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What's the big deal with the cheap 50mm lens?

  • 25-02-2008 01:48PM
    #1
    elven
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,966 ✭✭✭


    Well, it's cheap, and it's fast.

    If you want to shoot in low light, you want to open that aperture up as much as possible and f1.8 is about as open as you're going to get without splashing out on an 85mm f1.2.

    The lens can be bought in a shop in Dublin for about €130 I think, in Gunnes, Berminghams or Pixels on Grafton St - but if you get one on ebay from a familiar seller like Kea-photo you can go down to about 70, before postage.

    It's also great to use in conjunction with extension tubes to get you started with macro, but that's covered elsewhere in the FAQs...

    If you're looking for shallow depth of field (your subject in focus but everything in front and behind blurred) then this is also the guy for you.

    There is a slightly more expensive alternative, the 50mm f1.4 which has better build quality, quicker/quieter AF, gets in that extra bit of light and doesn't have a moving front element when it focuses but I think you pay about 3x the price. The jury is still out on whether it's worth the extra money... borrow one and decide for yourself ;)


«1

Comments

  • #2
    TelePaul
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,093 ✭✭✭TelePaul


    elven wrote: »
    Well, it's cheap, and it's fast.

    I think you answered your own question there Elven!


  • #3
    challengemaster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,925 ✭✭✭✭challengemaster


    you forgot to mention on crop bodies (eg. 400D - it's a 80mm f/1.8 really)


  • #4
    Borderfox
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,265 ✭✭✭✭Borderfox


    I find the AF more accurate on the 50mm f1.4. The f1.8 is such a good starter lens though.


  • #5
    melekalikimaka
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 10,686 Mod ✭✭✭✭melekalikimaka


    Borderfox wrote: »
    I find the AF more accurate on the 50mm f1.4. The f1.8 is such a good starter lens though.

    i found the opposite, the af struggles when at 1.4 for mw when i used it


  • #6
    elven
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,966 ✭✭✭elven


    TelePaul wrote: »
    I think you answered your own question there Elven!

    That's good :) I did the post for the FAQs sticky *points upwards*


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  • #7
    Thirdfox
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,105 ✭✭✭Thirdfox


    To follow up on what CM said:

    In 35mm equivalents:
    On a Nikon DX camera (and most camera brands like Sony, Pentax and Sigma) it becomes a 75mm f1.8 (but doesn't autofocus on 3 of Nikon's newest cameras) - on a FX it is 50mm

    Depending on what Canon camera you use it can be a 80mm, 65mm or 50mm f1.8

    On an Olympus it comes to a 100mm f1.8


  • #8
    TelePaul
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,093 ✭✭✭TelePaul


    elven wrote: »
    That's good :) I did the post for the FAQs sticky *points upwards*

    Yeah i read the FAQ, I was just joking around.


  • #9
    nilhg
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 5,272 ✭✭✭nilhg


    Thirdfox wrote: »
    To follow up on what CM said:

    In 35mm equivalents:
    On a Nikon DX camera (and most camera brands like Sony, Pentax and Sigma) it becomes a 75mm f1.8 (but doesn't autofocus on 3 of Nikon's newest cameras) - on a FX it is 50mm

    Depending on what Canon camera you use it can be a 80mm, 65mm or 50mm f1.8

    On an Olympus it comes to a 100mm f1.8

    Just to avoid confusion, (I know what you meant) on an Olympus, it wont fit (without an adaptor), though there is a lovely 50 F2 macro, much dearer though.


  • #10
    Thirdfox
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,105 ✭✭✭Thirdfox


    Sorry - I don't know the Olympus lens line-up that well (nor the Sony/Minolta or Pentax line ups either) - but I'm assuming they have similar lenses.


  • #11
    Sebzy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,775 ✭✭✭Sebzy


    Thirdfox wrote: »
    Sorry - I don't know the Olympus lens line-up that well (nor the Sony/Minolta or Pentax line ups either) - but I'm assuming they have similar lenses.

    The Oly range is quite a bit more restrictive than C&N as they have few primes and all their(Leica/Panasonic/Olympus) lenses are newly developed just for digital but that said if you have the cash you can go from a 7mm to 800mm with no gaps.

