50mm f/1.8, or?..


Pyxis

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Jan 3, 2011
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Hi guys, I recently bought a D7000, and it came with the 18-105, 3.5-5.6

I used it for a few weeks, and I read up on more lenses, and wanted to get myself a new one (since CNY's around the corner and I'll get $ from ang paos), but only after I know what I needed from experimenting with my kit lens.

I told my dad to help me check out the price of the 50mm 1.8 first, but he went ahead and bought it for me. :kok:

After a few days with it, I find that I have to "force" myself to use it, rather than of choice.

My question is, should I sell my 50 1.8 to fund myself for a 55-200, f/4-5.6 (within my price range) or a Tokina 11-16, or just keep the 50mm f/1.8 and save up for the other lenses?

What are the advantages of keeping the 50 1.8, and under what circumstances should I use it?

I use my camera weekly, going for photowalks with a group of my friends. After a month with my camera, I find that I tend to enjoy taking street and abstract shots more than anything else.

Suggestions and tips would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks a bunch! :)
 

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What are the advantages of keeping the 50 1.8, and under what circumstances should I use it?

keep the lens. it serves a purpose different from what those zoom lenses offer.

prime lenses (those that can't zoom) have better image quality than all-purpose zoom lenses.

also, with a max aperture of f1.8, it's handy for low light situations, and better to get the out of focus effect to separate your subject from the background e.g. in portraits.
 

hi, your dad is such a nice guy. keep the lens, it might prove useful in the future since it is inexpensive.
i think you like zooms as they offer more versatility right?
primes are generally faster lenses, good for low light.
 

Hi guys, I recently bought a D7000, and it came with the 18-105, 3.5-5.6

I used it for a few weeks, and I read up on more lenses, and wanted to get myself a new one (since CNY's around the corner and I'll get $ from ang paos), but only after I know what I needed from experimenting with my kit lens.

I told my dad to help me check out the price of the 50mm 1.8 first, but he went ahead and bought it for me. :kok:

After a few days with it, I find that I have to "force" myself to use it, rather than of choice.

My question is, should I sell my 50 1.8 to fund myself for a 55-200, f/4-5.6 (within my price range) or a Tokina 11-16, or just keep the 50mm f/1.8 and save up for the other lenses?

What are the advantages of keeping the 50 1.8, and under what circumstances should I use it?

I use my camera weekly, going for photowalks with a group of my friends. After a month with my camera, I find that I tend to enjoy taking street and abstract shots more than anything else.

Suggestions and tips would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks a bunch! :)

No...don't sell it....continue to force yourself to use it. It will help you improve your composition skills and DOF control since you have up to F1.8 to play with. Try shooting more in portrait orientation rather than landscape.

Also, since it is often too tight for landscape so don't use it like a landscape lens. Instead, in your walkabout, look for single items that you find interesting and try out different angles, e.g. low angle, tilt sideways etc and play with the DOF. For APS-C, 50mm is suitable for portraits. But if cant get someone to model, then it is also good for animals like cats and dogs if you can get up close.
 

keep the lens. it serves a purpose different from what those zoom lenses offer.

prime lenses (those that can't zoom) have better image quality than all-purpose zoom lenses.

also, with a max aperture of f1.8, it's handy for low light situations, and better to get the out of focus effect to separate your subject from the background e.g. in portraits.

Yeah, I noticed that it is very much sharper than my kit lens.

hi, your dad is such a nice guy. keep the lens, it might prove useful in the future since it is inexpensive.
i think you like zooms as they offer more versatility right?
primes are generally faster lenses, good for low light.

Haha, I know right. xD
But he bought it for a pretty high price, $195 from J316. ):
I like zooms cause I'm generally a shy guy, and when I take street shots, I try to stay as far as possible from my subject, haha.


No...don't sell it....continue to force yourself to use it. It will help you improve your composition skills and DOF control since you have up to F1.8 to play with. Try shooting more in portrait orientation rather than landscape.

Also, since it is often too tight for landscape so don't use it like a landscape lens. Instead, in your walkabout, look for single items that you find interesting and try out different angles, e.g. low angle, tilt sideways etc and play with the DOF. For APS-C, 50mm is suitable for portraits. But if cant get someone to model, then it is also good for animals like cats and dogs if you can get up close.

