To what extent is the EF50mm f/1.8 II good for Portrait photos?


wizz747

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Feb 27, 2010
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I have a Canon 550D and I am using the Kit I 18-55mm lens.

As I like to take portrait photos, I'm thinking of getting myself a portrait lens. Somebody recommended the EF50mm f/1.8 II to me. Has anyone used this before?

Do you find it good for portrait photos? FYI, I am still a student and I don't have the budget available to buy expensive lens right now. The maximum I would be able to spend right now is around $200. Maybe if I am really impressed with the results of a particular lens, I would go to $300. But that's it, not more than $300.

That's why I am thinking of the EF50mm f/1.8 II as a potential investment.

What are your views on this for portrait photos?
 

I have a Canon 550D and I am using the Kit I 18-55mm lens.

As I like to take portrait photos, I'm thinking of getting myself a portrait lens. Somebody recommended the EF50mm f/1.8 II to me. Has anyone used this before?

Do you find it good for portrait photos? FYI, I am still a student and I don't have the budget available to buy expensive lens right now. The maximum I would be able to spend right now is around $200. Maybe if I am really impressed with the results of a particular lens, I would go to $300. But that's it, not more than $300.

That's why I am thinking of the EF50mm f/1.8 II as a potential investment.

What are your views on this for portrait photos?

Fast aperture and longer focal length (factoring ur canon aps-c crop of 1.6 which equates 80mm). Its acceptable for portraits dependings on ur expectations..
 

Honestly for that budget (<300) there is no better AF lens than the EF 50 1.8 for portraits.
 

Honestly for that budget (<300) there is no better AF lens than the EF 50 1.8 for portraits.

Maybe it's just me, but I tend to manual focus more with this lens...
 

What are your views on this for portrait photos?

Best value for money lens in this price range. That's why many recommend it as budget entry into portrait photography.
 

Maybe it's just me, but I tend to manual focus more with this lens...

Do you have MF with this lens? I just read somewhere that it is only AF.

Now, I'm confused. Is there MF with this lens? Since I only use MF mainly, I don't think I would buy a lens which is ONLY AF.
 

Do you have MF with this lens? I just read somewhere that it is only AF.

Now, I'm confused. Is there MF with this lens? Since I only use MF mainly, I don't think I would buy a lens which is ONLY AF.

You can both AF and MF with this lens. Its triggered by a switch, but the "focusing ring" design is not very handy for precise MF though its certainly still very usable.
 

You can both AF and MF with this lens. Its triggered by a switch, but the "focusing ring" design is not very handy for precise MF though its certainly still very usable.

What do you mean by 'triggered by a switch'? You mean I just slide a button to switch between MF and AF like in the Canon 18-55 Kit lens?
 

What do you mean by 'triggered by a switch'? You mean I just slide a button to switch between MF and AF like in the Canon 18-55 Kit lens?

Yes. That's the general design of the EF lens mount of Canon. All AF lenses can be switched to MF by using this switch, located at the barrel of all EF lenses. Whether the MF option is really usable is up to you. Personally I find it hard to MF with such a short range between MFD and Infinity.
 

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Yes. That's the general design of the EF lens mount of Canon. All AF lenses can be switched to MF by using this switch, located at the barrel of all EF lenses. Whether the MF option is really usable is up to you. Personally I find it hard to MF with such a short range between MFD and Infinity.

Alright. Thank you for the clarification. I find this switch not too user-friendly but it's still acceptable as I don't switch between MF and AF that often.

I think I'll have to go down to a retailer to try out the lens first and the MF ring to see for myself how comfortable the MF ring is.
 

Do you have MF with this lens? I just read somewhere that it is only AF.

Now, I'm confused. Is there MF with this lens? Since I only use MF mainly, I don't think I would buy a lens which is ONLY AF.

I don't think I've ever come across a lens that is Auto-focus only....
I'm intrigued to find out where you read that information from
 

if u really want solid MF lens... dun get canon's.

get third party like Carl Zeiss, OM (Olympus) etc then buy an adaptor to be used on your camera body.

the MF experience will be very different. :)
 

if you MF.
do consider the Carl Zeiss 50mm f/1.7, should be around $200-$300 on the used market, add an adapter to it, and use on your EOS.
 

if u really want solid MF lens... dun get canon's.

get third party like Carl Zeiss, OM (Olympus) etc then buy an adaptor to be used on your camera body.

the MF experience will be very different. :)


if you MF.
do consider the Carl Zeiss 50mm f/1.7, should be around $200-$300 on the used market, add an adapter to it, and use on your EOS.

To both of you sinned79 and wdEvA, won't the image quality go down when using an adaptor?
 

if you MF.
do consider the Carl Zeiss 50mm f/1.7, should be around $200-$300 on the used market, add an adapter to it, and use on your EOS.

Carl Zeiss lens is good! Especially their 50mm f1/4.

Their images simply pops (3D effect)!
 

To both of you sinned79 and wdEvA, won't the image quality go down when using an adaptor?

Because the Canon EOS mount has a short flange distance, it is able to mount many adapters without the use of any extra optical elements, resulting in no IQ loss. These adapters just allow the lenses to be physically mounted and extends the flange distance slightly to what is intended for the lens.

Here's an example, Canon EOS mount has a flange distance of 44mm. OM mount has a flange distance of 46mm, you are thus able to utilize a 2mm thick adapter to mount the OM lenses onto Canon EOS cameras.

I am perhaps not entirely accurate in my description of the issue above but I believe the essence of it is correct.
 

To both of you sinned79 and wdEvA, won't the image quality go down when using an adaptor?

no it wun.

here's a sample shot taken with a CZ 50mm f1.4 and 450D.

18653_276552587522_688242522_3334238_1160592_n.jpg
 

To both of you sinned79 and wdEvA, won't the image quality go down when using an adaptor?
Not at all. The adapter is a pure mechanical adapter, putting the lens optically exactly at the same position as any other Canon lens would be with native mount. No changes to the camera or lens required. Results are great. Beside this, the manual lenses come with precise focusing. Means: the distance from Minimum Focus Distance to Infinity is about 270 degrees. With AF lenses it's less than 90 degrees, sometimes barely 45.