Whats all the fuss about the Nifty Fifty?

AndyWest

AndyWest

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Reading through posts i come accross the Nifty Fifty canon 50mm f1.8 lens ALLOT!. Many people rave about it but after doing a search i can't find out why!

So why is it so poular? Should i get one? There are a few quotes saying 'whatever you do get a nifty fifty' I have the following lenses so would i benefit from one?

Lenses:Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro Lens | Canon EF-S 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS | Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact-macro

Cheers:)
 
Yep, it's super sharp for the money, fast in lower light but the build quality is one of the few negative points.

Unbelievable IQ considering how much it costs :)
 
Unbelievable IQ considering how much it costs
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Sorry for the numpty question but whats IQ? (something i don't have much of obviously!! :lol::lol::lol:)
 
may not be so relevant to you as you have the 50mm macro which already gives you a relatively fast prime of the same focal length, I use mine for 90% of my people shots, the image quality is out of this world for the price and the speed in low light is a real bonus when you don't want to zap everyone with a flash gun! Buy one try it out and if you don't like it you'll be able to move it on for practically what you paid for it especially if you go second hand.
 
But you'd be looking at a 35mm lens to get a 50mm equiv on a DX camera? Or are people using it to make ~75mm equiv shots?
 
I have one but it rarely gets used if I'm honest, but if I sold it I would miss it.
It's fairly unique in the way that it has super-optics, a very fast maximum aperture, it's small, lightweight, and it can be had for under £70.

The benefit of it is that it isn't like a massive telephoto or wide max aperture standard zoom, so street photography can be discreet.
Also, if you're shooting landscape panoramas, it's easy to keep the pictures the same size, etc etc.

Wicked value for money, but don't expect to be using it all the time because a standard zoom is far more versatile.
 
jaffamuffin said:
But you'd be looking at a 35mm lens to get a 50mm equiv on a DX camera? Or are people using it to make ~75mm equiv shots?
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75mm equiv. Hence why a standard zoom is a lot more useful.
However my nif-fif gets used LOADS on my EOS film SLR.
If you want the 50mm equiv on a crop sensor, the 30mm 1.4mm Sigma is also cracking value for money.
 
It's a cheap piece of fast glass, people rave about them, so newbies (me included :lol:) buy them and then realise that the fov isn't really ideal on a cropped sensor, so they sell the lens on.....to another newbie, who then realises that the fov isn't really ideal on a cropped sensor, so they sell the lens on.....to another newbie, who then realises that the fov isn't really ideal on a cropped sensor, so they sell the lens on.....to another newbie, who then realises that the fov isn't really ideal on a cropped sensor, so they sell the lens on.....to another newbie, who then realises that the fov isn't really ideal on a cropped sensor, so they sell the lens on.....to another newbie, who then..........


:lol:
 
I have the 50 1.4 after upgrading from the 1.8.
both are cracking lenses and its cheap and small enough to be in anyones kit bag for the odd low light shot.

I agree its not wide enough on a crop body but it is still perfectly usable. I will be getting the 28mm 1.8 as my next fast prime.
 
I just got my 50mm f/1.8 last week and love it. I've already taken some wonderful shots and it is incredibly sharp when stopped down a little, the length seems great but i haven tried it with groups of people indoors or anything like that. For portraits it is perfect.

p.s paid £70 from amazon, jessops do it for £78 but you'll have to order it in, and give your CC details on their site, and use the same card instore
 
I got one at Christmas time and I don't know how I managed without it. I don't really know what it is about it that I love so much, but I find it so easy to use and the results are really good - much better than I was expecting from it.
 
As above buy one try it then decide if you want to keep it Im betting you will keep it Bought mine off a TP member here for £50
Bob
 
I think i will have to get one then :thumbs:
 
I got mine off Kerso, something like £65 delivered.
I definitely aint no expert but i think its a cracking little lens :thumbs:
 
Ordered!!!!!! YAY!
 
Well, its a cheap way of finding out what f1.8 can do... given that for even f2.8 you are looking mucho wonga, it is quite a steal.

Once you have seriously shallow DOF shots of everything in your house though, you probably will become bored though :D
 
I typically carry four lenses in my bag, the other three are L series Canon units, and the 50 still gets as much use as the rest. Does that tell you something?
 
