Camera Gear Level Up

I love the Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 prime lens on my crop sensor Nikon, and I love the 55-200mm Nikkor too, but I’m lacking on the wider end of lenses in terms of performance and quality. I’ve had the same shitty plastic toy of a Nikkor 18-55mm kit lens since my first camera, some 8 years ago. I use that lens almost only in the 18mm range for some wide angle scenery shots, and I hate the quality of it compared to the 35mm prime. It was time for an upgrade.

So what I wanted was a prime lens somewhere between 16mm and 20mm focal lengths, with a 1.8 or 1.4 aperture, and I was not willing to compromise on the picture quality. I also wanted an auto-focus, because I don’t want to miss shots, I shoot self portraits and my eyesight is not the best. I know, I am very demanding.

I bothered @jasonrussell and @rubencress in my search for the perfect lens I needed, and they both gave good suggestions but none of them was perfect. Turns out, the lens I want does not exist.

There are a lot of prime lenses for full frame cameras, that fill all my demands, but I did some research and found out that if I put a lens made for a full frame, to a crop sensor, I loose a lot in terms of quality, and I wasn’t willing to compromise.

We all came to the conclusion that I should get a full frame camera, but that is not is my budget right now.

My Nikon D7200 is from the higher end of crop body cameras and I have to remind myself that I am not shooting for the National Geography, but for myself and this Steemit blog. I also don’t shoot any weddings or anything professional for anyone else. There is no real need for me to spend an obscene amount of money to a full frame Nikon and all the lenses for it, and having to go through the hassle of having to sell all that old gear.

I gave up my search for like half a day but it kept bugging me in the back of my mind. Back to the hunt I went and accidentally I found a Sigma Art lens that kinda ticks all the boxes. The thing is, I first disregarded all the zoom lenses because the general stand is that primes trump zooms. I started researching everything I could about the Sigma Art 18-35mm f/1.8, especially designed for the crop sensor cameras.

It had rave reviews EVERYWHERE! It seems to have causes a lot of buzz upon release because it is the only lens of it’s kind, a zoom lens that has this kind of light and performance on a crop body.

Youtube is filled with reviews and technical analyses of the lens and they all said it is definitely worth it. The only negatives were that the auto focus was not always accurate and the zoom range is not that versatile, both things I am willing to live with. Some also said it is quite heavy, but I got the muscles to handle it ;)

I ordered the lens on Sunday, and it arrived today, but I was super busy and I haven't tested it out for more than about ten fast snaps. Right after I got the lens, I hopped to a bus to the countryside and then to swimming and I only just got back.

Can wait to test this beauty all day tomorrow! I'll try to get you some footage with it tomorrow :)

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The kit I will be keeping with me is the Nikon D7200, Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8, Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 and Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6. If the new Sigma can give me the same results on the 35mm end as the Nikkor prime, I can leave the little one at home on most times and I don’t need to switch lenses so often, which is something I hate doing.

The old Nikon D60 and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 will go to my parents (which were originally mine and my dads, but somehow he never got to use them…) and I might throw in the 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Nikkor too, so they can do some bird watching of something. I never reach for that one anyways.

PS. this is probably the most technical I have ever gotten, and ever will be, hope it wasn't too much. I'm definitely not an expert myself either.