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mblanton
17th of January 2005 (Mon), 14:58
Where should I buy and how much should I expect to pay? Would this be a good lens to take to DisneyWorld?

Mike
tim
17th of January 2005 (Mon), 16:09
http://www.bhphotovideo.com are reliable, reputable, and have good prices.

If I could only take one lens anywhere it'd probably be my Tamron 28-75 F2.8. I might also consider the Canon 28-135 IS.
Andy_T
17th of January 2005 (Mon), 16:22
Ditto on the Tamron 28-75/2.8.

However, the 50/1.8 is a very good addition to everybody's photography bag, as it is a very sharp and very fast lens giving you lots of options more, especially for low light shots.

If you buy it new, the MKII version will be around 75$.
Why should you buy a used one?
The answer is build quality. The 50/1.8 MK II has a plastic lens mount (just like the EF-S 18-55 kit lens). There is an older version, the 50/1.8 MK I that has similar (maybe a little worse) optical characteristics, but is more durable because it has a metal lens mount.

On eBay, the used MKI version normally sells in the 100$ region.

Best regards,
Andy
tim
17th of January 2005 (Mon), 16:24
Test I did of the Tamron vs the Canon 50mm can be found here (http://mrwild.co.nz/ExperimentalGallery/Tests/LensTests/index.html).
colblaha
17th of January 2005 (Mon), 16:43
i just bought a used 50/1.8 from keh.com for around $50.
it's in really good shape. you might have to call for it because the website didn't list any used 50mms, but when i called they had some in stock.
boBquincy
17th of January 2005 (Mon), 18:43
If I know anything about photography, it's photographing at Walt Disney World! ;)

I use my 50mm for inside dark rides, where the f 1.8 allows existing light shots and also helps with fast focusing. Otherwise I normally use a medium zoom, like Canon's 24-85. The subjects at a theme park are too varied and can come at you too fast to use a prime lens all the time. Unless it's all you have...then make the best of it, knowing the 50 is a really good lens for a really good price.


boB
www.mindspring.com/~bobquincy
Citizensmith
17th of January 2005 (Mon), 20:30
Personally I think the 50 is pretty dull. There are plenty of primes out there as good or better optically with more interesting focal lengths. I love the 24 f/2.8 and 85 f/1.8. The 85 particularly is in every way superior to the 50 f/1.8. If you are looking for a lens to leave on your camera the 24 (or 28 f/2.8) may be a better choice as the wider angle means you are more likely to catch everything.