    Have a look here for the full range
    http://www.four-thirds.org/en/products/lense.html


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  • #12
    Thirdfox
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,105 ✭✭✭Thirdfox


    Thanks for the link - wow - 1600mm (effective) focal length lens. Good thing they have built in IS ;)

    So no real cheap nifty-fifty for the Olympus camera then? (Apart from mounting a Nikon/Canon via adapters?)


  • #13
    nilhg
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 5,272 ✭✭✭nilhg


    Thirdfox wrote: »
    Thanks for the link - wow - 1600mm (effective) focal length lens. Good thing they have built in IS ;)

    So no real cheap nifty-fifty for the Olympus camera then? (Apart from mounting a Nikon/Canon via adapters?)

    Gone completely OT, but its worth having a look here and matching the E410 with the Sigma 300-800


  • #14
    sheesh
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,082 ✭✭✭sheesh


    bought my first dslr camera just before Christmas bought the body and a 50mm f1.8 so its been my only lens for all that time I've used it for landscapes gig photography and portraits very happy with the results one draw back is that it is not very wide so it takes time to get used to that the sharpness is great.


  • #15
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 54,574 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    nilhg wrote: »
    Just to avoid confusion, (I know what you meant) on an Olympus, it wont fit (without an adaptor), though there is a lovely 50 F2 macro, much dearer though.
    there's the panasonic 25mm f1.4 or sigma 30mm f1.4, but i can't find prices for them after a quick search.


  • #16
    Thirdfox
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,105 ✭✭✭Thirdfox


    Around 300 euro if I remember correctly (Nikon fit)


  • #17
    stabo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 604 ✭✭✭stabo


    Got my 50mm f1.8 in Gunnes the other day, for 117euro. Rang a few other shops and they charging 130euro.


  • #18
    Freddie59
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,679 ✭✭✭Freddie59


    stabo wrote: »
    Got my 50mm f1.8 in Gunnes the other day, for 117euro. Rang a few other shops and they charging 130euro.

    You can buy that Canon 50mm 1.8 (delivered) from Scotland for €82 with no duty. I bought the 50mm 1.4 for €253 (delivered). It costs just under €500 here.:)


  • #19
    stabo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 604 ✭✭✭stabo


    Freddie59 wrote: »
    You can buy that Canon 50mm 1.8 (delivered) from Scotland for €82 with no duty. I bought the 50mm 1.4 for €253 (delivered). It costs just under €500 here.:)
    I
    know i had seen that post. But i was passing Gunnes the other day and seen they lowered the price and i wanted it this weekend. Very inpatient i know:)


  • #20
    Freddie59
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,679 ✭✭✭Freddie59


    stabo wrote: »
    I
    know i had seen that post. But i was passing Gunnes the other day and seen they lowered the price and i wanted it this weekend. Very inpatient i know:)


    I've been there friend! Hands up.:o I'd be just as impatient at times!


  • #21
    Dundhoone
    Closed Accounts Posts: 710 ✭✭✭Dundhoone


    Apart from all the above stuff, the thing I like most about my 50mm on my nikon is that its neat and light. I've stopped trying to haul everything I own around "incase I might need it" and grab the camera with 50mm and off I go.


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  • #22
    leinsterman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,584 ✭✭✭leinsterman


    Well I had the nifty fifty 1.8 and dropped it one day ... to my horror its insides popped out ... it was a gorey scene from a horror movie ...

    I remember my surprise when I first used it and saw the amazing quality it can produce ...

    I have since replaced it with the 50 1.4 ... it is far better and more suited to my needs ... since when I travel I sometimes need something light and fast, partiuclarly indoors where flash is restricted ... but it also needs to be sturdy since it gets thrown around when you travel ...

    Only problem is it rarely sees my camera mount ... despite the fact it is nearly always in the bag ...


  • #23
    shotcaller
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 69 ✭✭shotcaller


    Hey,

    Just to avoid starting a new thread on this, I'm posting here. I'm thinking of buying Nikon D40 (body only) and, separately, a 50mm f1.8 lens for a combined price of €340. Seems like a good deal to me but as I'm a noob, not too sure.

