50mm Lens Help

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XEasyTarget

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Alex
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I'm going to purchase a 550d soon, and will be using it 70% for video and 30% for photo as I'm a TV student...

Anyway, I was thinking of getting the canon 50mm lens to go with it, but am worried that I won't be able to frame up nice close ups inside due to lack of space.

So my question is this, how far away will someone have to stand from a canon 550d with a 50mm lens to frame a decent close up?

Thanks.
 
If I hadn't assploded my 50mm I would have taken some example shots for you, but from memory around a metre would be filling the frame with a face, I don't think you'd be troubled using it to film at all.

Have you considered getting a "walk around" lens? Something with a focal range of around 20-100, perhaps the popular 17-85 IS that Canon make specifically for EF-S bodies like the 550d.
 
Best bet would be to buy the camera, and use the kit lens around 50mm on the subjects you intend to be shooting. If 50mm suits, then order one and you'll only delay yourself a few days while it arrives.
 
Thanks guys. I'm tempted to get the kit lens instead, but I'd rather have faster and apparently sharper image quality of the 50mm if the focal length will suit my needs. And I can't afford to get both right away.

If anyone has this set up, some example shots would be amazing. Obviously don't go out of your way though.

Thanks again.
 
you might well be better off with something along the lines of 24, 28 or 30mm primes.

Plus side, because you're manually focusing, you can use old lenses without AF, so get on ebay ;) most of the older ones will have way nicer MF action for pulling focus than the newer ones too (especially the canon 50 1.8, which is a floppy piece of plastic imo...) can even go for older zeiss or takunmar (?) primes, if you can be bothered to read up and do some creative buying on ebay, you could probably end up with a box of primes (30, 85 and 135 would be a nice set to have) for the price of the 50 1.8.... not so good for photo mind, but fine for video.
 
XEasyTarget said:
Thanks guys. I'm tempted to get the kit lens instead, but I'd rather have faster and apparently sharper image quality of the 50mm if the focal length will suit my needs. And I can't afford to get both right away.

If anyone has this set up, some example shots would be amazing. Obviously don't go out of your way though.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

The 50mm is actually quite soft at 1.8 - its only when it gets to around f/8 that its sharpness prevails.
 
The canon 50mm 1.8 will focus at around arms length, so you should be able to get a decent close-up with it
 
i would buy a camcorder if i was going to shoot 70% video with a dslr
 
I know it will focus, but will I be able to frame up from the top of someone's head to halfway down their torso? with 1-2 meters space?
 
I think you need something wider, perhaps 35 or 28 mm. On a crop sensor like the 550 I find the 50mm too long for most situations, particularly indoors.
 
I think you should sort out which camera you're going to get before deciding on which lenses to put on it, although the latter is an important point. Most DSLRs don't handle particularly well when shooting video so if this is your primary use then you may want to look elsewhere.
Have a look at the new Sony NEX cameras. They're supposed to be pretty hot with video and will apparently autofocus fully while shooting. But forget them if you want an optical viewfinder.
Personally though, like TerryUK, I'd get a videocamera.
 
JackMcIntyre said:
The 50mm is actually quite soft at 1.8 - its only when it gets to around f/8 that its sharpness prevails.
Click to expand...

Which one? My Canon 50mm f/1.8 was brilliant from around f/2.5 onwards, and my Canon 50mm f/1.4 is even a stellar performer at f/2, and if I need to I won't hesitate to use it wide open. It's an astonishingly good piece of glass (well, both are really, prices considered).

For the OP I would definitely advise a 50mm, gorgeous FL even on a cropper for general photography (it's my only lens at the moment and I am managing perfectly fine) and for film I imagine it will be even better. If you think you might need wider shots of people indoors then get a 35mm or a 30. Any wider and you'll just be distorting everything.


eccles said:
I think you should sort out which camera you're going to get before deciding on which lenses to put on it, although the latter is an important point. Most DSLRs don't handle particularly well when shooting video so if this is your primary use then you may want to look elsewhere.
Have a look at the new Sony NEX cameras. They're supposed to be pretty hot with video and will apparently autofocus fully while shooting. But forget them if you want an optical viewfinder.
Personally though, like TerryUK, I'd get a videocamera.
Click to expand...

I don't know what you mean by a DSLR won't 'handle well' with video but unless the OP wants to shell out thousands of pounds for a pro video camera then otherwise how else is he going to be able to have high quality DOF effects, for instance?
 
The 50mm (both 1.8 and 1.4) is usable wide open, and get really sharp within a couple of stops. Certainly don't have to wait to f8 to get sharp shots.

I guess my thoughts on using a 50mm 1.8 for video, is how much focusing are you going to do while filming? That's the hard bit where people spend fortunes on rigs to help them focus while shooting video. The focus ring on the 50 1.8 isn't that nice to achieve smooth focus transitions.

Also I'd tend to think 50mm on a crop is a fraction too tight if you have only 2m to play with. It doesn't give you any scope if you find it too tight?
 
trencheel303 said:
I don't know what you mean by a DSLR won't 'handle well' with video but unless the OP wants to shell out thousands of pounds for a pro video camera then otherwise how else is he going to be able to have high quality DOF effects, for instance?
Click to expand...

I have the NEX-5 and have to say, video recording is pretty sweep.

Here is a MP4/VGA res sample taken with it a few days ago just to see how well the noise for barrel rotation is taken.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPX1Sm1LLiw

As someone mentioned, no optical VF BUT the screen works that damn well in nearly all light conditions and a additional VF is going to be available.

Does the job pretty well and dare I say it, will rival DSLR's in the video recording aspect.

Best video to really show it off well is the "Light & Wind" video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSjdobj0IQ
 
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