This is quite simply the best tool for beginners learning photography.




The key features of this lens:

-50mm prime
-Maximum aperture of f1.8
-Brand new for $75-85

The DOF on this lens is nice, it does tend to hex a bit with light spots but still has a lovely effect either way.

The build quality is exactly what to expect from a $75 lens, plainly it feels cheap, light, and like a toy. The AF motor is slow, but works. It tends to fish a little in low light but not much worse than the 18-55.

IQ wise, the lens is sharp. It takes some great photos. The bang for the buck on this lens is great. If your learning photography, or just curious about the benefits of primes, pick one up!

thrifty fifty!

Originally Posted by emorphien

thrifty fifty!

Oh no you didnt!

can't wait for mine

Where is the sample picture?

^ Ill take a look and see what I have.

heres an old one with it.

Originally Posted by BobbyT

I love mine although it will be replaced by the 1.4 at some point this year.

I just bought this one, hopefully I'll get it in by Thursday

yep, great lens. I have since gone to the 1.4 but I still recommend the 1.8 to anyone. It's a prefect lens for anyone learning because it's dirt cheap and it's a fantastic way to learn how apertures work and to see if primes can work for you.

A few samples of photos I've taken with the 50 II

I use this lens pretty much all the time now, I think im falling in love with primes.

:highfive:

I have an 8x10 of this shot and it looks outstanding!!!!

I have had a blast with this lens. It has really got me thinking about more primes. Plus I love the faster glass with my little Rebel.

I didn't use this little lens very often on my 20D, but since I got my 5D, it spends a lot of time on the camera body. I have thought about upgrading to the 1.4, but probably won't do that until the 1.8 quits working.

I need to learn to love this lens again, because I really really hate it. Cheap piece of crap just whirrs and whirrs as it hunts for focus and never settles on anything.

I might be spoiled.

ted, upgrade to 1.4? That's my plan

^ yeah, ted, get the 1.4 if your complaint is the AF....

thrifty!

Originally Posted by PhatheadWRX

ted, upgrade to 1.4? That's my plan

Originally Posted by jacobsen1

^ yeah, ted, get the 1.4 if your complaint is the AF....

I'm always looking for excuses...

Originally Posted by ride5000

thrifty!

Carl!

Originally Posted by tardypizza

I need to learn to love this lens again, because I really really hate it. Cheap piece of crap just whirrs and whirrs as it hunts for focus and never settles on anything.

I might be spoiled.

i am planning on getting the 1.4, it really isn't that expensive.

Compared to your 17-55 (I still want one of those)

some recent shots, using a 5dc:

IMG_0313-6 by k.a. gilbert, on Flickr


IMG_0303-5 by k.a. gilbert, on Flickr


IMG_0294-4 by k.a. gilbert, on Flickr


IMG_0234-71 by k.a. gilbert, on Flickr


IMG_0310-3 by k.a. gilbert, on Flickr


IMG_0323-16 by k.a. gilbert, on Flickr


IMG_0188-26 by k.a. gilbert, on Flickr


IMG_9730-43 by k.a. gilbert, on Flickr


IMG_9921-57 by k.a. gilbert, on Flickr


IMG_0148-29 by k.a. gilbert, on Flickr

that last one FTW.

Originally Posted by jacobsen1

that last one FTW.

Im picking up a 50 tomorrow Nice shots, cant wait for mine!

Ken, I can't believe you're just now getting around to using a 50mm prime. You seem like the perfect photographer to shoot with a 35 or 50 as your only lens.

Originally Posted by Markitos

Ken, I can't believe you're just now getting around to using a 50mm prime. You seem like the perfect photographer to shoot with a 16 or 24 as your only lens.

fixed. I'd peg him as a 24 guy though myself (remember the dude he linked to on flickr who uses a 5D and 24L exclusively?).

Originally Posted by jacobsen1

fixed. I'd peg him as a 24 guy though myself (remember the dude he linked to on flickr who uses a 5D and 24L exclusively?).

