my severely under utilised lens

[Prince Photogenic]

hello guys, i feel that my 50mm lens is very under utilised. usually instinctively using the default kit lens (default not cuz it came with the camera but because i always have it mounted on my camera.

I was just wondering other than taking potraits, what do you guys use it for? it's a very common lens so i presume everyone has one. Can u use it to take group photos? i'm afraid some of the pple in the group would be blurred if i used it for grp photo. hahahaha

and please dun flame me. i'm genuinely seeking help even if most of you here feel it's a stupid qn. oh well, i'm just very noob.. and yes, i've done my due diligence on the forum search and google. but yeah.. i do have the tendency of missing things out..

 

[cluelessed]

For group photos, use the apperture piority mode and set f8 and above for the whole photo to be clear.

 

[wilb87]

hello guys, i feel that my 50mm lens is very under utilised. usually instinctively using the default kit lens (default not cuz it came with the camera but because i always have it mounted on my camera.

I was just wondering other than taking potraits, what do you guys use it for? it's a very common lens so i presume everyone has one. Can u use it to take group photos? i'm afraid some of the pple in the group would be blurred if i used it for grp photo. hahahaha

and please dun flame me. i'm genuinely seeking help even if most of you here feel it's a stupid qn. oh well, i'm just very noob.. and yes, i've done my due diligence on the forum search and google. but yeah.. i do have the tendency of missing things out..

the 50mm can be used for any purposes if it is able to fit all your subjects you are shooting in, applies to group photos as well.

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

50/1.8 is a very common lens principally due to its low selling price. Thus many people get it to try taking photos with a thinner DOF. I am one of the 'sheep' as well

I feel that the 50 is most suitable when paired with a full-frame camera, with which you get a wider FOV and it really becomes quite useable as a walkabout lens.
{Street photography, small groups, half-body portraits from a few metres away, that kind of thing.}

My 50 doesn't see much daylight at the moment. 35 (which gives equiv FOV as 50) does the trick for me.

 

[henry soh]

With a 50 mm lens, whether on FF or cropped, it is your lens to try to make it useful in as many ways as possible, by simply exploring it and discovering its usefulness and having fun with it.

 

[ahming111]

same here. recently bought a close up filter for my 50mm, can play with close up shots on toys, objects etc.....

 

[styeoh]

Use it when you expect to be shooting in low light situations, e.g. indoors where flash is not allowed, night street photography, isolation of subject and when you need to travel light.

 

[kei1309]

when using it for a group photo, stop down to at least f8.. and be prepared to be standing a bit further away from the subjects. and especially if it's at night, would recommend pairing with an external flash and one of those whale tails. the on-board flash might be powerful, but with large groups it might prove to be tough.

also, if you're doing portraits, it'll be a good help to give a thinner DOF, and is extremely useful in lower light situations.

 

[plato]

My 50mm lens is my favourite focal length for street photography. I find that it gives me the most natural field of view on a full-frame camera. Of course right tool for the right job. If I need to take group shots, I will try to use a wider lens.

 

[eulee]

The 50mm is my bread and butter lens. The f1.8 and f1.4 are small and actually ideal for street photography since its so unobtrusive. Its a great portrait lens too especially if you have a 1.6x FOV camera. I feel it takes practice and discipline to shoot with it but well worth the effort coz of the low light capability.

 

[kei1309]

The 50mm is my bread and butter lens. The f1.8 and f1.4 are small and actually ideal for street photography since its so unobtrusive. Its a great portrait lens too especially if you have a 1.6x FOV camera. I feel it takes practice and discipline to shoot with it but well worth the effort coz of the low light capability.

i use a 24-70 and 70-200 for streets :bsmilie:

the closest i ever stood to my subject was just 2m in front of him :bsmilie:

 

[eulee]

i use a 24-70 and 70-200 for streets :bsmilie:

the closest i ever stood to my subject was just 2m in front of him :bsmilie:

Yah I generally stick to a small prime lens, either a 35 or 50. I realise most people freak out if I point my 70-200 their way . When i want to shoot portraits, I usually chat with them first and shoot later. I ask them if I can take the shot. Not everyone will agree of course....but i just move on.

