Nifty fifty

[anglefire]

Triangle, you're not winding me up! I am thinking of Canon's nifty - its not that good.

It's not the lens that I don't like a such, but the focal length - it just doesn't do it for me. I've used the 50mm f/1.2 and that didn't impress either. Wider is fine, longer is fine, its just 50mm

[Hinfrance]

Triangle, you're not winding me up! I am thinking of Canon's nifty - its not that good.

It's not the lens that I don't like a such, but the focal length - it just doesn't do it for me. I've used the 50mm f/1.2 and that didn't impress either. Wider is fine, longer is fine, its just 50mm

I know what you mean about the focal length - it's a bit of an in betweeny.

[hevans]

Triangle, you're not winding me up! I am thinking of Canon's nifty - its not that good.

It's not the lens that I don't like a such, but the focal length - it just doesn't do it for me. I've used the 50mm f/1.2 and that didn't impress either. Wider is fine, longer is fine, its just 50mm

I know what you mean about the focal length - it's a bit of an in betweeny.

The whole point of the 50 in days gone past (35 mm film) was that it was pretty much the same angular scale as the human view, i.e. no magnification (as opposed to the angle of view/width that the eye can detect, which is larger) when applied to 135 film. Now with the 1.5 or 1.6 crop factor, this has converted it to a 75mm lens, or a small telephoto - but a good size for portrait work.

So, for the "new" digital era, the 50 should really be a 33 1/3 mm lens. Giving a more wide angle than the current 50. Alternatively, go full frame.

I am a bit surprised how resilient in the community the focal length is for specifying the lens size, whereas what most are interested in is the angular width the lens provides - for this, a 75mm on a full frame would give the same angular width as the 50mm on a 1.5 crop factor sensor, e.g. ~27 degrees. Then again, the focal length is invariant with the sensor size.

H.

[greypoint]

But surely the main reason it's a favourite lens with so many is the fact it's the one universally affordable f1.8 prime. So you can get those shallow DOF or low light photos you want without breaking the bank.

[anglefire]

But surely the main reason it's a favourite lens with so many is the fact it's the one universally affordable f1.8 prime. So you can get those shallow DOF or low light photos you want without breaking the bank.

Undeniably so! Just not my favourite! Its a lens I do turn to if space is tight and light is low, but my first choice is my 85mm f/1.8. Which I go off ebay with a manfrotto 3way head for about £180. Both were basically mint!

[Hinfrance]

I actually like the fact that it is a short telephoto on an APS-C camera. On a full frame it is either too short or too long. I've still got the 35-70 zooms from my film days - at least the Pentax one works with the DSLRs.

And as for affordable - well the Cankon ones might be, but the Pentax ones are really dear, even on fleaBay.

[Malcolm1938]

If you really want a Prime lens for an APS sensor that mimics the 50mm on full frame you could go for the Sigma 30mm f1.4. It's had some cracking write ups and I know some members will already have one...

[hevans]

On Sunday I'd gone out in Zierikzee (NL) with just the 50mm on the camera.

It definitely required a bit of stepping back to frame the shots.

[Simple]

  Zierikzee is a lovely place!
I am from Domburg/Middelburg myself. If you are ever in that area again I recommend Veere for some nice photography locations.
BTW I have the Sigma 30mm and it is a fantastic lens.

[Graham]

 I know it's a bit "Off topic" but since we'er on about the Sigma 30/1.4 does anyone use one on a full frame camera (Jonathan? )
I was wondering how it would be on my D700.
                     Graham.

[Jonathan]

I know it's a bit "Off topic" but since we'er on about the Sigma 30/1.4 does anyone use one on a full frame camera (Jonathan? )
I was wondering how it would be on my D700.
                      Graham.

Does the D700 have a 5:4 mode?  5:4 on a D3 with the 30 gives a really nice result - lovely vignette   I reckon it would vignette a lot in FX mode.  And of course push you down to 5 MP in DX

One from way back - SOOC.

[Graham]

I know it's a bit "Off topic" but since we'er on about the Sigma 30/1.4 does anyone use one on a full frame camera (Jonathan? )
I was wondering how it would be on my D700.
                      Graham.

Does the D700 have a 5:4 mode?  5:4 on a D3 with the 30 gives a really nice result - lovely vignette   I reckon it would vignette a lot in FX mode.  And of course push you down to 5 MP in DX

Does the D700 have a 5:4 mode?...Not sure, I'll have to have a look. I could of course crop off most of the vignetting but that would kind of defeat the purpose.
              I did a google search and the consensus seems to be don't bother!.....Which makes me all the more interested. (Reble that I am.)

                                             Thanks for the thought, and back to "Nifty fifty"   Graham.