Which lens gives a 50mm full-frame field of view on a Nikon DX camera?
Asked 8/7/2021
4 views
2 answers
0
I use a Nikon APS-C/DX camera and want the field of view most people call a “normal 50mm” on full frame. Should I use a 35mm lens or a 50mm lens, and does it matter whether the lens is DX or FX?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
4y ago
2 Answers
7
Do I buy a DX 50 mm or get the FX 35mm?
That's up to your preference.
Will they have the same effect?
No.
A 35mm FX lens or a 35mm DX lens will have the same effect with your camera.
A 50mm FX lens or a 50mm DX lens would have the same effect with your camera. (Though I'm not aware of anyone who makes a 50mm DX prime lens for the Nikon F mount.)
50mm is 50mm and is a property of the lens. The angle of view changes due to the sensor size. It doesn't change the focal length of the lens.
Any 50mm lens on your camera will have the same narrower angle of view than any 35mm lens on your camera.
If you want the same angle of view as a 50mm gives with a FF camera, get any 35mm lens, FX or DX.
All lenses one uses on an APS-C camera, both FX and DX, will give a narrower angle of view than when an FX lens of the same focal length is used on a FF camera.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
4y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For a Nikon DX camera, a 35mm lens gives about the same field of view as a 50mm lens on full frame. So if your goal is the classic “normal 50mm” framing, choose a 35mm lens.
DX vs FX does not change the focal length or field of view by itself. A 35mm DX and a 35mm FX lens will look essentially the same on your DX camera; likewise, a 50mm DX and 50mm FX lens would also match each other on DX. The main difference is that DX lenses are designed for the smaller sensor image circle, while FX lenses cover full frame.
A 50mm lens on DX will look tighter/narrower than a 50mm on full frame. If you use 50mm on DX, you’ll need to step back for the same framing.
One subtle difference: if you match subject framing by moving closer with a 35mm, perspective changes because camera distance changes. So 35mm on DX matches the field of view of 50mm on full frame, but not necessarily every aspect of the “look” if your shooting distance changes.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI4y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Does a 35mm lens on APS-C cause the same portrait distortion as 35mm on full frame?
Do DX/APS-C lenses use their actual focal length, and do you still apply crop factor?
Is Nikon’s 35mm f/1.8G DX the closest “normal” lens to 50mm equivalent on a D5100?
Does a crop sensor change perspective, background compression, or depth of field?
Do Nikon FX prime lenses work well on a D5300, and do they lose sharpness on DX?