    Thanks for the FAQ, it answered lots of questions for me.


  • #24
    unreggd
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,835 ✭✭✭unreggd


    whats go great about the 1.4???

    and how often do people shoot at 1.8, let alone 1.4?


  • #25
    Thirdfox
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,105 ✭✭✭Thirdfox


    shotcaller wrote: »
    Hey,

    Just to avoid starting a new thread on this, I'm posting here. I'm thinking of buying Nikon D40 (body only) and, separately, a 50mm f1.8 lens for a combined price of €340. Seems like a good deal to me but as I'm a noob, not too sure.

    Thanks for the FAQ, it answered lots of questions for me.

    With the D40 the 50mm will not autofocus but will still give you auto exposure.

    That could be a problem for you (especially if it's going to be your primary lens) - however I have a D40 with a 50mm f2, which means I get manual focus and manual exposure which I tremendously enjoy using for photographic enjoyment...

    but for ordinary day to day shots I imagine many people will be turned off by the lack of autofocus (especially if you need to focus in low light). Nikon and Sigma have released 50mm f1.4 lenses that will autofocus on the D40 though.


  • #26
    shotcaller
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 69 ✭✭shotcaller


    Thanks thirdfox. this is the lens i'm talking about. where it says type of focus, it says automatic?

    Sorry, I'm a spa. i take it it's the camera's fault, not the lens.


  • #27
    Thirdfox
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,105 ✭✭✭Thirdfox


    Yes it's the camera's "fault" (I'm defensive about my camera :P) as it lack an inbody motor that focuses all the AFD lenses (AFS, HSM and Di-II are the kind of lenses that work fully with the D40/x/60) these are the most modern lenses Nikon, Sigma and Tokina(?) make so any new lens will work with the D40

    On the other hand - because it doesn't have the motor and a tab that's used alongside the motor it can mount really old lenses (like that 50mm f2 I'm have) - these are pre-AI and will damage the cameras that have an in-body lens. Why buy such an old lens? For me, it's cheap (30 euro for the 50mm f2), great quality (construction wise it blows any new lens out of the water) and just the experience of owning a 30+ year old metal lens that will still take fantastic pictures (not that the plastic fantastic 18-55mm kit lens is a great disappointment).

    edit: here's a picture of it
    http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/images1/50mm-f2/50mm-f2-KEN_4011-460.jpg
    (image taken from kenrockwell.com)
    distance scale, hyperfocal length settings, aperture ring, all metal construction, infra-red compensation indicator... compare that to the plastic 50mm f1.8 AFD - not many lenses nowadays have these "features" anymore *sigh* and lol - almost no Nikon lenses are made in Japan anymore either (good for vintage collecting I suppose! but I use my lens as a photographic tool - great for macro when reverse mounting 2 lenses together)


  • #28
    CabanSail
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,046 ✭✭✭CabanSail


    Sigh .... I have 3 primes in storgage in Australia.

    50mm f1.4, 135mm f2.8 (IIRC) & a 200mm f5.6

    All circa 1972. All Manual Focus. Would love to use them again.


  • #29
    Ostrom
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,483 ✭✭✭Ostrom


    can you still mount old lenses on newer in-camera af bodies?


  • #30
    DaireQuinlan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,745 ✭✭✭DaireQuinlan


    efla wrote: »
    can you still mount old lenses on newer in-camera af bodies?

    If we're still talking Nikon here then yes. Practically every lens ever made after 1970 (or whenever Nikon introduced the AI lenses) will certainly -mount- on every camera made since then. There are gotchas though. The cheaper digital bodies won't meter with AI and AIS lenses, the d200/d300 up have the neccessary metering connection to allow it. You can still shoot manually though, and chimp it. More annoyingly, the newer G lenses can't really be used productively on the older manual bodies (like my FE2) because there's no aperture ring.


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  • #31
    DanGerMus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,525 ✭✭✭DanGerMus


    Hey guys just wondering i have a d90 and would like to invest in one of these nifty fifties. Is it worth the extra to get the 1.4 over the 1.8 i really like night time stuff indoor and out so would i be better to get the 1.4. Do they perform pretty much the same all the way up to f1.8 and then the 1.4 starts to come into its own?


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