why do a lot of photographers have 50mm lens?

[pai]

think 50mm is closest to human vision in terms of magnification, not field of view. if you use a zoom lens, one eye on viewfinder, the other open, and zoom until what you see with both eyes is roughly the same size, it should be around 50mm. hmm though different viewfinders on different cameras will affect this somewhat.

but human vision definitely has a far larger field of view than a 50mm lens. for starters, we have two eyes. so the limits of our peripheral vision are probably something like 180 degrees, much closer to a very wide angle lens.

anyway, as ppl have already pointed out, 50mm with crop factor behaves a little differently...

 

[snowspeeder]

The 50 mm lens was the first lens I bought after getting my body and kit lens. It was love at first sight and use also. If its not for the events i need to cover, the 50 mm will be mounted on my camera all the time. What a great lens to have and to hold!

 

[fengwei]

no lah. i know i will love this lens ;p

i dun buy things i dun need....eg when a lot of people talked about the 70-200 VR, 500mm, i am not tempted as i am not into that tele lens yet :sticktong

i want to do baby photo, pet photo, kids photo now.... those will be few years later. :embrass:

Hi Paul,

Don't hasitate and get a 50mm f1.8 (or f1.7, whatever your camera maker makes it). You'll love to use it for indoor shoot at your kids. No zoom lens is faster than this one (not at least I know of). Don't be fooled by its price. You don't need a 50mm f1.4 at this stage, 'cause f1.4 or f1.7 doesn't make a big difference for guys like me and you (ameratures I guess).

Here check some of my shots of my 9+ months old daughter (all but the last one were taken by my 50mm f1.7 lens)

http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=109775

I'm not a pro, actually just had my first DSLR since late Sept last year. I love this lens, and used it the most for shooting portraits, indoor or outdoor.

Cheers and happy shooting!

 

[Paul_Yeo]

Hi Paul,

Don't hasitate and get a 50mm f1.8 (or f1.7, whatever your camera maker makes it). You'll love to use it for indoor shoot at your kids. No zoom lens is faster than this one (not at least I know of). Don't be fooled by its price. You don't need a 50mm f1.4 at this stage, 'cause f1.4 or f1.7 doesn't make a big difference for guys like me and you (ameratures I guess).

Here check some of my shots of my 9+ months old daughter (all but the last one were taken by my 50mm f1.7 lens)

http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=109775

I'm not a pro, actually just had my first DSLR since late Sept last year. I love this lens, and used it the most for shooting portraits, indoor or outdoor.

Cheers and happy shooting!

i dunno if it is biased or what, i found that the 50mm pics are sharper! :thumbsup:

(hope that i am not biased bcos after what was said about prime lens sharpness....)

 

[Witness]

because its...

1) light
2) fast
3) sharp
4) = to wat ya eye sees
5) can be used for a myraid of genres of photog
6) not very costly despite superior optics

cheers..

 

[satan_18349]

I like it. Thats it.

 

[Feinwerkbau]

Guys, here's a challenge for you (for those really interested):

1) Go out with only ONE prime lens (on, presumably, your DSLR).

Think about and decide on ONE topic, and while you go about finding you ideal image, keep on focusing on that ONE topic.

2) Don't play cheat by using converters, close-up filters or anything that would take your focus upon you pre-determined topic.

Look before you shoot, and yes, you will find yourself getting frustrated because you agreed to this stupid experiment suggested by some idiot named 'Feinwerkbau' as you face technical limitations.

If, you can get over your frustrations and the irresistable temptation to SMS a fellow CS-er who you hope is nearby to lend you whatever lens you think you need, just remember ...

"What counts the most is what (greatness) you can achieve with what littlle you have".

This is not an arguement of who has da moolah to get the best equipment. We all know and have seen throngs of shooters parading around the streets of Singapore with their D1, 2, X, H, VR, IS, L or whatever have you. In the midst of such great technilogical achivements, an old man like me tends to ge lost in all this technology ...

However, if you put your MIND to it, what it boils down to is IMPLY THIS: what are our visions are able to conceive, and, yes, learning to work through technical limitations, to bring to life what is the deepest inspirations and images that began, not in our cameras, but in our minds?!

Before one can truly fly, one has to know the real meaning of being a prisoner to the ground.

 

[Pablo]

Absolutely no hot spot when shooting Infrared,

EF 50mm f/1.8II :thumbsup:

Cheers

 

[nightwolf75]

Guys, here's a challenge for you (for those really interested):

1) Go out with only ONE prime lens (on, presumably, your DSLR).

Think about and decide on ONE topic, and while you go about finding you ideal image, keep on focusing on that ONE topic.

2) Don't play cheat by using converters, close-up filters or anything that would take your focus upon you pre-determined topic.

Look before you shoot, and yes, you will find yourself getting frustrated because you agreed to this stupid experiment suggested by some idiot named 'Feinwerkbau' as you face technical limitations.

If, you can get over your frustrations and the irresistable temptation to SMS a fellow CS-er who you hope is nearby to lend you whatever lens you think you need, just remember ...

