In praise of the nifty.

AliB

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The 50mm f1.8 has been sitting in my bag for some time but has not had an outing in rather a long time. But, it's there for a reason, a very good reason and that is it's low light capabilities.

And last week it got an airing. I was shooting a wedding and the light sources were coming from everywhere with interior and exterior light all mixing. It was in a barn and by the time the B&G were in place in front of the registrars the light was not very good :gag: Of course I checked all this long before they were making an entrance and from my shooting position and with the light the right lens choice was...............yep the good old cheap and cheerful nifty.

It might look a little odd on the front of a whopping camera like the 1Ds but it got the job done. I still had to shoot at ISO 1000-1250 but a run through some noise reduction software has the shots looking great again and the B&W conversions don't look like they should have been taken with an £80 lens.

For portraits and weddings etc, (basically people shots) don't discount the little nifty, it's always going to have it's place in my bag. :)
 
It's all about having the right tools for the job.

Speaking of which, shouldn't that be your hassy. Surely it's about time you started doing these on a proper camera. ;)
 
Yep love mine, very versatile!

I use it as a landscape lens as well as portrait, and also using it for 3 shot panoramas. Dead sharp at F4 and above. Together with a CPL its very underrated for landscapes.
 
yep, love the nifty, my mrs took some cracking shots over the weekend with it. some baby candids and then some at the wedding.
 
It's all about having the right tools for the job.

Speaking of which, shouldn't that be your hassy. Surely it's about time you started doing these on a proper camera. ;)

lol, the only "problem" with the hassy is the limitation of one lens, any wider and I'd need to sell a kidney!

I'd love to shoot a wedding on one but in a more modern style, I don't know anyone daft enough to let me do it though!:D

Off up to the lakes in a mo and taking the Mamiya 645 with me just because I do have a wider lens (and a longer one). Much as I adore the hassy, it does have limitations with just one lens.
 
At car shows the 50 rarely comes off my camera.
Great wide open to get some short dof 'car-part' and badge shots :thumbs:
 
it is my very reliable wedding buddy too. super awesome lens.
it can be soft, obviously, but the results i can get with it are ruddy marvelous.
 
I have a love-hate relationship with mine. Fantastic little lens, but on a crop sensor simply too long for most things. When I muck about with my Zenit and its 50 (or maybe 58mm?) lens I love it. Really great focal length to work with in a range of situations. On the 450D though I often find myself pressed as far back against the wall as I can to get some distance between me and the subject. The part of me that has no understanding of the concept of financial sense is considering a 35mm f2...
 
Were you shooting wide-open, Ali? Or did you stop down a little? If shooting wide-open, how sharp did the images come out?

The part of me that has no understanding of the concept of financial sense is considering a 35mm f2...

Do it :) Glorious lens!

George.
 
If you can put up with manual focus there are many many 50mm 1.8 lenses out there for anything between free and £40 used. I just missed a decent Olympus 50mm f1.4 on the bay that went for £50!! You need an adapter but they are less than £4 from Amazon. I have also seen 50mm f1.2's for less than £70.

i have just bought from the 'bay of e' a Mint high quality Super Takumar 28mm f3.5 for less than £35! Proper metal construction, very well made and great results!

Here is a pic that i took just to test my Helios 44 2 (44mm f2i think) that cost me less than £8

3830608348_e7099970cf_o.jpg


Saying all this the Nifty is a winner!!! Me....I would go for the 50mm f1.4 as this lens is just superb! Again i would go to a 20, 28 or 35mm High quality prime lens on a crop sensor....but for a few £'s i can have the quality in a used older lens. It still does the same job except for AF but then i have live view so focusing is no a problem any more!!!
 
the best bit of the 50mm is that it does not scare people. I find the bigger the lens the more people look at you!
 
The Nifty fifty and nifty two fifty are a great combination at a super price of just over £200.

Just think, Canon 50mm f1.4 £279 from camerabox.

New
18-55mm IS Kit lens £115
50mm f1.8 Nifty 50 £80
55-250mm Nifty 250 IS £165
Total £360 - bargain!

Used
18-55mm IS Kit lens £60
50mm f1.8 Nifty 50 £60
55-250mm Nifty 250 IS £100
Total £220 - MEGA BARGAIN
 
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