Canon Ef 50mm f/1.8 II vs EF S 18-200 for portraits - worth it?

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chukkychukky

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Hi folks!
Newbie to the site. I'm a keen hobby photographer.

Sorry this question may be a no-brainer for some!
I'm a Canon 350D owner and I tend to use it with a EF-S 18-200 lens that I've found very convenient as an 'all-in-one'. Its performs well (with my limited abilites) in all areas (portraits/wide shots etc) although the corners of wide shots sometimes look a little dark, and sometimes its a bit slow to focus.
I also have the original 17-55 lens that was bundled with the camera.

We have a new baby on the way and I want to capture all the moments but without the need for a flash to avoid waking/disturbing the little one.

Now I've heard rave review of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Mark II lens for this.

I've never used a fixed aperture lens, I tried it in Jessops with my camera and found to focus on a small object I had to switch to MF and move back and forth to focus properly - I'm sure practice makes perfect.

My question is has anyone used the aforementioned lens for similar purposes and is it worth the extra investment (around £90 new) over the all-in one?

TIA :thumbs:
 
the image quality is a lot better(as in sharper) and will work better when there is little light available. as for manual focus, i assume you were too close to the object and as you moved back you passed the minimum focal distance(bout 30cm i think). the only thing you need to bear in mind is the depth of focus when at f1.8, it is very thin and might not leave enough in focus. perhaps worth considering a flash instead?
 
fletch5 said:
the image quality is a lot better(as in sharper) and will work better when there is little light available. as for manual focus, i assume you were too close to the object and as you moved back you passed the minimum focal distance(bout 30cm i think). the only thing you need to bear in mind is the depth of focus when at f1.8, it is very thin and might not leave enough in focus. perhaps worth considering a flash instead?
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Wow! Thanks for the quick reply.

I'm afraid I dont follow regarding moving backwards and passing minimal focal distance - if I move back away from minimal focal distance shouldnt that make focusing easier?

I'm keen to avoid a flash. If the depth of focus is very shallow you obviously need to be very close to your subject but with a minimum distance of 30cm?
 
The closer you are to the subject, the smaller the depth of field is. It's all do do with magnification or something like that. The minimum focussing distance means that unless you're at least 30cm away, you will not be able to focus. Being 30cm away, with a 50mm lens at f/1.8 will probably have such a small depth of field that your pictures will look a bit out of focus, but it's definitely worth having a go with one and seeing if you can get to grips with it!
 
It's not a fixed aperture lens its a fixed focal length lens ;)

I would get one seeing as how cheap they are. It will give you a whole new way to shoot, its almost impossible to throw the background out of focus with the kit or superzoom as they are so slow. Buy it then if you like it keep it if not flog it on here for most of what you bought it for.
 
It's not a fixed aperture lens its a fixed focal length lens ;)

I would get one seeing as how cheap they are. It will give you a whole new way to shoot, its almost impossible to throw the background out of focus with the kit or superzoom as they are so slow. Buy it then if you like it keep it if not flog it on here for most of what you bought it for.
 
Yeah, I have the 50mm 1.8 and it struggles to focus if you are too close to what you are shooting... same with all lens's if you get closer than their minimum focus distance.

The main point is it's a great lens and cheap but you need to remember that 1. it's fixed focal length at 50mm which on a 350D, like my 300D, might struggle with being too much for indoor use, I live in a big house and haven't had any problems but I know some people have commented on this..... 2. at 1.8 the depth of field is really shallow (the distance between what is in focus and what is out of focus) so although it lets loads of light in and you get good results without a flash be careful as you can often end up with people's noses in focus but their eyes etc are slightly out causing the image to look soft...
I think the general rule is to always try and focus on the eyes so that they are the sharpest part of the image
 
Chukky don't pay £90 for it when Kerso on this forum sells them for £70 delivered and they're brand new.
 
scottduffy said:
Chukky don't pay £90 for it when Kerso on this forum sells them for £70 delivered and they're brand new.
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Be sure to check that, he is still advertising them at that in for sale but when I checked they were £80 including postage.. still a reasonable price but just thought I would mention it.
 
Always worth having one just in case. I rarely get mine out of the bag but whenever I do I get hooked on using it. The depth of field is nice and narrow for portraits so you can take a different type of shot to those you get with the zoom. Funnily, it also makes me like my zooms more when I switch back to those when you realise what a pain a fixed focal length is.

I'd say get one and try it. If you have to sell it on you won't lose much as there is enough demand.
 
I just bought one not so long back and I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old. Wish I had this when both of my kids were babies as the depth field you can get from this lens would work great with babies bodies and wrinkles.

I think it is great for the money.
 
Thanks again for the advice.

I think using this will take a little practice. Yes I've heard about Kerso and sent him an email, the street price is about £80 or so now, Ebay seems to be flooded with grey imports and people overpaying for 2nd hand lenses.
 
Sorry my walkaround lens is Canon EF-S 17-85/4-5.6 IS USM not 18-200!
I think after reading the opinions here I will take the plunge and go for the nifty fifty!
Cheers folks.
 
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