Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens

[Helen]

Ive got the 28-135 and use it all the time, got it a year ago. my 75 - 300 has been  mostly ditched and the kit lens has never hardly been used. this 50 mm prime lens is for indoor shots mainly where flash is not always acceptable and with a 1.4 more than fast enough to deal with most things ill ask of it. I did look at the 1.8 it felt a bit rattly so am tempted to save up for the 1.4 . Im not after an L lens. ( tho id love one or two) I cant justify the expense.
 however this june I will be 50 and I will have to think of things I want to get for my birthday.. this may be one thing i will ask for.

Ask for a flash as well then    I was going for a 1.4 until I got a flash and learnt how to use it.   While the 1.4 is obviously very good in low light it's not particularly versatile .....

[Philtrum]

There is another factor to consider

yes the F1.4 is a full stop on from the F1.8 which means it will let twice the amount of light in, however it also means it will make the already bonkers shallow depth of field even shallower, a portrait at F14 would have the eyes in focus and nothing else, the nose would be blured on a human let along a dog

to get the right depth of field and the right light, I end up often shooting at F4 or F8 but then with good light or a flash

I have a Canon 430exII flash and a cheap set of ebay radio triggers so I can use it off the camera ... now thats an investment that has changed a lot and allowed me to do SOOO much more

just some more info for thought

oh ... go into a shop, try both, take a picture of an a4 sheet of text at 45 degrees to it so you can see the depth of field, and then think when will I want it so shallow ?


Phil

[*jean*]

There is another factor to consider

yes the F1.4 is a full stop on from the F1.8 which means it will let twice the amount of light in, however it also means it will make the already bonkers shallow depth of field even shallower, a portrait at F14 would have the eyes in focus and nothing else, the nose would be blured on a human let along a dog

to get the right depth of field and the right light, I end up often shooting at F4 or F8 but then with good light or a flash

I have a Canon 430exII flash and a cheap set of ebay radio triggers so I can use it off the camera ... now thats an investment that has changed a lot and allowed me to do SOOO much more

just some more info for thought

oh ... go into a shop, try both, take a picture of an a4 sheet of text at 45 degrees to it so you can see the depth of field, and then think when will I want it so shallow ?


Phil

thanks thats really helpful.
 hamfam Ill have a look on ebay for a mk 1 1.8
 thanks you lot. x
 good idea about the flash helen tho it was really for flash free pics Im after the lens, but Im sure I could be tempted to take a pic or 2 of the pooches with it!

[Helen]

I was very much like that about flash too, but now I've got a little cheap-ish one it's actually not that scary (I think it was my 'I have so much to learn about the camera I can't cope with the flash as well' paranoia).

 At the moment all I'm doing is bouncing the flash off the ceiling so that's the extent of my knowledge so far    The skill is to get the light just there so it looks natural and I have a way to go yet with it.  The flash does help with sharpness in the eyes which is one of my major frustrations so it's a start - I didn't get anything expensive - just the Nissin Digital Di622 (which is a speedlite) - anything more expensive to me was a waste as I needed to learn the basics first, but it swivels which to me is a must for portrait pics....and it's easy just to shove it on the camera with one of my existing lenses too.  I'm going to venture into trying some fill-in flash outside when I have some time so will let you know how I get on.

I like the 1.4 but I think it's a bit of a one trick pony and TBH I'm getting bored with pics obviously taken with the 1.4 and the extreme shallow depth of field (but that's my personal feeling).

(I love how Phil is the techie about this and I'm the girlie wuss with no technical no-how but we still come up with the same answer )

[JaspersMum]

Like Helen, I bought a cheap flash so I can bounce off the ceiling abd results much better than using the built in flash.  Wish I'd paid a bit more for a swivel though as I keep forgetting when I tilt camera for portraits and the flash bouces off something somewhere 

[Philtrum]

your next thing to do is to get a set of flash triggers, less than £20 off ebay, then you can set the flash up to the side and trigger it remotely
whole other side to flash, gives you more control so you can make it look like its from a window etc rather than direct above the lens or bounce from celing

Im not that techie am I ...... err ... well ... yeah ... ok .... puts his propellor hat back on

Phil

[Helen]

your next thing to do is to get a set of flash triggers, less than £20 off ebay, then you can set the flash up to the side and trigger it remotely
whole other side to flash, gives you more control so you can make it look like its from a window etc rather than direct above the lens or bounce from celing

Im not that techie am I ...... err ... well ... yeah ... ok .... puts his propellor hat back on

Phil

 

ok Mr Tech-head - link me to what I should be getting from that well known on-line auction site 

[JaspersMum]

your next thing to do is to get a set of flash triggers, less than £20 off ebay, then you can set the flash up to the side and trigger it remotely
whole other side to flash, gives you more control so you can make it look like its from a window etc rather than direct above the lens or bounce from celing

Im not that techie am I ...... err ... well ... yeah ... ok .... puts his propellor hat back on

Phil

 

ok Mr Tech-head - link me to what I should be getting from that well known on-line auction site 

me too please, did look there and Amazon and wasn't sure what's compatible 

Picked up a cheap black sheet, got a week off next week so feel a bit of studio flash coming on 

[Philtrum]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/wireless-flashgun-trigger-V2-TM-Canon-420EX-580EX-430EX_W0QQitemZ120396607235QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Photography_StudioEquipment_RL?hash=item120396607235&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

for example
there are other sellers ,. and I've not use this one myself, do a search for v2 flash trigger to find more

opens a whole new world .... well worth it

I also got http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Two-mini-Umbrellas-Flash-Bracket-Kit-speedlite-fit_W0QQitemZ390039527066QQihZ026QQcategoryZ3860QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m183QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DCRX%26its%3DI%252BC%252BS%252BIA%26itu%3DUCC%252BUCI%252BSI%252BLM%252BUS-WP%252BLA%26otn%3D12%26ps%3D34 and now I feel like a pro !

£40 ish .... some postage, a black cloth .. another colour cloth ... you got yourself a studio

mr techy head signing off 

[Mollycuddles]

oooOOO!! that's why my pic with the black sheet didn't work I don't have any of these techi things think it's a bit over my head atm... though I will be practising some more with my camera settings and then invest in flashes and bits later on...or maybe... I might stick myself in at the deep end and invest now

Thanks for all this info  it's great to see tips and advice for the future, been a bit scared to join a photo forum till I understand the jargon more

[hamfam]

Personally i don't think you would go far wrong if you splashed out a fiver on one of these to go with your flash - it will bring you far more 'savers' than spending out on a flash with swivel.

On the subject of splashing, i just bought on of these - looks to be up to the job, well made and could be a boon for cold wet days but will take a bit of getting used to methinks

[Philtrum]

or ... make one of these for a couple of quid at most

http://abetterbouncecard.com/

sorry for the hijack jean ..... did you come to a decison as to what you are going to do ?

Phil

[*jean*]

not yet .. theres no hurry you see. I think you guys have given me enough info to go for the 1.8 Id love a mark 1 as its a bit more robust. dont suppose you can find me one on ebay could you? theres one in america but I worry about it getting hurt in transit.
also helens flash sounds ideal. Im not and never will be a brilliant photographer, but its a hobby Im learning slowly. I havent got a tripod yet and I bet my bumbareelie you guys do so what one do you suggest?
 this has been most helpful already those links are interesting as well, will have a good look later at them ( am heading to work in a mo )
tho the look of the blow up one made me laff it reminds me of the insides of those wine boxes we used to drink ( in my misspent yoof!) when every last drop was done we used to blow them up and use them as balloons to chuck at each other, very grown up (not!)