Canon 50mm lens

Matt

Matt

TPer Emeritus
Messages
22,999
Name
matt
Edit My Images
Yes
I know this is a good quality, cheap lens, but whos got one and how often is it used? thoughts and opinions wanted really!
 
Recently bought the new EF-S 60mm macro, very sharp and makes a good portrait lens to. I now it's more money but I think it's worth it. only fits the 300D, 350D, and the 20D, but you probably know that.
 
I use my 50mm as my standard lens, trouble is it's so good it makes my others seem poor.
 
yeah the 1.8mkII for around £60 from 7dayshop

thanks for the feedback guys, when the G6 is sold i will buy one i think
 
Forgive the n00b question.

But what does this hold over having the kit lens?

I understand that 50mm is pretty much what the 'eye' sees, but considering the kit lens covers 18-55 anyway, is it really such as necessary a purchase as it seems? If so, why?

Or am I missing something? :)
LIke I said, noobs dont learn until they ask stupid questions :)
 
It's not a stupid question mate. The 50mm lens is as you say, the one where the view through the viewfinder equates pretty well to the human eye in proprtions and perspective. That's only true with a 1:1 format camera though. With a 1.6X crop camera that 50mm lens becomes an 80mm equivalent in terms of field of view so the foregoing advantages are lost straight away.

However, 80mm is a pretty useful portait lens length. The real advantage though is that you're getting a very fast lens for available light work with the large aperture giving nice oof backgrounds. Being a fixed focal length it tends to be really crisp in comparison to even the best zooms too.

I bought the 1.4 50mm 2nd hand and it's a belter. :)

Edit.. The 1.8 is an incredible bargain!! ;)
 
I've got it and I've hardly used it except when I've needed to do stuff in low lighting conditions but reading this thread is making me think I should use it more often.

Someone say something to help me wean myself off the kit lens. It's just so easy.
 
im getting the impression its a must have lens....
 
I have one, but don't use it nearly enough ! Mind you most of my pics recently have been either big cats, powerboats etc ! :) Just need to make myself use it more ! Lake District soon though, and am in Edale Monday and Tuesday with work !
 
fingerz said:
Someone say something to help me wean myself off the kit lens. It's just so easy.
Click to expand...

/smacks fingerz erm...fingerz, "Stop using the kit lens!!"
 
The beauty of this lens is that it is incredibly light with it being made mainly of plastic. When on the camera it’s a pleasure to carry around. The MKI version was made with a metal mount which is obviously stronger, optics wise though both the mk1 and mkII are identical.

It’s also a prime lens so as it doesn’t have to be compromised by having to cover other ranges it is incredibly sharp and resolves so much detail that unless the rest of your lenses are top quality it will show them up.

It’s also a great lens for improving your photography, if you need something framing properly you have to move your position, no twisting that zoom (it doesn’t have one), this lens will make you think about composition and camera craft.

At f1.8 it’s also likely to be the fastest lens in your kit for the majority of people and can open up a big window of semi low light photography or amazingly short depth of field shots.

Add in extension tubes and you have a great macro lens as well.

Just some of the reasons why at £60 this lens is a must have piece of kit in my opinion. :)
 
fingerz said:
Someone say something to help me wean myself off the kit lens. It's just so easy.
Click to expand...


The 50mm prime just simply blows the kit lens in to oblivion.. ;)


Steve said:
The beauty of this lens is that it is incredibly light with it being made mainly of plastic. When on the camera it’s a pleasure to carry around. The MKI version was made with a metal mount which is obviously stronger, optics wise though both the mk1 and mkII are identical.

It’s also a prime lens so as it doesn’t have to be compromised by having to cover other ranges it is incredibly sharp and resolves so much detail that unless the rest of your lenses are top quality it will show them up.

It’s also a great lens for improving your photography, if you need something framing properly you have to move your position, no twisting that zoom (it doesn’t have one), this lens will make you think about composition and camera craft.

At f1.8 it’s also likely to be the fastest lens in your kit for the majority of people and can open up a big window of semi low light photography or amazingly short depth of field shots.

Add in extension tubes and you have a great macro lens as well.

Just some of the reasons why at £60 this lens is a must have piece of kit in my opinion.
Click to expand...

A great post that says it all.. :thumb:
 
looks like it will be that one then, lol
 
Naaa, that's all out of focus and stuff! I would expect a prime to be sharper.... oh, no, wait, that's a picture OF the lens....

:coat:
 
Now you are showing off and probably likly to confuse people as you have posted a picture of the MKI not the MKII. ;)
 
Steve said:
The beauty of this lens is that it is incredibly light with it being made mainly of plastic. When on the camera it’s a pleasure to carry around. The MKI version was made with a metal mount which is obviously stronger, optics wise though both the mk1 and mkII are identical.

It’s also a prime lens so as it doesn’t have to be compromised by having to cover other ranges it is incredibly sharp and resolves so much detail that unless the rest of your lenses are top quality it will show them up.

It’s also a great lens for improving your photography, if you need something framing properly you have to move your position, no twisting that zoom (it doesn’t have one), this lens will make you think about composition and camera craft.

