Canon 50mm f1.8 Lens - $125 after coupon

This is a fantastic lens. I bought it ten years ago for 99 bucks as a portrait lens and it has been wonderful. The bokeh at f/1.8 is lovely. The focus is pretty slow, but you don't need fast focus for portrait anyway. This is a must-have lens for any photographer, until you can afford the f/1.2 L version anyway .

This is new version so focus is quieter and better. However I found it wasn't useful with APS-C. I found it's hard to avoid camera shake anytime other than bright daylight as your minimum shutter is like 1/80th. I just sold 17-55 IS and definitely noticing importance of IS on the long end.

Because IQ doesn't improve until 2.8, I ended up having to use it like 2.8 lens in which case 40mm STM (more $$) is likely better choice for Rebel owners. Yes you have option of going 1.8, but I found IQ made it very unlikely I will use it that way.

The compactness got washed out because anything other than bright daylight, you need to have lighting setup for portraits and that means you need to carry flash, modifier, remote trigger; the whole 5lbs setup. if you are thinking of taking portraits for $125, consider it's not as simple as it might appear to be.

At the end of the day, it is great inexpensive way to get feet wet into portraits, especially if you are just exploring. I got rid of 50mm and decided it wasn't worth the images I'm getting (f/2,8, high ISO to get 1/80), for the amount of gear I needed to carry for casual use.

Sorry for the dumb question, I don't know anything about photography but my niece is getting really into it as a hobby...her birthday is soon and she has been talking about getting a macrolens for her canon (I think she has a Canon 5d)...Would this be considered a macrolens and a good deal? She takes a lot of pictures of food for her blog if that helps...

kimo37 wrote: ↑ Sorry for the dumb question, I don't know anything about photography but my niece is getting really into it as a hobby...her birthday is soon and she has been talking about getting a macrolens for her canon (I think she has a Canon 5d)...Would this be considered a macrolens and a good deal? She takes a lot of pictures of food for her blog if that helps...

For hobby and for 5D as a gift, yes absolutely. She can get "extension tube" later and it will be cheaper than buying expensive macro lens. If she has Rebel (T7i,T6i,T5i...), its too zoomed in for kitchen/table/dining situation but then Rebel users may not notice any differences and will work with it so still a yes.

42energy wrote: ↑ This is new version so focus is quieter and better. However I found it wasn't useful with APS-C. I found it's hard to avoid camera shake anytime other than bright daylight as your minimum shutter is like 1/80th. I just sold 17-55 IS and definitely noticing importance of IS on the long end.

Because IQ doesn't improve until 2.8, I ended up having to use it like 2.8 lens in which case 40mm STM (more $$) is likely better choice for Rebel owners. Yes you have option of going 1.8, but I found IQ made it very unlikely I will use it that way.

The compactness got washed out because anything other than bright daylight, you need to have lighting setup for portraits and that means you need to carry flash, modifier, remote trigger; the whole 5lbs setup. if you are thinking of taking portraits for $125, consider it's not as simple as it might appear to be.

At the end of the day, it is great inexpensive way to get feet wet into portraits, especially if you are just exploring. I got rid of 50mm and decided it wasn't worth the images I'm getting (f/2,8, high ISO to get 1/80), for the amount of gear I needed to carry for casual use.

Admittedly most of my portrait work has been outside in taking family pictures, which turned out very well.

42energy wrote: ↑ For hobby and for 5D as a gift, yes absolutely. She can get "extension tube" later and it will be cheaper than buying expensive macro lens. If she has Rebel (T7i,T6i,T5i...), its too zoomed in for kitchen/table/dining situation but then Rebel users may not notice any differences and will work with it so still a yes.

Thank you very much...I was looking for the keyword "Macrolens" when researching but the search was only returning results in the 500-900$ range...I know that photography can become an expensive hobby but I don't want to buy a "wrong" product...Thanks for your help!

The 50mm 1.8 is great for photo and video but remember that the low aperture gives you a few extra stops of light but most lenses are unusable at such low apertures because it's deemed soft. The only lens I've ever seen tack sharp at the lowest aperture is the sigma 50mm art and 85mm art. The latter is the best lens I've ever seen. With that said, most average consumers don't need expensive lenses. 50mm 2.8 you should be getting good shots that are usable even in ok lighting. A flash helps bounced or if you already have it, studio lighting.

Macro is attainable in two ways. A macro lens or extension tube OR cropping the photo. For food blogs I don't think a lens is needed...just shoot with this lens, lots of light and crop the photo later. An aperture of 4.5-5.6 should get great food shots.

I've owned many lenses as a professional but have sold a lot and stuck to my core lenses. Sigma 50 and 85 art. Canon 100mm macro, canon 24-70 F4, tamron 15-30 2.8, canon 70-200 2.8 is. The 50mm stm is a nice and cheap lens you can get fantastic results with but also need to be cognizant of the limitations. I also have the 24mm stm for use in my 70d and a ronin m for video but feel the 24mm is also great for wide shots.

42energy wrote: ↑ This is new version so focus is quieter and better. However I found it wasn't useful with APS-C. I found it's hard to avoid camera shake anytime other than bright daylight as your minimum shutter is like 1/80th. I just sold 17-55 IS and definitely noticing importance of IS on the long end.

Because IQ doesn't improve until 2.8, I ended up having to use it like 2.8 lens in which case 40mm STM (more $$) is likely better choice for Rebel owners. Yes you have option of going 1.8, but I found IQ made it very unlikely I will use it that way.

The compactness got washed out because anything other than bright daylight, you need to have lighting setup for portraits and that means you need to carry flash, modifier, remote trigger; the whole 5lbs setup. if you are thinking of taking portraits for $125, consider it's not as simple as it might appear to be.

At the end of the day, it is great inexpensive way to get feet wet into portraits, especially if you are just exploring. I got rid of 50mm and decided it wasn't worth the images I'm getting (f/2,8, high ISO to get 1/80), for the amount of gear I needed to carry for casual use.

That's quite different than what I've heard from other people who have used this lens, but interesting none the less. I like it mostly for the low-light performance. It's better than the kit lens, and I've never had a problem with camera shake (although I tend to shoot wide open or 2.8 max).

For those of who's buying this lens, make sure you check for 'soft' copy compare to the kit lens 18-55...google it...8 years ago, i was shooting Canon and bought this lens at "Aden" and all my images taken with that lens were soft...exchanged 4 copies and all the same. At the end, i exchanged it for a pair of binocular as there's no refund. "People" was telling me I don't know how to use my camera when i showed them pictures TAKEN from kit lens was sharper than the 50mm 1.8 on the same camera.

I went to Blacks' photos and got a 50 1.8 there, was super sharp.

when you test the lens, only use the centre point as that's the strongest focus point for accuracy.

So ensure the place where you buy lens have a good exchange/refund policy.

mikeo007 wrote: ↑ That's quite different than what I've heard from other people who have used this lens, but interesting none the less. I like it mostly for the low-light performance. It's better than the kit lens, and I've never had a problem with camera shake (although I tend to shoot wide open or 2.8 max).

Not sure how to compare this. I have/had 1.4 L lenses and 2.8 IS zooms. I guess coming from a kit lens, people will feel an upgrade.

Never had problem with camera shake: have you checked your camera metering to see how difficult it is to get 1/80th at base ISO inside? Ideally, you'd want +1 EV then pull down in post to reduce noise further and that's another stop of light you need.

Without buying anything, just test how much light you need to not go below 1/80th on your camera. Yeah you can crank ISO high and kit lens people are used to that. You will find it's only doable outside during daytime. If anyone is thinking of using pop up flash, ahem, I don't think I can explain any number of times to make one happy.

42energy wrote: ↑ Not sure how to compare this. I have/had 1.4 L lenses and 2.8 IS zooms. I guess coming from a kit lens, people will feel an upgrade.

Without buying anything, just test how much light you need to not go below 1/80th on your camera. Yeah you can crank ISO high and kit lens people are used to that. You will find it's only doable outside during daytime. If anyone is thinking of using pop up flash, ahem, I don't think I can explain any number of times to make one happy.

Ya, I guess it's all context. It's not a professional lens, it's $125. You get a ton of mileage out of it for $125 though; definitely a solid upgrade over kit. I get decent results at 1.8, 1600 ISO when I shoot indoors in low light. I try to use a fast enough shutter to not get blur, so I'm not shooting at 1/80 indoors.

mikeo007 wrote: ↑ Ya, I guess it's all context. It's not a professional lens, it's $125. You get a ton of mileage out of it for $125 though; definitely a solid upgrade over kit. I get decent results at 1.8, 1600 ISO when I shoot indoors in low light. I try to use a fast enough shutter to not get blur.

