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hoppedupbrewer · 02-29-2012, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottland

First off, thank you! Secondly, we have the same camera. I bought a D3100 last spring. The kit lens is surprisingly a fantastic lens; I'd recommend against selling it. It's very sharp across the whole range. With that said, I shoot about 95% of my photos with a Nikon 35mm 1.8g. The fixed focal length makes me get up off my feet and walk around to compose the photo because I can't zoom, which is good. Although, the big benefit is that it stops up to f/1.8, which is a god send for shooting shots in low light. My kitchen is actually rather dim, and that lens makes photos look great. They run about $200, and they're worth every penny.

Yeah, I won't sell the kit lens. For the price, it is amazingly sharp, it's just slow (aperture), and the variable aperture is kind of a negative ding, but that's what you get for the price. I've been very happy with a lot of the photos I've taken with it, but the 35mm f/1.8 is definitely next on my list. I'd like an ultra-wide lens (something wider than 20mm), but the Nikkor lenses in that focal length are insanely expensive. I hear very good things about the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8, but that'd be a manual-focus on the D3100.

Anyways, thanks for entertaining my photo-geekery

onthekeg · 02-29-2012, 12:50 AM

My goal is to finally figure out how to HDR some pictures I like down to nearly looking like a high quality painting. Then I will get them blown up and hang in my bar. I want the decorations to be of my pictures not random items..

**scottland** · 02-29-2012, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoppedupbrewer

I've been very happy with a lot of the photos I've taken with it, but the 35mm f/1.8 is definitely next on my list. I'd like an ultra-wide lens (something wider than 20mm), but the Nikkor lenses in that focal length are insanely expensive. I hear very good things about the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8

Ya, I'd recommend the 35mm f/1.8 in a flipping heart beat. If you ask me, that should be the kit lens on the D3100. Sure it doesn't zoom, but still.... It literally never comes of my camera, I like it that much.

I was also looking really hard at getting a wide angle. I gave up on the faster ones, as they were just too much for my budget. I was looking pretty hard at the Sigma 10-20mm f4-5.6. Actually pretty sharp when stopped down a pinch, but I haven't brought myself to cough up the $480 yet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by onthekeg

My goal is to finally figure out how to HDR some pictures I like down to nearly looking like a high quality painting. Then I will get them blown up and hang in my bar. I want the decorations to be of my pictures not random items..

That's a really cool idea. Check out some of the companies that print photos on canvas. It's really not that much more money, and it would totally go with the paint-like HDR style pictures.

**passedpawn** · 02-29-2012, 01:00 AM

Great thread! (I'm still jealous of that glass; wish they were available).

**scottland** · 02-29-2012, 01:14 AM

They sell a new version that apparently doesn't violate the patent. I'm planning on getting one. I'll snap a pic