Just bought the Canon 50mm f1.8 II

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

07/11/2005 11:49:58 PM · #1

Well, I finally did it and jumped onto the prime lens group.
After doing some shoots in dimly lit places like the aquariums and museums, I've finally realized the value of having aperature less than 2.8. I'm pretty convinced of the optical quality of the lens, but I heard the build quality is a joke. Can anyone give me some experience on how this thing feels? e.g. focus speed noise, build and feel of the lens, etc...
Thanks, now I hope I don't start another collection of fast prime lens.

brianlh

Canon EOS-450D Rebel XSi

07/11/2005 11:55:41 PM · #2

I'm very happy with the lens. I have never dropped any of my lenses, and the focusing is very fast. Noise hasn't bothered me at all - to be honest, I can't recall if there is any or isn't.. I hardly even notice the noise on my 'noisy' 105.

aboutimage

Canon EOS-30D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

07/11/2005 11:56:24 PM · #3

I just bought mine last week. I love it. It seems to take very clear pictures, and it's nice to be able to take fairly low-light stuff with no flash.

I've heard complaints about the manual focus being "cheesy", but I suspect that's from the "uses expensive lenses" camp. For the price, I think it's a great manual focus, and FAR FAR better than the one on the 18-55mm kit lens. I do find that it was a little challenging to learn the AF at first, but only because minimum focus distance is 1.5 feet (a little longer than I'm used to).

I've taken some great photos with it, so far. If you want some immediate examples, just look at the first 5 floral shots I have up in my portfolio.

Message edited by author 2005-07-11 23:59:42.

07/12/2005 12:01:42 AM · #4

Hey guys, does the front element rotate and zoom when focusing like the kit lens?

Besides low light photography, what else do you use it for? For portraits I use the 70-200 f2.8 for it, so I'm not sure what else "I" would use it for. Any suggestions?

Hey Brian, did you graduate already? If so congrats. What's next? Disneyland?

07/12/2005 12:03:19 AM · #5

ya the focusing is...audible but you probably wont find it that annoying. i would say the af speed is about average. hunts in low light and all that stuff for a relatively inexpensive lens. and manual focusing is a one finger job, it's easier.

07/12/2005 12:08:49 AM · #6

Originally posted by yido:

yes the front element rotates and moves in and out when focusing, it's a pain sometimes. and when the af can't focus because you're too close to your subject the rotating inner part of the lens will smack the main body of the lens. it's sort of strange but you'll get used to it. the lens is also extremely light, kinda feels toyish, you could probably throw it pretty far if you wanted to. what do i use it for? i dont have many other lenses, so it is my main lens. i like to do more still life and portraits with it though. i find it a little long for indoor shots since the 1.6 fovc factor makes this lens pretty long. yeah.

07/12/2005 12:12:08 AM · #7

i kinda talked bad about it. but it's a nice little piece of glass to have around. and it's the focal length that fills up a lot of gaps in other lenses' range. i like it a lot, and it takes good pictures.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

07/12/2005 12:13:56 AM · #8

I guess, the "thrifty fifty" will become my main low light/museum lens.
I think I've a lens for just about everything. Geez, life is hard, isn't it?
:)

brianlh

Canon EOS-450D Rebel XSi

07/12/2005 12:17:14 AM · #9

As for when to use it, I guess just about anytime that you need a shot at about 50mm (and don't mind changing lenses) or want extremely shallow DOF. Anytime I can use the 50mm or 105mm, I do (because they're my best). I've used the 50 at random times on different outings, and spent a few hours in the UCLA Botanical Gardens shooting exclusively with it. Here are a few different shots that I've taken:

//www.funktifeye.com/plog/index.php?showimage=45
//www.funktifeye.com/plog/index.php?showimage=14
//brianlh.buzznet.com/user/?p=2&id=895077
//www.funktifeye.com/plog/index.php?showimage=11
//www.funktifeye.com/plog/index.php?showimage=7
//www.funktifeye.com/plog/index.php?showimage=3
//www.funktifeye.com/plog/index.php?showimage=13

Sorry - there are more, but I realized that it was already a pretty long list, so I'll stop it there. I'm sure you've seem sample shots before anyways.

edit: I thought the front element remained in place? Something rotates, but it's not the part that the filters screw into - so wouldn't this be different?

Message edited by author 2005-07-12 00:18:34.

aboutimage

Canon EOS-30D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

07/12/2005 12:19:33 AM · #10

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Deleted by author.

Message edited by author 2005-07-12 00:20:16.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

07/12/2005 12:21:08 AM · #11

Hey Brian,
Pics with the thrifty fifty looks good.
Think I should buy a $60 UV filter for it so my images don't look like vomit??? ha ha.

Hey did you graduate or something, your porfile has a pic of you graduating. I'm hurt, you got rid of the pic I took of you at the Poppy fields.

brianlh

Canon EOS-450D Rebel XSi

07/12/2005 12:25:56 AM · #12

I just did a little research to verify what I had thought - it's a non-rotating front element.

Thanks. :) Haha - yeah, spend the same on your filter as you do the lens. I actually haven't bought any filters for this thing yet - maybe I should get a UV on my next order.

On graduation - I did walk this June, but I still have classes through December. Your poppy field picture was there for awhile, but it was time for a change and as a mini-celebration :).

ph223048

Canon EOS-20D

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

07/12/2005 12:34:46 AM · #13

This is an awesome action lense too! Try it out on indoor sports set at the 1.8 and see how clear your action shots are without a flash!

07/12/2005 12:40:44 AM · #14

Originally posted by ph223048:

This is an awesome action lense too! Try it out on indoor sports set at the 1.8 and see how clear your action shots are without a flash!

Ah good point, I didn't even contemplate that.
Good, museums and indoor sports. That's two things now.

07/12/2005 12:50:00 AM · #15

probably would be pretty good at splash photography if you have some flash units

Carl Zeiss Planar T 50mm f/1.7

07/12/2005 01:32:51 PM · #16

Come on, I know there are more photogs here with the thrify fifty.

tryals15

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

07/12/2005 06:39:33 PM · #17

I bought the fifty about a month ago. I love it. I've had the need to shoot indoors w/o my flash, and it's performed magnificintly on every occassion... For $70 I'd recommened it to any photographer, especially if you're on a tight budget...

07/18/2005 01:28:29 AM · #18

Well, the thrifty fifty should be here on the 20th. I'm going to goto the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific and see how well it does in low light with some folks from the LAdSLR from Yahoo groups.