I got a wild hair... used 50mm 1.8 at the store in town... 53 dollars...

[Sean Dempsey]

Everyone talks about 50mm 1.8, so I got the notion to call my poorly stocked camera store today, just on a fancy... and they had a used 50mm 1.8... for 53 dollars.

So I figured, even if it sucks, I sometimes spend more than that on dinner. So I am now a part of the 50mm 1.8 club.

I took some shots on the drive home just barley... but haha, of course, they are hideous. The sun is at it's zenith, its 105 outside (not that that affects the picture much), and I am running around taking cityscape shots at f/1.8, then get home to see just how shallow the focus of a f/1.8 is, haha.

Anyways, I am hoping to have some fun with this lens. It's not an L, but it's cheap and seems to work... it'll hold me off for a month or two while I decide between the 70-200L IS, or the 24-70L...

[Liz]

especially for the money. You can get some sharp results from the 50mm/f1.8. I had one for a few years. Last year I upgraded to the 50mm/f1.4 and am not sorry. Better contrast/color.....and very sharp. However, I enjoyed the 50mm and got some nice images.

Have fun.....let's see some of those $53 lens pics........ ;)

Liz

[another view]

Good move with this lens, it's a stop and a third faster than a 2.8 lens and sometimes you need all the help you can get. On a DSLR, it is an equivalent 75mm which is an angle of view that personally I think is great for a lot of subjects. For a new one at about $100 you can't go wrong, so that's a good deal.

[Speed]

Everyone talks about 50mm 1.8, so I got the notion to call my poorly stocked camera store today, just on a fancy... and they had a used 50mm 1.8... for 53 dollars.

So I figured, even if it sucks, I sometimes spend more than that on dinner. So I am now a part of the 50mm 1.8 club.

I took some shots on the drive home just barley... but haha, of course, they are hideous. The sun is at it's zenith, its 105 outside (not that that affects the picture much), and I am running around taking cityscape shots at f/1.8, then get home to see just how shallow the focus of a f/1.8 is, haha.

Anyways, I am hoping to have some fun with this lens. It's not an L, but it's cheap and seems to work... it'll hold me off for a month or two while I decide between the 70-200L IS, or the 24-70L...

Has been called the most boring of all focal lengths by some. But I love mine!

While my most used lens is my 70-300mm, I like using the 50mm. The 50mm is a great lens for astrophotography. Until I got my 28-70mm, it was my indoor lens as well (and still is sometimes). It is also my preferred lens for shooting fireworks. Not too shabby for a "boring" focal length. Plus, being able to shoot at f1.8 (or f1.4) can make for some interesting effects, including softening an image.

And for the nay-sayers out there, it just so happens, that you can shoot at f1.4 and everything from 121 feet to infinity is in focus. So theoretically, you can shoot landscapes (from a mountain, hill, etc) at f1.4! Hehehe.

Congratulations on your new acquisition Sean!

[Mig]

$75 new at B&H, but $53 is still nicer

This lens is on my short list of things to get, unless I cave and get the Tokina 28-70 f2.8 first.

[Sebastian]

Good call.

The image below is straight out of the camera, wide open at f/1.8, ISO 400, unsharpened. Taken about an hour ago.

[mjm]

i very rarely use mine.

[mjm]

nice shot sebastian.

[Sebastian]

nice shot sebastian.

Thanks MJM...BTW, that's VODKA, not water...it's been one of those days. ;)

[Liz]

Very nice......shows that it's the photographer that makes the photo! This should be encouraging to everyone - especially those who are looking for the less expensive equipment!

Liz

[another view]

Thanks MJM...BTW, that's VODKA, not water...it's been one of those days. ;)

The glass says "Coffee"? When was the last time you had a glass of coffee?? Good call on the vodka...

[Sebastian]

The glass says "Coffee"? When was the last time you had a glass of coffee?? Good call on the vodka...

It was a Starbucks glass, and I was kidding about the vodka...