Awhile I go I setup this challenge for myself...to take portraits of people I meet when out for a walk. I was in Bali after an assignment and I had my 1D and I'm sure a 50mm with me. This is what I got: http://www.photographybyeulee.com/blog/2009/ubud.

 

[edutilos-]

hello guys, i feel that my 50mm lens is very under utilised. usually instinctively using the default kit lens (default not cuz it came with the camera but because i always have it mounted on my camera.

I was just wondering other than taking potraits, what do you guys use it for? it's a very common lens so i presume everyone has one. Can u use it to take group photos? i'm afraid some of the pple in the group would be blurred if i used it for grp photo. hahahaha

and please dun flame me. i'm genuinely seeking help even if most of you here feel it's a stupid qn. oh well, i'm just very noob.. and yes, i've done my due diligence on the forum search and google. but yeah.. i do have the tendency of missing things out..

1. Other than portraits, I use my lens for cats, and the very, very occasional landscape. It is a matter of personal preference - I have seen many good photos taken with a 50mm perspective (before crop factor).

2. You can indeed use it to take group photos. This is not so advisable as it would be quite inconvenient for the photographer if there are more than say, 3 people, as he would have to back up quite a distance to fit everyone into the frame. For blurness, this is a DOF (depth-of-field) issue and is easily resolved with the use of a smaller aperture (e.g. F/8).

3. Nothing wrong with having your preferences. Some people just prefer zoom lenses to prime lenses.

 

[Diavonex]

The 50mm F1.8 is pretty good for shooting all those 7th month stage show and road show (without flash) :bsmilie:

Don't forget to jack up the ISO to 400 or 800.

 

[BaneMKII]

My 50 1.4 is a mysterious nocturnal creature...

Once in a blue moon... it will slip out of it's dry, cavernous lair and stealthily slip into my bag...

It sits there patiently... bidding it's time...waiting for a hapless prey to come by...

Once it has spotted its potential dinner, it will climb out of my bag without being noticed... for it is a small and unassuming looking creature.

Timing and patience pays off for the 50 and with a blink of an eye, it captures its prey, without even knowing it has been caught...

 

[Prince Photogenic]

sounds like a lot of use for my lens man.. i shld let it see the sun more often..

 

[theprofxav]

sounds like a lot of use for my lens man.. i shld let it see the sun more often..

In a similar position to you. Perhaps you could try limiting yourself to the 50mm for one day's worth of shooting, just change to the 50mm at home and don't bring the kit lens out. Then when you see a certain thing which is interesting for ya to shoot, you would have to think of how to get a good shot using that focal length ie. force yourself to use that focal length to see what you can achieve, and adapting to the different situations.

True, you may miss some shots because of the limited focal length, but you also gain experience and you may really like the results.

The 50 f1.8 is a great lens, don't let it go to waste =p

 

[Alex Lim]

My 50 1.4 is a mysterious nocturnal creature...

Once in a blue moon... it will slip out of it's dry, cavernous lair and stealthily slip into my bag...

It sits there patiently... bidding it's time...waiting for a hapless prey to come by...

Once it has spotted its potential dinner, it will climb out of my bag without being noticed... for it is a small and unassuming looking creature.

Timing and patience pays off for the 50 and with a blink of an eye, it captures its prey, without even knowing it has been caught...

well said :bsmilie:

 

[Daoyin]

In a similar position to you. Perhaps you could try limiting yourself to the 50mm for one day's worth of shooting, just change to the 50mm at home and don't bring the kit lens out. Then when you see a certain thing which is interesting for ya to shoot, you would have to think of how to get a good shot using that focal length ie. force yourself to use that focal length to see what you can achieve, and adapting to the different situations.

True, you may miss some shots because of the limited focal length, but you also gain experience and you may really like the results.

The 50 f1.8 is a great lens, don't let it go to waste =p

I also concur. Have neglected my copy long enough and will take it out today.