Canon's 50mm f/1.8 aka "Nifty Fifty"

[cajuncandb]

I really want to pursue getting a great quality open aperture lens and this lens is bragged about all over the internet - the only downside I read about is it getting stuck. So honestly everyone - how worried should I be about this lens getting stuck on the camera? If the Mark I version of this lens is better at double the costs then the question would be where could i find the Mk I for 150 to 200 dollars - cause I am not seeing it anywhere for that price. Cannot wait to hear the responses!

[Woody]

Originally Posted by cajuncandb

I really want to pursue getting a great quality open aperture lens and this lens is bragged about all over the internet - the only downside I read about is it getting stuck. So honestly everyone - how worried should I be about this lens getting stuck on the camera? If the Mark I version of this lens is better at double the costs then the question would be where could i find the Mk I for 150 to 200 dollars - cause I am not seeing it anywhere for that price. Cannot wait to hear the responses!

Geting stuck!!!!

Never heard of that. Mind you I got stuck in a cupboard one day with my fifty prime when the husband came home.








Only kiddin.

Cheers,

John W

[UlpilotSC]

I read a review on amazon that mentioned it. The guy said the lens got stuck on his camera, and wouldn't come off. He had to ship it back to canon repair to get the lens off. One incident doesnt scare me... If every lens got stuck they would recall them

[inkista]

I wouldn't worry about it getting stuck, unless you're the kind of person who regularly jams things and strips threads and doesn't pay attention to their gear. It sounds more like some weird kind of equipment abuse thing, where someone forced the lens on the wrong way (the 50/1.8 II's plastic mount can't take as much abuse as a metal mount, sure). I've had a 50/1.8 II for over five years, and it's never gotten stuck on any of my cameras.

The Mark I prices you're seeing are probably from older postings. Used lenses have been gradually hiking up in prices as more and more people are entering dSLR land, especially student film makers. Looking at KEH, it looks like the going price is $300, and at that point, getting a 20 year old 50/1.8 is less worth it; I'd say just get a EF 50/1.4 USM, if you're that worried about the cheapness of the 50/1.8 II.

But let's face it, the main virtue of the 50/1.8 II is its cheapness. It's not like it's got L optics or anything.

If you seriously want a cheap lens with an all-metal build, and you don't mind giving up autofocus, aperture-control from the camera, and wide-open metering, you could try and grab an old manual focus 50mm lens in M42, Olympus OM, or Nikon F and an adapter ring. Or if you wanted serious optical performance, the Leica-R 'cron 50, or the C/Y Zeiss Planar 50mm f/1.7. But honestly, just ponying up for the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM is probably the best choice.

Except you might not want 50mm as your prime. I actually find 35mm far more useful on a crop. Personal taste. That's why the cheapness of the 50/1.8 II is a good thing--it's likely to be a transitional "training wheels" lens, rather than a permanent purchase. And after you've moved on, it remains a cheap trashable travel lens, and a good toy for poor man's macro methods.

I tend to call the 50/1.8 II the "thrifty fifty" or the "plastic fantastic." I think of the 50/1.4 USM as the Nifty Fifty.

[UlpilotSC]

I have a 35 year old 50mm canon lens. It forces me into all manual mode of course, but it did give me a 50mm f/1.4 for the price of a 35$ fd-eos adapter. I do find it makes me back up a little more than I would like. I'm on a crop sensor body though. The 35mm might work better.
It's fun to play with, but the exposure meter is off (since there is no aperture data), so taking pictures on it is a slower process. It's generally two stops overexposed on the 1.4 end, and closer to accurate or slightly underexposed on the f/16 end. Good for shots where you have time... And it works better than my zoom for weather. Focus is easier - crank it to the stop for infinity.

[~AJ~]

Yep - my 50mm was stuck on my camera.... but it was self inflicted, as I loved the lens too much to take it off LOL!!!!!!!!

I was devastated when I dropped my camera & broke the lens, coz even though it's not even $150, we just didn't have the cash to get a new one straight away. This meant I had to revert back to using my 18-55mm kit lens & I absolutely HATED it! Hubby bought me a new 50mm for mothers day & I'm inspired again to take photos hehe.....

I can't remember if I saw where you were from, but the Digital Camera Warehouse in Australia has the 50mm f/1.8 for just $127

[justin_ing]

you can really only find 50mm mkI's on the used market. I have one and its great. I'm hard pressed to sell the thing. There are a number of reviews only where people suggest its "L" comparable.

There is nothing wrong with the mkII. Its decent and its a good lens, hence the nifty name

[nickbedford]

It's nifty but not great. It's good as a quick and cheap lens but it has many issues with chromatic aberrations, unsightly bokeh and slow, loud focus.

I stopped using it for those reasons. I wish I had a replacement, but I just use my EF-S 17-55mm F/2.8 as it's a pretty high quality lens ($1,100 worth)

[SusanH1970]

It's my favorite lens. No problems with it at all. Here's an example of a portrait done with it:



ETA: Most of my portraits are done with this lens.

[nickbedford]

Originally Posted by SusanH1970

It's my favorite lens. No problems with it at all. Here's an example of a portrait done with it:



ETA: Most of my portraits are done with this lens.

It does produce some great photos, though