I just pulled the trigger on the nifty 50!

[JulianL]

Yes, I finally decided to get a decent fast indoor lens. I bought the Canon 50mm f/1.4 and a haze filter from B&H Photo.

I'm looking forward to taking delivery of this lens next week! :D

[billh101]

I just did the exact same thing this week, got it yesterday. I have a bad feeling this is going to make me want other, shorter focal length primes... :-)

[blue_max]

Yes, I finally decided to get a decent fast indoor lens. I bought the Canon 50mm f/1.4 and a haze filter from B&H Photo.

I'm looking forward to taking delivery of this lens next week! :D


You will not be disappointed.

Graham

[Curtis N]

I thought the "nifty fifty" was the 50mm f/1.8?

Close in speed and about 1/4 the price.

[bolantej]

yeah it's more commonly known as that. they're both very good. still thinking of getting the 1.4 for the better build quality.

[buze]

That 50 f1.4 is a killer lens. You can get away with shots in next to no light. Takes some time to control the DoF and you have to hold your breath while shooting, but you can get stunning results!
Of my current lens collection, this is the favourite!
Tip of the day : don't even think about recomposing :D

[nation]

f1.8 or f1.4?? anyone use both who can comment?

at quarter of the price and the excellent reviews it's hard to look past the f1.8, however the at times iffy bokeh and sharpness at wide open is something i can do without. has anyone found these to be major problems or have i jut blown reviews out of proportion? obviously not 4 times the quality has anyone found the extra cost of the f1.4 justified?

[condyk]

Try the 1.8 and if you don't like it then you will lose minimal on resale. 7dayshop were cheapest a few months back when I last looked. The 1.4 I really like from good sample shots I've seen, and I have been tempted by it and the 85mm too at times, but it is subjective whether it's worth the extra unless you are very keen on that focal length, portraits, for example. I'm not, so the 50mm II 1.8 was fine.

[Carzee]

The ONLY lens I have had since I got my EOS 12 weeks ago is a 50 NF f1.8
I think the 20D should be sold with it -not those kiddy-kit zooms.

( Did my one lens situation get me any sympathy? Well it gets changed in the next 48 hrs - the 135L should arrive and the 100 f2 should arrive next week... )

[billh101]

I seriously thought about trying out the 1.8 first, but in the end, I just wanted to get the one that I knew I would be happy with and be done with it. 1.8 to 1.4 isn't a big deal, but the build quality, full time manual focusing with USM and the nice big focus ring are to me. Like most lenses, stopping it down a little sharpens it up nicely, but when you start out at 1.4, who can complain. Here's a sample of my 50 wide open at f/1.4...
http://www.pbase.com/billhuegerich/image/46051073
-Bill

[Andy_T]

f1.8 or f1.4?? anyone use both who can comment?

I will post a comparison once mine has arrived (just ordered it :D )
In the meantime, take a look at this photo.net comparison: Canon EF 50mm – F1.4 vs F1.8 MK II (http://www.photo.net/equipment/canon/ef50/)

at quarter of the price and the excellent reviews it's hard to look past the f1.8, however the at times iffy bokeh and sharpness at wide open is something i can do without. has anyone found these to be major problems or have i jut blown reviews out of proportion? obviously not 4 times the quality has anyone found the extra cost of the f1.4 justified?

As much as I like the sharpness (and also build) of my 50/1.8 MKI, its very peculiar bokeh (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=69785)makes me grab my Tamron 28-75/2.8 instead every time I want to take a portrait and the background is not optimal. And portraits are the prime application I had in mind when I got the lens.

So for me it was worth it ... although I thought otherwise initially when I searched for a 50/1.8 MKI to have a sharp lens with decent build that does not break the bank that much.

Best regards,
Andy

[booggerg]

I guess the 50mm f/1.8 MK I is in high demand? I recon I can get a few bucks for it? What with its distance meter and metal construction and whatnot.

[Andy_T]

The going price for a used 50/1.8 MKI in very good condition on eBay seems to be in the 100-120$ range, maybe up to 150$ if you're lucky.
That's also what I paid for mine ($ 110).

Best regards,
Andy

[JulianL]

I seriously thought about trying out the 1.8 first, but in the end, I just wanted to get the one that I knew I would be happy with and be done with it. 1.8 to 1.4 isn't a big deal, but the build quality, full time manual focusing with USM and the nice big focus ring are to me. Like most lenses, stopping it down a little sharpens it up nicely, but when you start out at 1.4, who can complain. Here's a sample of my 50 wide open at f/1.4...
http://www.pbase.com/billhuegerich/image/46051073
-Bill

That was pretty much my reasoning.

BTW-Cute picture! I am looking forward to taking some pictures of my son with this lens. I expect it will be on my camera almost constantly for the next few weeks.

I thought the "nifty fifty" was the 50mm f/1.8?

I stand corrected.

[nation]

All food for thought.

At this stage my primary purpose for a 50mm is as a learner lense - you know what they say about using a prime to learn with. So I think the cheaper f1.8 will suit me as a temporary lens for now. And as my proficiency increases I may work out how to exploit the 50mm focal length in which case an upgrade to f1.4 would be worthwhile.

[Andy_T]

Good line of thought.

You should not lose much money, the lens is very marketable via eBay.
The slightly more expensive MKI version will also satisfy your aesthetic requirements, if you have any :wink:

Best regards,
Andy