50mm 1.8 or 1.4

I been wondering what lens to get the 50mm 1.4 lens or 1.8, im deciding about going for the 50mm 1.8(as its a 3rd of the price) or the 1.4 as the 1.4 has usm,better bokeh and lets in more light, I was wondering does it in fact make a big difference say for fast outdoor sporting photographs. Really worth spending a extra 200 pounds

I have never shot with the 1.8 but I have the 1.4 and I just love it. Some have said the focus ring on the 1.8 is hard to use. If you plan to use it a lot I would definitely go with the 1.4, IMO.

I had the the 1.8 version, and I never had a problem with it. I switched to the 1.4 USM version and I'm very very very happy. For me, it was worth every penny.

Do a search on this forum and you will find some much discussion on this topic. Believe me, try it and see. This is probably one of the most asked questions 1.4 vs 1.8.

Yeah, we argue about this almost weekly

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https://photography-on-the.net …44&highlight=1.​4+1.8+50mm
https://photography-on-the.net …02&highlight=1.​4+1.8+50mm

I was in your position just a few days ago. After reading the opinions from several members, and reviewing over a 30 pictures. I've decide to save $240, by purchasing the 50mm f/1.8 II lens (today).

Check out some of the basketball pictures in "Sports" under the "Photo Sharing" section. Liza has a lot of darn good basketball pictures out there. Some of her recent ones are "How I celebrated My Birthday" and "HS Basketball Odds & Ends". Crashoran some really good BBall shots, too. See Crashoran's "Lubbock Basketball"...

After reviewing their work, ask yourself "How much better could the 50mm 1.4 lens be?" Especially for an additional $240.00.

I am inspired by the work of Liza, Crashoran, gmen, Croasdail, and several other members (not disrespect those that I didn't mention). Some members suggested to try (or practice with) the 50mm f/1.8 II and later upgrade, if still desired to. And, I listened....

I have several basketball games lined up for the upcoming weeks. UIC Flames, Bulls, Triton Community College, St. Joseph HS, and my 12 year-old son has 4 games this weekend. So, I'm looking forward to putting the 85mm, 50mm, and 200mmL (on it's way) to use.

Have fun with your research, and good luck. Check those pictures out! You'll be impressed.

I never had the 50mm 1.8 myself, but asked two weeks ago if anyone had suggestions. I got the feeling from comments that the extra money was worth getting the 1.4, so I did. The lens is very nice and I am getting used to it. I love my 85mm f1.8, but it's hard to stand that far away from your subject when you are inside. Still experimenting with the 50 1.4, but love every minute of it. I keep my 28-135 IS on my 10D in my holster bag, but when I take portraits, the 50 1.4 and the 85 1.8 come with me. Those two are my true portrait and capture cameras. There's nothing like taking pictures of my two little boys playing soccer. The 50 1.4 is fast.

SuzyView
10D, EOS 3, 550EX and lots of other stuff

I bought the 1.8 two years ago. Great results, but the lack of FTM, the loud motor and the narrow focusing ring make it awkward to use. I switched to the 1.4 and find it much better. However, the 1.8 can't be beaten for value-for-money. You could always buy the 1.8 and easily resell it if you're not happy.

Oh yeah, the old 1.8 or 1.4 saga .. Hmm, I'd have to say to the person buying it.. You have to end up with what you want. B/C people will tell you all different things and you can end up more confused than you were before. I'm sure the local camera store will let you test out the 2 lenses if you are going to purchase one of them from that location ..

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The 50mm f/1.4 is about as good as it gets.

I'm a college student, so I decided fairly easily to get the 1.8. Hopefully by Christmas time I will have it.

I have been trying to make this same decision and after reading as much as I possibly could (just because thats the way I am)....I decided to bite the bullet and go with the 1.4. As the saying goes....do it right the first time. I think I will get alot of use out of this lens.....and I have already done the "cheaper similiar version" with 2 other lenses and ended up upgrading not long after I got each.

tim wrote:
Yeah, we argue about this almost weekly

https://photography-on-the.net …56&highlight=1.​4+1.8+50mm
https://photography-on-the.net …44&highlight=1.​4+1.8+50mm
https://photography-on-the.net …02&highlight=1.​4+1.8+50mm

No, Tim. You argue. The rest of us just step out of your way. :{)#

I have both. The 1.8 came with my EOS film system when Allstate replaced my FD system that was stolen when my house was burglarized in '95. My wife gave me the 1.4 a few years ago for Christmas. The 1.8 is used on the camera that I loan to my kids (they are allowed to borrow the D60, the 50mm 1.8 and the 28-80 zoom. Hands off everything else until they learn what a "stop" means). Family portraits are done using the 50mm 1.4. I haven't put the 1.8 on a camera since I unwrapped the 1.4.

I think you would be hard pressed to tell the difference in photo quality between the two lenses when shot on the same camera at f8, but just hold the 1.8 in one hand and the 1.4 in the other and you can feel the difference in build quality. That does it for me.

Mark

No contest for me as well. If $200 is worth sturdy construction and a faster lens, it's truly worth it.

SuzyView
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