[IanHoughton]

I'm looking to make another purchase soon and have a budget of about £200. I like taking portraits and was thinking either:

1) Nikon 50mm 1.8
2) Nikon Speedlight SB600 (not overly fussed on flash photography but always struggle for light using my kit lens though)
3) or a macro lens that could also be used as a portrait lens, but not sure what's available sub £200.

Cheers Ian

[Markulous]

Well, I'd go for 3 but then I enjoy macroes (and the distance from my portraits).

I managed to get my sigma 105mm brand new for just under £200

[Charlotte]

I've already recommended the 50mm 1.8 to you in another thread, which is well within your budget. Having said that, I've decided that my next purchase is going to be the Nikkor 105mm micro (remembering that I already have the 50mm 1.8), but that's well beyond the £200 you've budgeted for here. However, Mark's sigma is within budget + sounds a jolly good price. I like to stick to Nikkor, but you do pay the difference. Decisions, decisions ... Macro's a good option to have, but is that what you mostly want to do? Remember that 105 =150mm (roughly) on D50, which is a bit longer focal length than the standard for portraits. Food for thought + you have to decide what you want to do most with your next lens in order to make the right decision. I'd say go for the 50mm 1.8, going by your stated objective i.e. portraits.

[Sonsey]

Yep the 50 1.8 here aswell, it'll be great for natural light portraits and save you a load of dosh too... if you'd like to dabble with Macro in the future you could allways buy a set of tubes to go with it

[Steve]

You know that photography is all about light, and just about every shot will benefit from better lighting. The problem is that learning how to use flash consistently is very difficult and the required discipline of actually using the flash when its an inconvenience is one that I fully understand.

My advice is that if you can be bothered, a flash and learning how to use it will be invaluable, if you are not going to use it though...it will be a complete waste of money

[VinnyP]

For portraits if you are going to use flash then the SB600 is a good step up. I don't know if the D50 can control it off camera as is? If not you will soon be looking for a lead to make it really flexible.

For your budget you could get the 50 1.4 which has the extra 1/2 stop but is not really worth the extra unless you think you will work a lot at 1.8 or 1.4.

For my part if you don't mind using a HK store like onestop and you could stretch to an extra £10 inc delivery then you could get the 50 1.8 AND the SB600 which would make for a lot of fun and give good portrait results.

[summitphotographics]

Not to be blunt, but I have been a professional photographer for twelve years, specializing in model shoots...and I fail to see how you can take your art of portraiture any further without a mount-on flash. The SB-600 is more than sufficient.