New 50 mm 1.8 lens

[NicJ]

I just got a new 50mm 1.8 lens and I really need some tips on using it. I do mostly childrens portraiture. I need help with depth of feel when I have more than one child. I know I can't get too close, but how far should I be to get them all sharp? and how open can i have it? I really like the small depth of field I can get with this lens, mainly I love how much light I can get in with it. Any suggestions would be great thank you.

[Eastree]

If the children are side by side, the same distance from the lens, you may ger great focus at f1.8. But adding any depth, and your only choice to increase your depth of field is changing the aperture.

[inkista]

You have a range of apertures--staying at f/1.8 just because you can isn't exactly making a choice. You can still get great background blur at smaller apertures, and the 50/1.8 is actually at its sharpest on a crop body around f/4. Use your depth of field to fit your subject, don't try to make your subjects fit your depth of field.

Also, you have a DoF preview button. Learn to use it.

[Cam Monroe]

When I first got my 50mm f1.4, I shot wide open for about a week.
Then the "WOW the eye is crystal clear, with everything else blurred" effect wore off.
f3.5-f5 seems to create the best portraits overall.
The only time I open up wider than f3.5 now is when I REALLY need more light, and can't push ISO or shutter speed any further.

[FormElement]

After some learning processes myself, I'm with Cam and inkista on this. A fast prime is fantastic wide open, except most of the time it's not. I'm doing much better work by controlling my background and lighting and starting at f/4 or even higher. I do go wide open on ocasion to get that magic "compressed" look, but I know a little better now when I actually need it. The prime is still the best lens, it's just not productive or necessary to have it wide open all the time.

[Frank_Martinez]

Ok, here is what you need. You need a DOF calculator. Either on your phone, or on your traveling laptop. I shoot at 1.8 whenever I get the chance. The creamy backgrounds make me shutter... YUM! Once you've learned the far and near acceptable sharpness, you'll produce creamy shots. Here are a few beach shots that I've done at 1.8









It's a great lens, and people love the way they look with it.

[Jamie Hibbert]

I must agree with the above comment and I use my wide open lots for a single face! Open her up when you get more than one person in the image. The bokeh is beautiful and imo adds alot to a great subject.

[Erica.P]

Wow! I just got one of these lenses too. Your photographs have made me really excited to do a portrait shoot.

Erica

[k8et]

for inkista (or anyone) - what cameras have DOF preview? I didn't see him mention his camera, and I don't know if mine has one!

Thanks.

[konrad]

I have the same lens and from my experience, shooting children with f/1.8 or even f/2.2 is quite hard as they constantly move. Of course you can end up with nice, crisp and sharp imagine with wide open aperture but these will likely be just a small percent of the overall photo shoot session . Besides, I think this lens provides the best 'sharpness' at around f/4 (as someone else mentioned before).