how should i utilise my 50mm f/1.8 lens?

[dekabreak]

ryan, eve looks scary... hahaha =X

MARCUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:sweat:

 

[rebelriot]

hmmmm i used to use it for bokeh effect. so if i wanna shoot portrait , how do i minimize the bokeh effect ? set the aperture with a higher number?

 

[daredevil123]

hmmmm i used to use it for bokeh effect. so if i wanna shoot portrait , how do i minimize the bokeh effect ? set the aperture with a higher number?

just stop down to increase DoF (reduce background blur).

 

[rebelriot]

just stop down to increase DoF (reduce background blur).

stop down means smaller aperture , higher F number right?

 

[Octarine]

It's good for shooting newborns without flash (which could hurt their delicate eyes?)...

Photographer's myth. Thousands of babies would have eye problems after sessions in studios ...

 

[blurboiboi]

Photographer's myth. Thousands of babies would have eye problems after sessions in studios ...

i posted a thread couple of months back on this... lots of the ppl replied negatively...
I think you dun bring your child to studio for shoots day in day out... so its still okie...
but if you are doing it yourself on a regular basis... i think its not advisable... ur kid only have 1 pair of eyes... so better to be safe than to be sorry...

 

[watermaze]

Photographer's myth. Thousands of babies would have eye problems after sessions in studios ...

I know there is no scientific proof that the flash can hurt their eyes... but I do know that the sudden bright light may frighten some babies...

 

[zac08]

Your choice...

but look at the number of kids wearing glasses these days... any chance they were flashed at when they were young? :dunno:

You wanna take the chance, you go ahead with your own kid. I don't want to be blamed if anything does happen to my kid or my fren's....

 

[daredevil123]

Your choice...

but look at the number of kids wearing glasses these days... any chance they were flashed at when they were young? :dunno:

You wanna take the chance, you go ahead with your own kid. I don't want to be blamed if anything does happen to my kid or my fren's....

I am going ambient only with my kid.

 

[hanqiang1011]

i would like to know for the f/1.8, i cant use it to shoot pictures that i want to keep the deep field of depth right? it's shoot pretty shallow DOF only right?

Ermmm... This is kind of strange question. What do you mean by "cannot use it to shoot picture"? Perhaps you mean, 50mm isnt a suitable range to take pictures?

50mm is a standard lens, its field of view is probably almost similar to human vision on a full frame camera body.

Since it is a lens, it CAN be used to SHOOT pictures. The only differences is that the DOF is different from other lenses of difference focal length. DOF can be adjusted by adjusting the aperture.

 

[hanqiang1011]

yes, the 50mm f1.8 seem to have limited use, but

having a f1.8 lens does not mean you can only shoot at f1.8.

able to shoot at f1.8 does not mean you don't need to bother about looking for good lighting.

thru out the history, many great artists produce their best work when only they have limited resource, due to the limitation they faced, they push their creativity to a greater height.

so you want to know how to utilise this lens and push your own limit?
mount this lens and start shooting, and shoot anything with this lens for a few months.
and only shoot 36 frames on 36 subjects per outing,
pick a subject, study the lighting, move around it, nearer, further, higher, lower angles, try look for best composition, until you conclude you found the best angle, check every fine details before you click.

Sweetest thing that I ever heard of since graduating in 2007

 

[nitewalk]

I use it mainly to shoot indoor, people and food. Pretty good lens, just that I prefer to use it with manual focusing, which felt more accurate. Whenever I am taking photo indoors, my first choice is still this lens. Cheap and good for me.

Oh and nowadays, I use it from f/2.2 onwards.

 

[Odyssey-Boy]

The 50mm f/1.8 is always on my body most of the time.

Here's my take from the 50mm f/1.8

 

[rebelriot]

thanks for the feedback !!
will keep all this sharings in mind.

so this is how i conceptualize. correct me if im wrong.

bokeh effect = longer focal length + wider aperture = thin DOF

dont want bokeh effect = shorter focal length + aperture = deep DOF

 

[mikex]

Hmm..longer focal length for 50mm prime?
Tink u can achieve thin DOF just by opening the aperture to F/1.8 or F/2 (wide open)..
The higher it goes,f/8,f/11,f/22(smaller aperture(, the deeper the DOF.

 

[lupinnktp]

actually when i 1st started shooting, i prefer my tamron 17-50 coz i'm the "big picture" kind of guy, but now i'm more and more fond of my 50 1.8. the more i shoot with it, the more i know its capability and limitation. when you're used to it, generally w/o raising the camera you can "see" your frame. i find myself wasting less time zoom zoom zoom to frame, just move, look, shoot.

and the significant thing is this: i don't miss my wide-angle lens even when i can't "take it all in" (due to space constrain or such). the fixed focal length forced me to isolate details and shoot them separately. and the results are totally different altogether. totally!

i would say you need to spend more time with your lens to know it and to use it. don't condemn it after just a few outings.

 

[rebelriot]

i believe there is more positions, angles for me to learn and try out before i can reallly appreciate this lens yeah?

 

[enzeru21]

i love the 50 1.8... use it all the time~!!

you can do wonders if you knew..

just bring it out, and use it as if its the only lens you have..

it was the only lens i had for 6 half a year.. before i started renting lens to shoot with..

 

[galmen]

It is a good lens, i use it alot too apart from my default kit lens, so far in most situation either my kit 18-135mm or my 50mm can handle it well :thumbsup:

 

[Jonathan Ang]

Yup, love this lens. Cheap and good IQ, what's more to ask for?

Rebel I suggest you do a few only 50mm outings to shoot for a day. Like catchlights said, pick a topic , or a particular type of lighting, or some sort of [fill in the blanks] to take. Over at my "APAD" thread..rather, the 12 weeks assignment thread, the majority of my shots were taken with my 50mm. A couple on 135mm.

But yeah, point is, make it a discipline to take your dusty buddy out! You can/ you will / take shots for sure. Just make sure to give it some thought :bsmilie: