Purpose of a nifty fifty?

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vecsri

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Richard Black
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I hear canon users talk about nifty fiftys alot, is this just a canon thing? or is it simply a 50mm prime lens?

what are they best for?
 
Nifty fifty is a 50mm prime lens. Usually, they have an extremely wide aperture.
Canon do 3 types.
1.8, 1.4, and 1.2.
Not sure about others, but a lot of people use the nifty 50 as a portrait lens or as a general walkabout lens. I use my lens for pretty much everything.
Works best in low light when other lenses just can't handle it.
 
On a 35mm film camera the 50mm lens is close to the perspective seen naturally (neither wide nor telephoto) although 42mm is the true equivalent, and was sold with virtually every camera as a kit lens. On digital this is true with full frame sensors only so the lens becomes a mild telephoto for most users, with a very fast aperture to boot.
 
I use mine for portrait and sometimes macro.

It's incredibly sharp and has a wide aperture so it's good for these purposes.
 
I got mine because its cheap as chips and no other lens comes close to it for the price. I paid £60 new for the f/1.8
 
The nifty fifty is generally the cheap as chips ^ f1.8 version and came about because of it's size+price+sharpness but the name has been co-opted to include the more expensive wider apertures too. It's even been stolen by the dastardly Nikonians :)
 
I generally photograph cars and landscapes. I don't really have a need for one then?
Cheers
 
You'll always find a use for a nifty (y) The shallow DoF is fun to play with, and they make great indoor lenses because of the fast aperture. For automotive shots, I'm sure you'd have some fun picking out particular features on a car body that you could ioslate from the rest (I'm thinking badges, shiny grilles etc etc)
 
foodpoison said:
Nifty fifty is a 50mm prime lens. Usually, they have an extremely wide aperture.
Canon do 3 types.
1.8, 1.4, and 1.2.
Click to expand...

There's also the f/2.5 with close focussing ability to give it a 1:2 reproduction (semi-macro)

Bob
 
I use mine for landscapes and it works beautifully in low light (y) (though this is a touch of HDR, the one I took with my 18-55mm kit lens came no where near as good)

 
Steep said:
The nifty fifty is generally the cheap as chips ^ f1.8 version and came about because of it's size+price+sharpness but the name has been co-opted to include the more expensive wider apertures too. It's even been stolen by the dastardly Nikonians :)
Click to expand...

I was under this iimpression too.. .that is was originally the Canon 50mm F/1.8 that was the nifty fifty and was then taken to mean other 50mm lenses by other makes also !!!
 
Although it's great for low light, I often find indoors a little bit too cramped for it (maybe a 35mm prime would be a better idea?). Outside though, it's great for the d.o.f control you've got. I use mine mostly for gigs and club nights, still low light but more space to move around and fill the frame properly.

At around £50-£60 it's worth picking one up, it's worth it for the learning experience if nothing else :)
 
Anima Templi said:
On a 35mm film camera the 50mm lens is close to the perspective seen naturally (neither wide nor telephoto) although 42mm is the true equivalent, and was sold with virtually every camera as a kit lens. On digital this is true with full frame sensors only so the lens becomes a mild telephoto for most users, with a very fast aperture to boot.
Click to expand...

The perspective is contsant- its the fov that reduces, not the behaviour of the lens.

Janice said:
I was under this iimpression too.. .that is was originally the Canon 50mm F/1.8 that was the nifty fifty and was then taken to mean other 50mm lenses by other makes also !!!
Click to expand...

:agree: always my thinking also.
 
I also thought it was only the cheap f1.8 versions that counted as the nifty fifty, I've not got one, but the 50mm f1.4 hardly ever leaves my camera!

50mm (and about f8) is closest to what our eyes see too, so looking through a 50mm lens will neither shrink or magnify what you are looking at.
 
I prefer the 35mm f/2.0 on the crop sensor camers, around £180 but works so much better and the only lens I really need.
 
I love mine and have taken pics with very little else since I got it in December. I love the DOF on the thing, makes for some great effects but I rarely find myself shooting above (below?) F/1.8 these days.
 
Steep said:
It's even been stolen by the dastardly Nikonians :)
Click to expand...

Janice said:
I was under this iimpression too.. .that is was originally the Canon 50mm F/1.8 that was the nifty fifty and was then taken to mean other 50mm lenses by other makes also !!!
Click to expand...

Jonnyreb said:
:agree: always my thinking also.
Click to expand...

I'm constantly astounded by the effectiveness of Canons marketing hype bull****, that and the smack on the head you all get with their tunnel vision teleconverter... L glass ofcourse.
You loose 2 stops of individual thinking power with that teleconverter btw
 
vecsri said:
I generally photograph cars and landscapes. I don't really have a need for one then?
Cheers
Click to expand...

You can always find some way to use the nifty fifty, thats partly why its so nifty. Its really versitile.

Here's a couple of shots I took with the aid of the 50 f1.8, although they are panoramics.

golf_dof.jpg


golf_dof%205_800.jpg
 
joxby said:
I'm constantly astounded by the effectiveness of Canons marketing hype bull****, that and the smack on the head you all get with their tunnel vision teleconverter... L glass ofcourse.
You loose 2 stops of individual thinking power with that teleconverter btw
Click to expand...

i assume you mean "lose" and you're not talking about our virtue?

There really is no need to be jealous, joxby, it does tend to make one seem rather small, bitter and twisted
 
Jonnyreb said:
i assume you mean "lose" and you're not talking about our virtue?

There really is no need to be jealous, joxby, it does tend to make one seem rather small, bitter and twisted
Click to expand...

but not stupid..eh
unless you count the extra "o" in which case I'm stupid aswell as jealous, small, bitter and twisted...


......damn...:bang:
 
joxby said:
but not stupid..eh
unless you count the extra "o" in which case I'm stupid aswell as jealous, small, bitter and twisted...


......damn...:bang:
Click to expand...

hey, no-one's perfect!
 
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