1600ISO.............

You are forced to shoot at 1/80 or faster with 50mm on crop - you should see this part at least if nothing else. Only way around this is on a tripod and again that's where the whole 5lbs setup comes in and I'm saying this lens is not as practical as it appears to be at first glance.

That's why for crop users 40mm 2.8 is more usable at 64mm equivalent & good at max. open. For full frame get the 50mm.

It's not about buying expensive lenses. My current favorites? 24mm 2.8 and 30mm 1.4 on crop bodies. They are portable and excellent IQ with very usable focal length of 38.4mm and 45mm. I can stay around 1/30 to 1/45 which is doable indoors without tripod.

42energy wrote: ↑ For hobby and for 5D as a gift, yes absolutely. She can get "extension tube" later and it will be cheaper than buying expensive macro lens. If she has Rebel (T7i,T6i,T5i...), its too zoomed in for kitchen/table/dining situation but then Rebel users may not notice any differences and will work with it so still a yes.

Yes, extension tube or bellows will give you macro capability. You could also use a close-up lens. The best ones have two glass elements , eg from Olympus.

Hi!

So I did an impulse buy because a person I was borrowing a camera from once a year was being silly. Picked up a Cannon Rebel T6 but didn't really do to much research. It came with a single lens and I was wondering why the zoom was so far. Then I learned about lenses and realised I need a portrait lens. I was in the states for a trip and just bought before I thought. First and last time. I promise. So just want to make sure this is the right lens for me based on the camera I have (Rebel T6) and the photos I want to take. Portrait. Close ups, kids playing etc.

Amazing lens, especially for the price. I got the STM version last year for my crop DSLR as from my research this lens was the sharpest (when stepped down) from center to corners among any lens at this focal length among lenses up to 1000$ or may be even higher. (I needed the sharpness across the frame for group portraits. ) Now that I upgraded to full frame (6D), I discovered that on full frame the lens works very well even wide open (f/1.8). The focus is reasonably fast and plenty accurate with this lens.

kimo37 wrote: ↑ Sorry for the dumb question, I don't know anything about photography but my niece is getting really into it as a hobby...her birthday is soon and she has been talking about getting a macrolens for her canon (I think she has a Canon 5d)...Would this be considered a macrolens and a good deal? She takes a lot of pictures of food for her blog if that helps...

My 50mm lens, and a $20 12mm extension tube off eBay. Buy one with electrical contacts so controls still work. There's no glass in the extension, quality doesn't matter.



Lenses have minimum focus distances and extension tubes are a cheap way to shorten it so you can get really close without needing to buy a dedicated macro lens, especially if you're just occasionally shooting macro stills at high apertures.

www.digitalphotomentor.com/hot-to-use-m ... tubes/amp/

PSP discount brings it down to $117.50+tax!

Vednar wrote: ↑ Hi!

So I did an impulse buy because a person I was borrowing a camera from once a year was being silly. Picked up a Cannon Rebel T6 but didn't really do to much research. It came with a single lens and I was wondering why the zoom was so far. Then I learned about lenses and realised I need a portrait lens. I was in the states for a trip and just bought before I thought. First and last time. I promise. So just want to make sure this is the right lens for me based on the camera I have (Rebel T6) and the photos I want to take. Portrait. Close ups, kids playing etc.

This is a prime lens with a big 1.8 max aperture, so fantastic for portraits. One thing to keep in mind is that it's got a 50mm focal length, so take your kit lens that came with the T6 and zoom to 50mm. That's the focal length you'll be using all the time with this lens, so you'll need to move your feet to compose your shots properly.

pencil364 wrote: ↑ This is a fantastic lens. I bought it ten years ago for 99 bucks as a portrait lens and it has been wonderful. The bokeh at f/1.8 is lovely. The focus is pretty slow, but you don't need fast focus for portrait anyway. This is a must-have lens for any photographer, until you can afford the f/1.2 L version anyway .

This is an STM lens. It's different from the one you bought ten years ago.