I have an 18-55mm, is a nifty 50 worth getting?

Rob.Marsh

Rob.Marsh

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Hi all,

Apologies if this is another noob style question!

I have an 18-55mm lens all be it a kit lens but at the moment I am happy with it. Will I find any benifit getting a nifty 50? :shrug:
I know this could be a difficult question without stating what I intend to shoot, but I am so new to togging in that sense I shoot what I can.

I guess really I am trying to find out the fors and againsts nifty 50's. Probably a rather tired question repeatedly asks so apologies!

Rob
 
I am in same boat , was gonna get one at the weekend, main reasons being- its small light and takes sharp images in low light. Oh and cheap!
 
The nifty is a great lens, very light, small & sharp, at a fantastic price. It's great for portraits, or basically anything else you want to point it at.

Against's that i've found are the common ones, its fixed focal length, so 50mm is your lot, which can be tricky in some tighter situations, but you'd have the 18-55 for that.

It's a must for the camera bag mate, mine spends 90% of it's time on the camera.
 
I would say buy a second hand one for about £45 and try it.
I bought one, didn't like it, it was hopeless for the purpose bought (low light photography indoors).
I never really used it and it just sat in the camera bag.
So I sold it at a loss.
 
Nifty 50's are great best of all they make you get the walking boots on because you cannot just snap everything on the street from one point :D
and at £50 ish there just good to have as a sensor cover :LOL:
 
mbscad said:
I bought one, didn't like it, it was hopeless for the purpose bought (low light photography indoors).
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I thought that was one of the main things it was good at, low light 'tography?
 
I recently got a Nifty Fifty 1.8 for my Canon, and i can say, i was dubious to start with, so many people rate them so highly, that you spend most of the time thinking are they really worth it? YES, is the only answer i can give you. They are amazing for Street Togging, they make good product style shots, you get really good DOF throughout the range, you can use them for sport, street, portrait, and anything else you can think of. I think it is the best £55 i have ever spent on camera gear. Go for it i say, if you don't like it, someone on here will happily take it off you(y) HTH
 
Little Man said:
I thought that was one of the main things it was good at, low light 'tography?
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the issue with it is on a crop body its equivalent of 75mm, indoors that can often be too much....

So he was probably referring to the fact the subjects didnt fit in frame rather than it not being good in low light
 
Gottcha, point taken.
 
mine is my party lens it's great for taking candids when all your mates are round without the need to blind everyone with a flash. I also stick it on the camera if I want it to be light weight and less obtrusive, I've just aquired an EOS 300 film camera and it's definately going to be seeing some use on the front of it for low light black and white work and being full frame I should be able to get more in shot!
 
You have only got to try one to see good it is. May not be a replacement for your 18-55, although tbh, I stopped using my 18-55 the moment I realised how much better the clarity of the image was. I know its got a fixed focal length, but has not been a problem for me at all. The best time to try is in low-light so an evening for example where it is getting dark. Take a shot on both, and the one of the 50mm will retain the right colours and will be very sharp with minimal noise.

How can you possibly say no, at ~£50. Cheapest lens purchase you will ever make. :)
 
It's possibly the cheapest sharpest low light lens you will ever buy.

Get one (y)
 
I've got one & it's superb value for money (y)

but I find that I only use it for indoor shots :shrug:
 
Agree with all the above, I used a friends and was hooked. You have to work a bit harder sometimes as you have the fixed focal length but this has helped me develop
 
I have to agree with the comments above. I also added the 50mm as my first lens purchase after the kit lens. It is excellent for the money - it easily puts the kit lens to shame. However as it is a prime I really miss the flexibility of a wider range... indoors it is great in low light, but in confined spaces it can be difficult to get all of your subject into focus.

The 50mm is probably the most used lens I have and well worth the money. In saying that though my brother prefers landscapes and his nifty fifty probably spends most of the time sitting in his kit bag.... so the type of photography that you intend doing should help influence your decision.

For £55 it is worth trying, the worst case is that you'll hate is and flog it for £45...only costing you a tenner.....
 
thanks for all your comments and help peeps. Ill let you know if/when/what i decide to get and post some pics.

Thanks

Rob
 
Rob.7wood said:
thanks for all your comments and help peeps. Ill let you know if/when/what i decide to get and post some pics.

Thanks

Rob
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I'm in sort of the same boat as you, got my first SLR a few months ago and got a nifty fifty after getting a telephoto. Takes a while to get used to a prime, but it is fantastic for portraits and nice and sharp.
 
Not sure which body the OP is using - the 50mm is of slightly less use to D40(x)/60 users since it will not AF on them.
 
Everyone needs one just to see the cameras actual potential and how gash tyhe kit lens really is.
 
The biggest advantage is the wide aperture and better sharpness. Only you can decide if the focal length is OK for your needs. What I always suggest is to look at the typical focal length you use your 18-55 at, if it is generally at the long end, go for a nifty fifty. If you use your 18-55 a lot at the short end go for a wider prime.

Neil .....
 
V8burble said:
I wouldn't consider my Nikkor 18-70 kit lens gash :|
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It isn't, and the kit lens on the EOS 450d is actually pretty good and a huge step up from the 18-55mm non-IS that came with the 400d. I think people assume because it came with the camera it's naff without actually knowing any of the benefits/limitations of the lens itself.
 
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