Nightlife ‘Ladyboys’ Action Shot With Nikkor 35mm f1.8

A lot of my friends and readers online asked me how useful is Nikkor 35mm f1.8 lens that I bought and have been using it very often. My only answer to them is: “It is the cheapest Nikkor ‘FAST’ lens with built-in auto-focus motor!” It allows me to shoot night scene with lots of people in action under ambient lighting. It also allows me to shoot night portrait in action without artificial flash lighting with my cheapo Nikon D60!

The above photo was shot at night in Bangla Street during my recent travel to Patong Beach, Phuket Island. “Pardon me!” I know what you guys are looking at! Try not to be predominated by those ladyboys on podium dancing! Try focusing on how they moved their bodies, touched their bodies and how they were dressed…. “Oops! S**t! What am I talking about!! Sorry sorry… Ok ok. Forgive me ladyboys… Let’s come back to the subject. This nightlife scene was photographed under available light, using my cheapo D60 with Nikkor 35mm f1.8 fixed on, shot at 1/60s shutter speed with f1.8 aperture and at ISO 800 (Click the above photo to view at bigger size with still acceptable picture noise level). The essence of this photo is the ability of the lens to capture enough ambient lighting with reasonably fast shutter speed to freeze some ladyboys’ movement sufficiently while still knowing that they are dancing. This will not be achieved by using a kit lens or Nikkor 18-200mm superzoom lens where f-number for the same 35mm viewing angle would be at most f-4 and it shall need at least 1/15 second to capture the same amount of light at ISO800. 1/15second is just too slow to freeze any motion at all. Not even your own hand shake!

we know for action photo, we need at least a lens with wider open aperture in order to capture the same scene with faster shutter speed to freeze the motion. That’s why sport journalists require at least a f2.8 fast telephoto lens to capture sportmen in action. However, fast lens normally means expensive lens! A f2.8 lens normally would cost over USD500 be it either Nikkor or Canon, fixed lens or zoom lens. This was true until the release of Nikkor 35mm f1.8G AF-S DX. Selling hot at only USD200 (RM800 in Malaysia), Nikkor 35mm f1.8G AF-S DX is currently the cheapest and fastest DX lens in the market with silent waved auto focus motor attached. With autofocus capabiliy, this little baby can be used and best be attached with either a D60,D3000 or D5000 entry level body. This combo could deliver everything you need for your travel photography except for really wide angle landscape shots.

Is it the only way to capture a nice ladyboys action scene at night with reasonable picture noise? Off course not. You could also shoot with a standard kit lens at f4 aperture and 1/60s shutter speed but, make sure to attach it to a Nikon D3x body (costs around USD8000) and set sensor sensibility to ISO6400!! So the choice is yours…. I chose the earlier. – Travel Feeder.

The above photo was captured with Nikon D60 and Nikkor 35mm f1.8