I typically carry four lenses in my bag, the other three are L series Canon units, and the 50 still gets as much use as the rest. Does that tell you something?
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Yep! Your richer than me!! (L lenses) :lol::lol::lol::lol:
 
In good light the Canon 50mm f1.8 is a great lens if you consider the full feature set. Light weight, small, F1.8, good image quality, a very usable focal length on full frame and a good portrait length on a crop.

In poor light my experience was that the focus would hunt and not lock.

For creative use of DOF in reasonable light it does the job but if you are buying for low light use then get the f1.4 which has USM focus (faster and quieter) and locks onto focus far quicker (in low light). You can get around the problem of focus lock by using a focus assist light (ST-E2 works well in this role) with the f1.8.

On a crop camera I would get the Sigma 30mm or the Canon 28mm f1.8 if I wanted something which would make a good single prime lens walk around and work well in low light.

John
 
I can't really see how a f1.8 lens can suffer with hunting in low light? Surely if its letting in 1.8's worth of light then the hunting is down to the camera's AF, not the lens...

I will agree though that being non-USM its noisy and slow to focus, but you get what you pay for I suppose... it wasn't going to be a total ninja 1.8 piece of stunning glass for 50 quid was it...
 
The big think about the 50mm is the speed and the price ,I use a Pentacon 50mm f1.8 on my 350D that I picked up for a tenner and the uality is very good,in addition that f1.8 means I can get availible light shots that no normal zoom would alloow me to take
 
desantnik said:
I can't really see how a f1.8 lens can suffer with hunting in low light? Surely if its letting in 1.8's worth of light then the hunting is down to the camera's AF, not the lens...

I will agree though that being non-USM its noisy and slow to focus, but you get what you pay for I suppose... it wasn't going to be a total ninja 1.8 piece of stunning glass for 50 quid was it...
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Used it on multiple bodies (1D series, 5D etc.) so its not a deficiency in the body :)

For the price it is a very good lens but it has its downsides the biggest of which (for me) was the poor focusing in low light with low contrast subjects. The 50mm f1.4 is much better in this area. If AF was solely down to the body then all lenses on the same body would have the same focusing characteristics with the only variation being the speed with which they focus.

I used the 50mm f1.8 extensively and found in reasonable lighting (indoor or out) the focus was fast and very accurate. In poorly lit venues it would hunt and not lock. The quick way around this was to find a better lit object at a similar distance to the subject and focus and recompose.

All said for £60 it is a useful and good lens.

John
 
I have the Nikon 50mm, onto my thrid in a few months, as i got the first couple and then thought they were great but had very little use so sold them, now for the cost i leave one in th ebag and keep hold of it. its a fantastic lens for the money and worth saying you have owned one IMO

if you dont like it you can sell them quickly on here
 
Well it's on order so i'll let you know if it's any good for me. ;)
 
jpwone said:
Used it on multiple bodies (1D series, 5D etc.) so its not a deficiency in the body :)

For the price it is a very good lens but it has its downsides the biggest of which (for me) was the poor focusing in low light with low contrast subjects. The 50mm f1.4 is much better in this area. If AF was solely down to the body then all lenses on the same body would have the same focusing characteristics with the only variation being the speed with which they focus.
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Nope, I still don't get it... all I can think is that your subjects were so poorly lit and/or low contrast in nature that 1.8's worth of light was not enough to achieve focus lock.... and the extra stop of 1.4 was...

Seriously, I don't get it... can anyone explain? :thinking:
 
Andy - just out of interest, how do you get on with the 55-250IS? Thats on my shopping list for next month and was wondering how good it is?
 
I'm surprised that people say they hardly use it.
I have the 50mm f1.4 Nikon, and I pack my bag with that on the camera, I use it all the time!
 
I miss the nifty Fifty on my D300 - I really do need to go buy another. However, my 2 film cameras tend to live with their 50mm f/1.8's on them:)
 
I have borrowed a Canon 50mm F1.4 and its pretty impressive. As I am new to photography, I am going to stick my neck out and say its not on my list of things I couldn't live without. :naughty:
 
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