Want to buy a SLR lens

Six Nikon prime lenses worth owning

Photography enthusiasts are all eager for lenses, but they don’t know what kind of lens library to build. Most people follow the trend and follow the trend. Some see many photography enthusiasts using the "big three" zooms, namely: Nikon 14-24mm/2.8, Nikon 24-70mm/2.8, and Nikon 70-200mm/2.8, so they follow the trend and save money. Bought it for a lot of money. Some people listen to the merchants' introduction and think that "one lens" can do everything, so they buy an 18-200mm lens in an attempt to shoot all kinds of subjects around the world. As a result, whether you are the owner of the "Big Three Elements" or the owner of the "One Lens", you will definitely find that your lens still has certain limitations through practice. For example, owners of the "Big Sanyuan" will definitely find it inconvenient to carry around because the lens is too heavy, and the performance will be pale when shooting some subjects. Owners of "one lens pass" will find that the works shot with this lens can only be good or bad. Generally speaking, it is okay to look at it, but it must be compared with the "big three lenses", especially the fixed focus lenses developed for different themes. Compared with the works he took, he can only be inferior. Is there a better lens combination solution that can overcome the bulkiness of the "big three lens" and solve the contradiction of the mediocre image quality of the "one lens"? At the same time, the price is also relatively affordable. I think it is possible, that is, to take the path of ordinary fixed focus. What I am referring to are ordinary fixed-focus lenses that cost less than RMB 10,000 each but have image quality that is close to or even better than the “Big 3-Yuan” lenses.

I will first show you the six Nikon fixed focus lenses that I think are most worth owning, namely Nikon 20mm/2.8D fixed focus, Nikon 50mm/1.4D fixed focus, Nikon 85/1.8D fixed focus, Nikon 105/2.8 macro fixed focus, Nikon 180/2.8 fixed focus, Nikon 300/4G fixed focus. Your own lens library composed of these six prime lenses should be truly invincible and capable. For example, the 20mm/2.8D fixed-focus lens can be used mainly for landscape photography, the Nikon 50mm/1.4D lens can be used for cultural photography, the 85/1.8D fixed-focus lens can be used for portrait photography, and the Nikon 105/2.8 macro fixed-focus lens can be used for flower and insect photography. , the Nikon 180/2.8D fixed-focus lens can be preferred for indoor performances and portrait shooting, and the Nikon 300/4G fixed-focus lens can be preferred for general bird and sports competition shooting. The ancients said: There are specializations in the art industry, and these six prime lenses are examples of specializations in the art industry; that is to say, they are lenses developed for different themes. One thing is better than another. Only by using these six lenses to create photography can you feel that you are doing serious creation. Under the same conditions, your work will definitely surpass others because of the excellent equipment. Indeed, those works shot with a zoom lens at the same angle, the same subject, and the same time will suddenly be overshadowed by your work. In addition to making you feel proud of your work, more importantly, you can truly appreciate the fun and the right way to play with a SLR camera, which is to change lenses according to the needs of different subjects. In other words, if you have these six fixed-focus lenses, your fleet is a real invincible fleet, including aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, nuclear submarines, missile boats, torpedo boats, and those so-called invincible fleets that are only formed by having a few zoom lenses. In a battle between fleets, victory is certain.

Of course, my friends are very concerned about the price comparison between these six fixed-focus lenses and the "big three yuan". Let’s talk about the “Big Three” price first: 14-24/28 is 12,500 yuan, 24-70mm/2.8 is 12,500 yuan, 70-200mm/2.8 is 15,000 yuan; the total price is 40,000 yuan. Let’s quote the prices of the six major fixed focus lenses: 20mm/2.8D fixed focus is 3,700 yuan, 50mm/1.4D is 1,900 yuan, 85/1.8D fixed focus is 2,700 yuan, 105/2.8 macro fixed focus is 5,300 yuan, 180 /2.8D fixed focus is 5,500 yuan, 300/4G fixed focus is 7,500 yuan, the total is 26,600 yuan. With more money, we can also buy a few excellent Nikon fixed focus, so that the fixed focus lens library will be more complete. .

Next, friends are more concerned about the methods they usually use, so I will introduce it by comparing zoom and fixed focus. If we are shooting landscapes, it is recommended to use a full-frame camera. If you have a zoom lens, you will usually have 14-24mm/2.8 and 24-70mm/2.8. If you have a fixed focus camera, you will need the following. Three are suitable, namely 20mm/2.8D, 50mm/1.4D, and 105/2.8 macro. The 14-24mm/2.8 is most commonly used when shooting landscapes with zoom, and the 24-70mm/2.8 is generally used for portraits and close-ups with scenery. And what about the one with fixed focus? If you need to take pictures of magnificent scenery, use the 20mm/2.8D super wide angle. If you need to take pictures of portraits with scenery or scenes in low light, use the 50mm/1.4D standard extra large aperture. If you need to take pictures of flowers, grass and close-up scenes, use the 105/2.8 macro. With these three lenses, you can definitely take good pictures of scenery. What's more important is that we only use these three focal lengths to shoot. In the long run, we can train our lens eyes, which means we develop the habit of regularly using these three focal lengths to see the world. Our eyes actually only have one focal length to see the world, which is the focal length of a standard lens of 50mm.