"What counts the most is what (greatness) you can achieve with what littlle you have".

This is not an arguement of who has da moolah to get the best equipment. We all know and have seen throngs of shooters parading around the streets of Singapore with their D1, 2, X, H, VR, IS, L or whatever have you. In the midst of such great technilogical achivements, an old man like me tends to ge lost in all this technology ...

However, if you put your MIND to it, what it boils down to is IMPLY THIS: what are our visions are able to conceive, and, yes, learning to work through technical limitations, to bring to life what is the deepest inspirations and images that began, not in our cameras, but in our minds?!

Before one can truly fly, one has to know the real meaning of being a prisoner to the ground.

amen to dat! i believe this is the 1st exercise recommended, too, by bryan peterson in his book "learning to see creatively" for anyone who wants to learn to compose creatively.

when a few of us were attending russel wong's workshop last week, i learnt dat he's not a big fan of zooms. he shoots with primes, and told us to learn to shoot in any position EXCEPT eye-level, which in his words, is 'boring' becos dats how we see the world everyday. and, yep. shooting with a 50mm ONLY is not easy becos it forces one to really look at the world differently. i started out my DSLR adventure with only a 50mm for a better part of a mth b4 buying my first zoom. try it!

 

[megaweb]

Why do many people own a 50mm lens ?

Simple, the lens is CHEAP !

 

[XXX Boy]

I use my 50mm most of the time. If I were to shoot portraits, I will use a 90mm lens.
My shoot with 50mm f2 lens (the tone and the contrast is just :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: ) : -

 

[fengwei]

Why do many people own a 50mm lens ?

Simple, the lens is CHEAP !

And also it takes very decent pics too

 

[Belle&Sebastain]

my 50mm has one of the cheapest-best optics ratio. where to find max apertures for the price?

 

[theITguy]

I think if the 50/1.8 is not selling at $150+/- but $400+/-, not so many will swear by it coz there will not be so much users. IMO just get what you need, or work with what you have until you need a better lense. Every lense is good but if you do not know how to maximise it, it will be a waste. I find it crazy for people to tell others not to hesitate in buying this lense. Just because it is cheap does not means you will have to buy it. Such inmature thinking will not get you to great pictures.

 

[mpenza]

Guys, here's a challenge for you (for those really interested):

1) Go out with only ONE prime lens (on, presumably, your DSLR).

Think about and decide on ONE topic, and while you go about finding you ideal image, keep on focusing on that ONE topic.

2) Don't play cheat by using converters, close-up filters or anything that would take your focus upon you pre-determined topic.

Look before you shoot, and yes, you will find yourself getting frustrated because you agreed to this stupid experiment suggested by some idiot named 'Feinwerkbau' as you face technical limitations.

Very good exercise I tried something similar with a 200/2.8L last year and the results were rewarding

 

[vinvin]

How abt its performance under low lighting? Dun seem alot of praises heap for that aspect.

 

[Feinwerkbau]

It works much better than any zoom in low light for obvious reasons.

But, it is not a magic-wand.

Low-light situations generally suggest muted toned, decreased contrast and well ... flatness, unles you're refering to artificially lit situations like stage, streets and buildings etc. So don't expect vivid, jump-out-from-the-print contrast and vividness if you wer shooting a muted light scene in the first place.

I once had a Nikkor 50mm 1.2

It was crap unless I stopped it down to f 4 or 5.6, and it costed a HECK OF A LOT MORE than the modest FM2 I was using.

BUT BUT BUT ... if I needed to get a money shot and a 1.2 lens was the only way to get it, then I would say that 50mm 1.2 was worth every cent!

Oh, BTW, there ARE a lot of crap lenses of poor optical and mechanical build out there so I beg to differ to the opinion that all lenses are good. I think what the author was trying to say was that most lenses are capable, but do not fall prey to trends and whims and fancies. Just concentrate on developing the art of photography.

Here's another thought:

Every mechanical or optical design is a fine balance of acceptable compromises. There is no such thing as a perfect lens. All optical designers of leading brands have access to the world's most powerful computers and programmes.

What makes one designer's lens a little better than another, in some respect, but perhaps, not in others, is the choices he or she makes in determining what is 'acceptable compromise'.

 

[XXX Boy]

I had owned and used a Leitz 50mm Summicron (aperture f2) for many years and I dare say that this lens is a very good lens even at its max aperture! Jus take a look at my photo above that was shot at full aperture.

 

[icarus]

I think if the 50/1.8 is not selling at $150+/- but $400+/-, not so many will swear by it coz there will not be so much users. IMO just get what you need, or work with what you have until you need a better lense. Every lense is good but if you do not know how to maximise it, it will be a waste. I find it crazy for people to tell others not to hesitate in buying this lense. Just because it is cheap does not means you will have to buy it. Such inmature thinking will not get you to great pictures.

Agreed completely. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[THEMAN]

Umm.. on a digital body - does that mean we should be picking up a 35mm f1.8 (to accomodate the multiplier)?