is a extremely short depth of field that makes the focus of a photograph on just one thing.  It really produces just stunning pictures, I can't tell you how many compliments I got because of this.  Your base line D 3000 with this lense will take better portraits than a much more expensive camera without a fixed length lense.  The one thing I didn't realize when I made my purchase is this is does not have an autofocus motor built in.  What this means is that your camera must have an auto focus motor or you will have to manually focus you shots.  I beleive the D80 or D90 is where the cameras begin to have on board focus motor but don't quote me on that.  Don't let that discourage you, this is the best thing you can buy for your camera!

pungpung

Daytona Beach, FL