50mm for Nikon D40

[Sonny Eclipse (Colin C)]

I have been reading about the 50mm lens and what a great lens it is to own. I am very interested in purchasing one as I have also read that it is a great lens for dark rides.

However, I own a Nikon D40 and understand that AF will not work with the f/1.8 D that I am looking at.

Is this a big issue or is it just a matter of having to manually focus shots?

Would you recommend continuing to pursue this lens or should I look at something else?

 

[Roger]

Hi Colin. ; Nikon now makes a DX 35/1.8 that will autofocus on your D40, and will actually give you a wider field of view than the 50 would. ; If you want to have a 50mm that autofocuses, you can look at the 50/1.4 options from Nikon (the AF-S model) and Sigma, but both of those are more expensive than the 35/1.8. ; The 35/1.8 is about $200. ; Sigma makes a 30/1.4 but it will run over $300, so it is priced between the 35/1.8 and the 50 options.

 

[Craig]

HI Colin,
on a d40, I would look at the 35 1.8 from nikon.

i wouldnt want to be forced to manual focus when there are other less expensive options out there.

 

[jbwolffiv]

I have the 50mm 1.8 for my d40x (virtually same camera) and the non autofocus was just terrible, so I shelled out the dough for the 50mm 1.4 AF-S model. ; It was $500 at the time, I think now about $400, but I really like it! ; The 35mm option is a great one if you dont want to spend as much.