Yeah, I read an article which recommended prime lenses as it helps to improve composition as you actually have to move about to find a nice angle. Do you have any experiences with this? Does it really help you composition wise?}


One more question. If I like to take street shots without getting spotted, and without getting too close to my subject, should I use my kit lens which offers better zoom, or should I use my prime lens?
 

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But he bought it for a pretty high price, $195 from J316. ):
I like zooms cause I'm generally a shy guy, and when I take street shots, I try to stay as far as possible from my subject, haha.

195 is an ok price...

Most places sell 190. +-$10 is normal.

If you want to stay far away, you need longer lenses. 135, 180, 200 primes are recommended. You can even try 70-200/2.8 but those lenses are so large that people will notice if you point it at them.
 

195 is an ok price...

Most places sell 190. +-$10 is normal.

If you want to stay far away, you need longer lenses. 135, 180, 200 primes are recommended. You can even try 70-200/2.8 but those lenses are so large that people will notice if you point it at them.

Oops, forgot to clarify, I wanted to get one from B/S. XD

Yeah, that's why. I've seen streets shot with prime lenses, and damn, they're really sharp and detailed, but I doubt I'm of standard to do something like that. I need to get over that shyness before anything.

I'm going to take some street later, and I'm not sure which lens I should put on, haha.
 

yr next venture should be a wide angle lens to complete these 2 collections.
 

keep the lens...prime and zoom serve different purpose and funs!
 

Give me since i'm getting a nikon soon. Since u got it for free no loss. :bsmilie:
 

Pyxiz, This is coming from an old man. 50mm f1.8 is not a useless lens. It is not an expensive lens to claim making a mistake, specially a gift from your father. One way to get a new lens from your father is to keep using the 50mm to shoot for your father and family, you may fall in love with lens in no time, or proof to your father he should get you the lens you need. :nono::light:
 

Yeah, that's why. I've seen streets shot with prime lenses, and damn, they're really sharp and detailed, but I doubt I'm of standard to do something like that. I need to get over that shyness before anything.

oh yeah TS. u might wanna look through the street/candids sub-forum. they have a bunch of street pros in there. they really go up-close to their subjects :bsmilie:

i'm also beginning to dabble in streets... and i must say, having the guts to shoot someone from the front (staring at you) takes lots of thick skin (ok street shooters don't flame me!)
 

oh yeah TS. u might wanna look through the street/candids sub-forum. they have a bunch of street pros in there. they really go up-close to their subjects :bsmilie:

i'm also beginning to dabble in streets... and i must say, having the guts to shoot someone from the front (staring at you) takes lots of thick skin (ok street shooters don't flame me!)

There is no right or wrong in streets. But many street photographers will tell u to use a 35 or 50 mm for instance, over telephoto. Street photography many times is about people about life, that needs the intimacy between the camera and the subject. You can't get that with a telephoto. Ultimately, how u use the lens u mount and make the style yours, is what defines you. If your shot can convey a meaning or a strong message, i don't think its for anyone to define what focal length is "correct".

To TS, keep your lens. You may in future need to shoot indoor or lowlight. This lens will come handy in indoor situation or low light. 50 mm on a crop can be quite tight, especially if u try to shoot your dinner at a restaurant, although you'll probably need to get up move about to shoot. This lens can be a walkabout lens. Don't think of it as forcing. Just mount your 50 mm, go out on the streets to capture street life. Maybe try chinatown or orchard. Work with it to learn how u can utilize it. No one can tell you how exactly to use it, you are the one using it, not us.
 

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Alright guys, thank you for your comments.
I'll keep it, and try to use it more, to improve my pictures composition wise, and hopefully allow me to get closer to my subjects, haha.
 

Yeah, I read an article which recommended prime lenses as it helps to improve composition as you actually have to move about to find a nice angle. Do you have any experiences with this? Does it really help you composition wise?
Yup. I have a 50F1.8 and I forced myself to shoot with it for a few months when I was a newbie. It helped a lot because it was tight, so I was forced to planned ahead, compose and hunt for angles. I have another prime which is 30F2.8 which i used more often nowadays because it is wider and more useable for general purpose. But I still make it a point to use the 50F1.8 every now and then.

With zooms there is a tendency to be lazy. But for holidays where you often don't have time to switch lenses and lugging many lenses can be quite burdensome, zooms are just more convenient.

In the end, I still use primes quite a bit, especially if I just want to go on a walkabout and just shoot for leisure. I usually find my shots are more creative with primes because of the larger apeture and also because I have to work harder and think more than with zooms.