At f1.8 it’s also likely to be the fastest lens in your kit for the majority of people and can open up a big window of semi low light photography or amazingly short depth of field shots.

Add in extension tubes and you have a great macro lens as well.

Just some of the reasons why at £60 this lens is a must have piece of kit in my opinion. :)
Click to expand...

OK, so now I'm starting to think I've wasted my money on the EF-S 60 macro. :( arrrrr.....
 
ASH said:
OK, so now I'm starting to think I've wasted my money on the EF-S 60 macro. :( arrrrr.....
Click to expand...

Hell... no you haven't! The 50mm lens is a very adaptable lens as has been pointed out, and it can be pressed into macro service with good results, but you have the best of both worlds with your 60mm macro - a true macro lens, designed from the ground up for the purpose, and that will always show in the results - plus you have almost the same advantages as the 50mm being nearly the same focal length and still reasonably fast - f2.8? :)

The 50mm is still a steal though and you should consider one for the money. Much as we'd like to have a lens for all seasons, there's no such animal, which is why we're all skint, and lugging bags of gear around. :whistling
 
The 50mm is still a steal though and you should consider one for the money. Much as we'd like to have a lens for all seasons, there's no such animal, which is why we're all skint, and lugging bags of gear around. :whistling
Click to expand...

I know that feeling :D
 
Just ordered my 'nifty fifty' Canon EF Fixed Focal Length Lens - 50mm f/1.8 II from 7dayshop...it's now down to £54!

I've heard so many good reports about this lens and if I dropped it, I wouldn't bother picking it up for that price!

I was going to eventually get a decent Macro lens, but my next lens really has to be an L wide angle as that will get used a lot.

My question is what extension tubes would you recommend to use the nifty for Macro work?
 
excellent, gonna order one myself right now i think!
 
Bachs said:
My question is what extension tubes would you recommend to use the nifty for Macro work?
Click to expand...

They usually come in sets of three - each slightly longer than the other. You'll rarely need more than one of them at any one time. You can stack them and use all three for huge magnification, but dof gets ridiculously small, and they become very exacting to use - a tripod then being essential. Also the further the lens is extended from the film plane, the dimmer the viewfinder image becomes. It also results in exposure compensation being needed for this. TTL exposure systems should deal with it no problem, but it will mean longer exposures.

You could buy either the Canon ones or cheaper versions which are no doubt around, from independant manufacturers - they're just machined tubes after all, with no optics involved. The only thing you'd have to watch out for is that they preserve the automatic diaphragm function. They used to have a mechanical linkage in each tube, but nowadays it's a simple electrical connection which needs to be maintained from lens to camera via the tubes.
 
Which alot of the ones on ebay don't have (the linkage).

I almost bought a set from ebay for something nice and cheap like £25.
Luckily I emailed the seller and asked if they kept the auto aperture from the camera, and the seller said no.
So basically if you buy the ones without the link, then you are stuck with either a very small aperture or a very wide one (can't remember which way round it is).

The Kenco sets come highly recommended as a Canon alternative and can be bought for about £50-60 for the set of three.
 
You'd be stuck with the lens wide open at fiull aperture Bod, which is the last thing you want at macro distances.

Another option is macro bellows, but again you'd need to pay for the better ones to preserve the auto diaphragm. Having used both in the past, I'd opt for extension tubes over bellows every time, particularly if you're going to want to hand hold a lot of your shots.
 
CT said:
You'd be stuck with the lens wide open at fiull aperture Bod, which is the last thing you want at macro distances.
Click to expand...

That's the one, I couldn't get my head round it.......Wide open meant alot of light, which normally means :thumb:, forgot about the DOF :nut:
 
Kenko do a set as do jessops, but I believe the Kenko ones are available through ebay at stupidly low price of around £80?

I use the jessops ones just because they had them in stock when I needed them. Both sets offer three tubes and maintain all connections in every possible combination.
 
Well after losing many a fleebay bid on one of these lenses due to people wanting to pay more than they cost, I've finally managed to get my grubby fingers on one!!! :woot:

It's a Mk 1 and included a cir pol filter all for £60. A bit heavier than the Mk 2 I borrowed once but still chuffed!

Oh, found it by keeping an eye on local second hand camera shops! If anyone's interested they also have a silver 300D body in for £99. Wish I'd know that before spending £600 on the 350D! lol :LOL:
 
SammyC said:
If anyone's interested they also have a silver 300D body in for £99.
Click to expand...

That's gotta be worth spending the £99 and selling it on?
Sure it's a 300D for 99? It's nto a 300V is it?
 
By all accounts the mk1 is optically the same as the mk11, it's better built though so I reckon you did well there :)
 
I'm sure it was a 300D, I could be wrong, but I pretty sure it was.

Yep, pleased with the 50mm. I was very impressed with the one I borrowed and I very happy to have a Mk 1. :)

Tried it out on a film body, wooo that had a big view finder! I'm sure I had to tilt my head up to look round the full view lol!
 
Well....I've just got a used Mk1 so thanks for a very interesting thread. I've decided to leave it on the camera for a few weeks to see what it can do.

regards
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top