No Love For The Fifty -Poll

Kendoway wrote in post #7889698
Well, it's out of the box now - I and shot about 80 pictures this afternoon on a nice walk with the wife. For $100, I'm pleased as punch. About 30 of the photos were slightly OOF, and I had the AF mode set to "One Shot" (center AF point only). Noisy little lens, but so far I like the results.

Here's a couple:

Anyone have any focusing tips?

Great first shots!

Regarding focusing tips:
1. Take your time. AF is a little slow on this lens, but it does work.
2. Try aiming the AF at a good, preferably vertical contrast transition in landscape view, and horizontalcontrast transition in portrait view, like we used to do with film loading cameras. This is a good thing to do with any lens, BTW.

BTW, it is normal to miss focus for a certain percentage of shots. We do much better already these days with AF vs MF in the past.

Kind regards, Wim

Thanks Wim - and I appreciate your advice. With the flower, I simply let the lens focus on whatever it could and took the shot.

With the wife's portrait, I was about 1 meter away, and picked a focus spot about about 1cm below her nose. Would you have made the same choice?

Kendoway wrote in post #7889698
Well, it's out of the box now - I and shot about 80 pictures this afternoon on a nice walk with the wife. For $100, I'm pleased as punch. About 30 of the photos were slightly OOF, and I had the AF mode set to "One Shot" (center AF point only). Noisy little lens, but so far I like the results.
Anyone have any focusing tips?

i think it'd be better to post the ones that are OOF if you want tips/pointers

CountryBoy wrote in post #7885026
It's the Canon 50mm 1.8

I Simonius wrote in post #7887780
Ok I read through the thread and I give up trying to guess WHICH 50

really?...it's in the first post

Kendoway wrote in post #7889777
Thanks Wim - and I appreciate your advice. With the flower, I simply let the lens focus on whatever it could and took the shot.

And that worked very well indeed, from what I can see: the pollen stems are very sharp.

Generally, for portraits we tend to focus on one or both of the eyes, as this is what people's attention attracts first. Judging from the picture, I'd say that that was the end result anyway, as it is about the same focusing distance. I do this all the time too, select a point at the same distance as the part of the frame I want really sharp, especially if I can't find another point with enough of a contrast transition (especially in low light) straight under or close to the AF indicator. IOW, this was fine, too.

While you are experimenting, and since your wife seems happy to cooperate, if I may I'd like to add another suggestion: maybe you could ask her to tilt her head a little down, and a little sideways, and focus on the eye that faces the lens. Try a few different shots with more or less tilting down and sideways, and see what you and your wife like best. On APS-C it is a portrait lens after all, and it is fun to see how such a lens behaves with slightly different poses.

Kind regards, Wim

Again, my gracious thanks for the advice Wim. The portrait was shot at 1.8 (so I think I just got lucky), and reading back through this thread everyone seems to think 2.2 to 2.8 is the sweet spot. I'll try that next time.

I have shot very FEW portraits but would like to do more (one of the reasons I purchased this lens, and frankly I'm just a beginner). Good advice on the eye focusing, and the head tilting. I have so much to learn!

Again, my thanks!

Kendoway wrote in post #7889894
Again, my gracious thanks for the advice Wim. The portrait was shot at 1.8 (so I think I just got lucky), and reading back through this thread everyone seems to think 2.2 to 2.8 is the sweet spot. I'll try that next time.

Well, it is very usable from F/1.8, as you ascertained yourself, and it gets sharp from about F/2 to F/2.2. It excels at F/5.6 and F/8, where it is at its sharpest.

I reckoned that was one of the reasons you got it in the first place, like many of us . It is a great lens for learning the ropes.

You are off to a very good start, judging from your first pictures with this lens!

No thanks required, the pleasure is mine.

Kind regards, Wim

DreDaze wrote in post #7889810
really?...it's in the first post

it is NOW

I Simonius wrote in post #7891934
it is NOW

I added that after about 3 minutes of the first post. So it's been there since day 1.

CountryBoy wrote in post #7892082
I added that after about 3 minutes of the first post. So it's been there since day 1.

yeah, I believe you


(only joking:lol

I don't like the way it hunts in low light but I really don't like it because I'm not a big fan of the focal length.

I'm having quite a time getting used to the focal length as well (and the focus issues), but overall I'm liking the clarity and crispness when I push it to 5.6. I've had the lens for 2 weeks now, and tried some "action" shots when my students gave a demo this morning. This lens does not, in my humble opinion like moving objects. Still I got a few good ones:

^^i think those could've looked sooo much nicer if you had shot closer to wide open...there would've been way more subject isolation with more of a blurred background...it could've prevented us from seeing that guy with his shirt off too..

DreDaze wrote in post #7934732
^^i think those could've looked sooo much nicer if you had shot closer to wide open...there would've been way more subject isolation with more of a blurred background...it could've prevented us from seeing that guy with his shirt off too..

Maybe, but I think this is where it's the best, f/5.6 in good light. Af still not the greatest.

My 50 1.8 from corner to corner at F4 destroys any zoom I have ever used. Love it.