The 20mm/2.8D lens has given us a new, broader world. We should form specific visual habits for this vast world, instead of floating back and forth, sometimes 24mm, sometimes 18mm, which will only mess up the dimensions. With a 20mm fixed focus, if the picture needs to be wider or more compact, it is very easy to do in nature. You only need to take a few steps forward or a few steps back. You don’t even have to think about these few steps. There is really no hope for people who move around to take pictures. So I think that using a full-frame camera with 20mm/2.8 can fully meet the needs of ultra-wide shooting. Some people would say that 14-24mm/2.8 has a wider wide angle, a full 6mm more than 20mm/2.8! This is indeed true, but a super wide angle as large as 14mm or 16mm is not easy to use on a full-frame camera, and there are indeed not many opportunities to use it. I even think that Nikon developed the 14-24mm/2.8 lens to meet the shooting needs of journalists, to help them photograph leaders or celebrities in small spaces or in large crowds. I am not a reporter, so this lens The extra wide angle is not very attractive to our generation. What should you do if you occasionally need to shoot a very large scene? My method is very simple, that is, to connect the pictures, take a few more pictures all around, and then use the software to connect them. In addition, what should I do if the 20mm fixed focus puts some unnecessary clutter into the lens? My solution is to use software to cut it appropriately. Because of this, I think that when using ultra-wide lenses, 20mm fixed focus is the most appropriate and can basically meet the needs of ultra-wide shooting. Let’s look at the important role of 50mm/1.4D. This lens is not only perfect for shooting portraits with scenes, but more importantly, we can rely on it to successfully shoot some low-light works, such as dawn or dusk scenery, or the depths of a dark forest. The large aperture of 1.4 will play a magical role in any scenery, especially night scenes. When shooting in low-light situations, the effect of your work will definitely be far better than that of the standard zoom lens of 24-70mm/2.8. As I said just now, you can rely on using a fixed focus to achieve zoom! But what about the wide aperture? If the lens does not have a wide aperture, there is nothing you can do! So anything that a standard zoom can do, a standard fixed focus can do, it just takes a little more effort. But what a standard fixed focus can do, a standard zoom cannot do. The key is that the large aperture of the zoom must be Large aperture behind fixed focus. In addition, I advocate bringing a 105/2.8 macro fixed lens for landscape photography, because it can not only help us capture the exotic flowers and rare insects encountered during the trip, but can also undertake general telephoto close-up tasks. You must know that the microscopic world is very exciting. Recording it with a 105/2.8 macro fixed focus can enhance the fun of outdoor scenery shooting; if you add a 1.7x teleconverter to it, the focal length will reach 180mm, which is basically close to a small bamboo cannon. It has a focal length, which is very helpful for us to secretly take pictures of local people who should not be alarmed. In addition, this lens has a nano-coated lens, so it is not prone to glare. It can be said that when traveling, these three lenses can meet the needs of shooting most subjects! But you must still have a question, and that is portability. I can answer clearly that although there is one more fixed focus, the portability is still better than having two zooms. First, let’s look at the weight. The weight of the two zooms: 14-24/2.8 is 1000 grams, and 24-70/2.8 is 900 grams, totaling 1900 grams. The 20mm fixed focus is 270 grams, the 50mm/1.4D fixed focus is 230 grams, and the 105/2.8 macro fixed focus is more than 790 grams, adding up to only 1,300 grams; in comparison, the one with a fixed focus reduces the burden by more than 600 grams . What's more, if you have good lens skills, it will be more convenient. As long as you find something you are interested in, you will quickly record it with different lenses without hesitation, and most of them will be exactly what you want. Rather than using a zoom to adjust the captured image back and forth through the lens.

If our task today is to shoot portraits or stage performances, I think those with zoom will definitely choose 70-200mm/2.8, and those with fixed focus will choose 85/1.8D fixed focus and 180 /2.8D fixed focus comes out. In front of these two fixed focus lenses, the famous little bamboo cannon can only obey, because the super large aperture of 85/1.8D fixed focus can achieve the best blurring of the portrait background, and the 180/2.8D fixed focus can achieve the best blurring of the portrait background. The sharpness is superb, and the stage photos taken are definitely excellent. If today's task is to shoot ordinary forest birds or sports competitions, if you use a zoom lens, you will definitely bring a 70-200mm/2.8. Then I recommend using a fixed focus lens with a 300mm/4. The extra 100mm will be It is an important dividing line between good and bad works and makes your film stand out a lot. To sum up, we can draw the conclusion that people who use a "one-lens lens", that is, an 18-200 lens, spend most of their time taking photos of this trip. People who use Nikon's "Big Three Elements" are indeed creating, because the image quality of "Big Three Elements" is comparable to that of fixed focus and can produce good pictures; while those who use fixed focus are engaged in serious creation. Because fixed focus is unparalleled and is designed to meet the needs of different subjects. If used well, the best films will be produced. So I love fixed focus, admire fixed focus, and use fixed focus.

Finally, I would like to remind you of three points. First, no matter how good the zoom is, it can only be comparable to the fixed focus, but ultimately cannot surpass the fixed focus.

Second, the fixed focus should also emphasize cost-effectiveness. For example, the wide-angle fixed focus has newly released 24mm/1.4. Although the large aperture is very attractive and can be called a magic lens, we mainly use the wide-angle to shoot landscapes. Most of the time, we need to shrink the aperture. That is super large. Aperture is indeed of little significance to us ordinary landscape photography enthusiasts. More importantly, the price of over 10,000 yuan is prohibitive, and the bulky body also completely defeats the purpose of a lightweight fixed-focus model. (In addition to being used by special groups, this type of lens plays a more important role in proving the height of the manufacturer's optical technology. It is only one opinion.) Third, lenses with a large aperture of 2.8 below 85mm do not need any anti-shake settings. Yes, because the safety shutter of this type of lens is very easy to achieve, so I think it is a waste to add any anti-shake function to the wide-angle and standard lenses with a large aperture of 2.8.

In the final analysis, large aperture is the last word. Of course, a super wide aperture of 2.8 is enough, but what about super telephoto? My opinions are endless. Sadly, with fixed focal lengths beyond 600mm and 800mm, achieving a large aperture of 1.4 is simply a myth!