Photography noob

[Jay_W]

Right basically I have the standard 50mm f/5.6 Canon lens that came with my 550D however I want something else to play about with and just generally mess about with. Therefore I was looking at lens and and prices, I dont want to spend much though as Im still a student.

So I'm wondering whats the difference between a 50mm f/5.6 and a 50mm f/1.6 and the results I'll get.

 

[Wick]

50mm prime 1.8.

Best 90 quid you can spend when learning.

/thread

Oh and in answer to your question, if you do a little reading on depth of field... It'll give you enough to go on

 

[Rob74]

^^^^What he said^^^^

 

[Jay_W]

50mm prime 1.8.

Best 90 quid you can spend when learning.

/thread

Oh and in answer to your question, if you do a little reading on depth of field... It'll give you enough to go on

Okay thanks! Keep my f/5.6? or will it be pointless to keep with 1.8?

 

[dunganick]

If you mean the Kit lens, then you wont sell it for much. Keep it. The 50mm on the crop sensor the 550d has is quite a weird focal length - so a shorter zoom will be handy.

 

[Wick]

If you mean the Kit lens, then you wont sell it for much. Keep it. The 50mm on the crop sensor the 550d has is quite a weird focal length - so a shorter zoom will be handy.

This too.

Given the choice I'd say that 35mm on a crop body is a better focal length, but then you find the price creeping up. The 50mm will take some nice shots, you may just find indoor you end up backed into corners to make the most of the available space lol!

 

[Jay_W]

This too.

Given the choice I'd say that 35mm on a crop body is a better focal length, but then you find the price creeping up. The 50mm will take some nice shots, you may just find indoor you end up backed into corners to make the most of the available space lol!

Alright cheers guys!

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Sounds like a proper strange kit lens? Got a pic of it?!

 

[Brazo]

Sounds like a proper strange kit lens? Got a pic of it?!

I suspect he means an 18-55 kit lens which will be 5.6 at the long end.

 

[Jay_W]

I suspect he means an 18-55 kit lens which will be 5.6 at the long end.

Yeah i do ahaha

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Makes sense now I did wonder...

The ~£80 Canon 50mm f/1.8 can give you results like:

Lights at F1.8 by evil_giraffes_rule, on Flickr

Mr & Mrs Williams by evil_giraffes_rule, on Flickr

Diesel playing hide & seek by evil_giraffes_rule, on Flickr


Many other things to do with it, obviously... It's a very quick lens, so good in low light and a real shallow DoF when needed.

It can be brilliant but (as mentioned above) unbelievably frustrating on a crop-sensor as it's equiv. to 80mm.

What sort of things do you want to shoot ?

 

[The Russian.]

Watching these on eBay, most are from china Hong Kong, these be any good?

 

[Jay_W]

Makes sense now I did wonder...

The ~£80 Canon 50mm f/1.8 can give you results like:


Lights at F1.8 by evil_giraffes_rule, on Flickr


Mr & Mrs Williams by evil_giraffes_rule, on Flickr


Diesel playing hide & seek by evil_giraffes_rule, on Flickr


Many other things to do with it, obviously... It's a very quick lens, so good in low light and a real shallow DoF when needed.

It can be brilliant but (as mentioned above) unbelievably frustrating on a crop-sensor as it's equiv. to 80mm.

What sort of things do you want to shoot ?

I like them pictures a lot. Well I'm not sure really, just play around with it however I do like getting a nice shallow DoF.

What do you mean by "Crop-sensor"?

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Everything generally under about £2k in the DSLR world uses a smaller sensor.

Full frame cameras like the 5D use an equivalent sensor to a 35mm film camera.

 

[Wick]

I have a 450D which has a 1.6 crop sensor, I'd image the 550 is the same.

Basically if a full frame camera is 1x and yours is 1.6x then the equivalent focal length on a crop camera becomes 1.6x as big (if that makes sense).

A 50mm lens is and will always be a 50mm lens, however the size of the sensor on the body dictates what image that lens produces.

 

[Hixle]

On a crop sensor I'd recommend a 35mm 1.8 over a 50mm. I have both and prefer the focal length of the 35.