I'm soon to buy my first DSLR; most likely a Nikon D3300. I'm wanting to get the best lens for dim light/night trophy photos. I've been looking at the Nikkor AF-S 35mm f/1.8G DX lens and the Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G lens. Which of these will be best? Or am I completely of base with these two?

Thanks,
BP

I think 50mm 1.8 is a great lens for portraits as it's about 80mm on a 1.6x APS-C body like the 3300. Not wide enough for trophy shots in my opinion.

I think you want wide and fast (lot of photos at last light) - the 1.8 is fast, would be worried the 35 is still not wide enough.

10generation, thanks for your input. What are your thoughts on these two:

Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Lens for Nikon

Nikkor AF-S 28mm f/1.8G

Thanks,
BP

What do you mean by dim light/night trophy photos?

Dim light/night trophy photos would be pictures of me and any animal I shoot at dusk. The majority of my successful hunts end in the evening and I'm wanting better "as it lay" and "grip & grin" photos.

Thanks,
BP

the kit lens on a 3300 will not be too bad for the money. if you want to get into the primes.....it will cost you, then add a speedlight and before you know it.....you have a d800 and 5 grand wrapped up in gear. ask me how I know....lol.

BP, don't know too much about the sigma. The good thing about a trophy pic is you can zoom with your feet as the animal is not moving. So I'd likely lean toward the nikon prime, but that is a gut vs informed opinion.

I tend to agree with high country, the kit lens may do what you want, and a speedlight, set on fill flash, will give you a pretty natural look. A prime will make you move in or out for the zoom. Take a look at a Tamron 17-50mm f2.8, great low light capability.

and with a wide angle, the right tilt on ones trophy, and a well set back hunter, one can make a Coues look like a monster buck.

I'd agree that a little zoom capability would do a little better in different environments and across the varied scales of targeted species. Good luck out there.

If I wanted a decent photo in low light, I would not fool around with something like a 1.8 lens. The D3300, I think, has a flash on it. In dim light if you want a good photo, put some light of your own on it! If your somewhere you can go look at the lens you are considering, go look. A short lens becomes more portable, a plastic lens can be quite a bit lighter. If I had a camera with me just for taking trophy photo's, both those thing's appeal to me. Cost is another thing.

I haven't used a Tamron in years But the best lens I ever had was a very old Tamron 50-150 on a film camera. Tamron's 18-270 I'd take a look at. If it's short and light it only cost's $450 in the B&H catalog. An 18-200 is $199 in the same catalog. In comparison a Nikon 35 mm 1.8 is just under $600 in the same catalog. Certainly your not spending the cost of a D3300 and the lens you mentioned just to take a few trophy photo's. Unless you have the money, I'd look at the longer focal length lenses. A 35mm and 50mm lens isn't gonna give you much reach, certainly nothing like that 18-270 Tamron.I think you really should consider what else you'll use the camera for and buy a lens that is suitable for all of it.

Hi,
The Nikon 35 or 50 1.8 lenses are excellent lenses, but you would pretty much have to be on top of the animal in order to get a close shot. The 70-300 VR lens would be a much better choice. You would be able to get the shot from a lot further away. Feel free to call me Mark at Camera Land 516-217-1000 and we can discuss your choices
Mark

OK now I understand what you mean by trophy shots. The sigma you mentioned happens to be a spectacular lens That would be the 18-35 1.8 lens. I have the lens in stock and could give you a great price on it
Mark
516-217-1000

Thanks for all the replies. I bought the D3300 and it came with a 18-55 lens. I also bought a 55-300 lens to go with it. I'm going to shoot many various pictures with it; using both lenses, then I'll go from there.

I can see this hobby getting very expensive...

Thanks,
BP

I have the 18-105 and the 55-300. When I can afford it, I'm getting another 70-300 and selling the 55-300. Just not comfortable with the 55-300, to many non-share photo's. I have a Sigme 70-300 I use on my D70 that blows it out of the park. Think I will replace it with the Tamron version though. have read a lot of good things about it. The 55-300 is well made though other than plastic mount and lens body, they don't concern me!