Yeah, true. But my point is that he seems like a one, maybe two, prime kinda guy--no zooms (though I know he's had fun with them).

I really think I need to pick up another one of these...

Originally Posted by Markitos

Ken, I can't believe you're just now getting around to using a 50mm prime. You seem like the perfect photographer to shoot with a 35 or 50 as your only lens.

i have been using my dad's 40+ year old nikkor-s auto f/1.4, so it's not like i haven't been at all.

thing is, i've had my eyes on full frame for so long, and was never sure about if/when i could make the jump.

also i was afraid of losing the "flexibility" of zooms, but i'm a little over a week in with the 5dc, using a nifty fifty and my tokina 116 (which may as well be a prime), and it's actually not as bad as i'd feared.

right now i'm actually thinking of a 35 and an 85. maybe get my own copy of the nifty to fill in the gap cheaply. i'd love getting my hands on a(n accurate) sigma, or hell a 50L, but are they THAT much better than this chunk of plastic? the 50L is $1500--i can get fifteen 1.8s for that price! that's an expensive stop and red ring.

the real issue is that i want fast lenses, and that means they're (basically) all gonna be Ls and they're gonna be $$$, and i just don't have the dough for that. ie, i just paid >$500 for 250 gallons of heating oil yesterday.

right now, i'm looking hard at the sigma 85. the couple of test shots i've seen with it are damned nice. what i REALLY want is the 85/1.2!

**** like this makes me wish i actually made money with the gear.

dude, having owned every single lens you just mentioned at one point?
sigmalux trumps the 50L once you get one that is good on your body (not easy with a 5Dc?).
the 35mm f/2 is actually quite nice for ~$200
the sigma 20/24/28 f/1.8s are GREAT lenses, they're just a tad slower and not built quite as nice
the canon 85 1.8 is AMAZING for $300. Much smaller, much faster AF, wicked IQ.

I'd go with your choice of FLs with those lenses FIRST, then move to Ls only if you are bothered by where they're lacking.

and yes, the 11-16mm is very much a prime. On a crop it's a 2 FL prime, on FF it's a single FL prime.

My samples when I owned it:



Untitled by NicholasSchietromo, on Flickr



Untitled by NicholasSchietromo, on Flickr


Loved the lens.

Originally Posted by ride5000

right now i'm actually thinking of a 35 and an 85. maybe get my own copy of the nifty to fill in the gap cheaply. i'd love getting my hands on a(n accurate) sigma, or hell a 50L, but are they THAT much better than this chunk of plastic? the 50L is $1500--i can get fifteen 1.8s for that price! that's an expensive stop and red ring.

Don't forget about Canon's 50 f/1.4--it's not as bad as people make it out to be. I preferred the IQ of the Sigma, but the consistency of the Canon. In the end, I replaced them both with the 35L.

Originally Posted by ride5000

right now i'm actually thinking of a 35 and an 85. maybe get my own copy of the nifty to fill in the gap cheaply. i'd love getting my hands on a(n accurate) sigma, or hell a 50L, but are they THAT much better than this chunk of plastic? the 50L is $1500--i can get fifteen 1.8s for that price! that's an expensive stop and red ring.

Don't forget about Canon's 50 f/1.4--it's not as bad as people make it out to be. I preferred the IQ of the Sigma, but the consistency of the Canon. In the end, I replaced them both with the 35L.

i'm just not a fan of that 50/1.4 bokeh though. i like the nifty's bokeh better! (i know, blasphemous)

Originally Posted by ride5000

i'm just not a fan of that 50/1.4 bokeh though. i like the nifty's bokeh better! (i know, blasphemous)

well, then just stay with the 1.8... I sort of understand the allure of the f/1.2, but I'd rather have an 85 f/1.2 or 135L... and for what it's worth, I didn't love the 85L mkI.

figure i'd link up my flickr here for some samples:

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=nift...67%40N07&s=rec