I got a 35mm f/1.8G when I meant to get the 50mm f/1.4G — should I sell it or keep it?

Question

I'm a Nikon user and I'm using a D90.

I bought a lens recently but got ripped off. I was aiming for 50mm f/1.4G but apparently the seller offer me the other one which is 35mm f/1.8G DX and the worst thing it was overpriced.

To be honest, I'm still willing to have a 50mm f/1.4g lens. Should I sell the brand new 35mm f/1.8g DX and then buy a 50mm f/1.4g? Well, doing so I will lose some amount of money.

I'm kind of struggling in deciding this currently, can you guys help me with this?

Answer 1

On a cropped sensor camera like the D90, I personally find a 35mm focal length more useful, and if I were buying I would go for the 35mm f/1.8 at half the price.

Optically, my friends who have the 50mm f/1.4 say it's a bit soft wide open, but has nice bokeh. According to this review it is quite soft wide open, and sharpest at f/5.6.

On the other hand, the 35mm f/1.8, like the 50mm f/1.8, is very sharp wide open, and at maximum sharpness by about f/2.8 (see this review). I think the bokeh on the 35mm f/1.8 is pretty good, Ken Rockwell disagrees

If you can't pursue the seller and work things out, then the money is effectively lost already - you've overpaid for the 35mm lens, or you'll lose out by selling it and buying a 50mm f/1.4. Just put that behind you and try to forget how much you (over)paid for the lens, and just unemotionally try to work out where to go from here.

My advice would be use this lens for a bit and see how you like it. Will you use the extra stop that the f/1.4 gives you? If you do a lot of low light shooting maybe. If it's soft and you often have to stop it down, then I'm not sure it's such a great advantage. If you need the faster lens, or you prefer 50mm focal length to 35mm focal length, then sell this one and buy the other.

Answer 2

The "getting ripped off" part is over now, the money you overpaid is gone anyway. If you keep a lens you don't actually need, you've lost all the money you paid for it. You don't seem to be giving any other arguments for keeping the lens.

I think the reasonable steps would be to

• try contacting the seller to exchange the lens for the one you were actually buying (or get a refund);
• failing that, try to become friends with the lens you have - try using it in situations you planned for the 50mm, if you can get good photos with the 35mm, you're good;
• failing that, sell the lens; no need to keep an expensive paperweight.

Answer 3

IF the seller definitely mislead you and did "bait and switch" - and it sounds that way, if you really want to change and it's worth the hassle, you could consider this. It worked for a friend of mine.

Create an advertisement which tells the story very clearly. "I bought this lens from xxx but they did bait and switch and ripped me off and xxx ... etc. ... SO I am going to sell this junk lens and buy the one I really want etc". Then put a very high price on it so nobody will buy. Then show the seller a copy and say you are about to put the ad on ebay and just wanted to check all the facts with them as you want to tell the story as it really is.

In my friends case he put an ad on our local major auction site. After a few days the auction site removed the ad,. He put up another one. After a few days he got a refund from the seller.

If you stick to the facts this is arguably moral and legal. You will have to decide what you can and can't say that you are happy with.

---

As far as 35mm v 50mm on 1.5X crop factor DX. I have a f1.8 50mm Sony. Cheap & plasticy but with glass formula refined by Minolta over decades. An excellent lens and fantastic value for money. BUT it does not of course give the classic 50mm result on a DX camera - it's a 75mm equivalent. As much as I love it, and I love it a lot, I'd swap for an equivalent 35mm of similar aperture to get closer to the classic 'human eye' perspective that you tend to get with the 50mm effective focal length.

Answer 4

I have and use both on my D7000 (DX) I do not feel that they substitute each other. As you are looking for bokeh, I think both are good but the 50 f/1.4 renders a more creamy bokeh.

Personally, without knowing the exact circumstances of the situation, I would the seller not let get away with ripping me of. But as said, this depends on your situation including local law which may or may not protect you. In my region the 50 f1.4 is more than double of the 35 f1.8's price, which would be a clear rip off.

However I would keep the 35 f1.8 since it is a great lens (for the original price) and can be used on FX with a little amount of vignetting even it is a DX lens. You would lose more money if you'd try to sell it, I guess.

Good luck.