Thread: 50mm Prime what do you use it for?

50mm f/1.8 was the good old basic lens with a 35mm. The DX sensor makes them a 75mm equivalent which is even better. That said they really are a specific prime and the f/1.4 is a better buy as the shallower DOF gives you some really nice shoft shots. Both the Nikkor f/1.8 and f/1.4 are way over due an upgrade.

As for price the f/1.8 should be had for under $200.

I have a 20 y.o. 50f/1.4 which nowdays I hardly use. There's a good review on 50mm on dpReview.com.

what did you use it for mainly when you had it though

I use it for portraits.

great portraiture lens as mentioned by dm... and a good all-around lens to learn with as it stops you relying on your zoom range to get closer to subjects, makes you think more about composition...

50mm is said to be very close to what the human eye sees, but once you add in the bonus 1:1.6 factor, this is obviously no longer the case.

did anyone else use the 50 for anything other than portraits?

i thought longer focal lengths were better for portraits

Great for portraits and low light, the canon 50 1.8 is only $120 new .

they work fine for everything, you just need a cooperative subject

a fast, cheap lens is a good thing to have in your bag of tricks, but doesn't have the wow factor of something much much bigger/more expensive...

Originally Posted by dullbird

what did you use it for mainly when you had it though

Hi Lou, I bought one for the same reasons EchiDna has given, they are a great lens to have & learn more with. You have to use your feet with one though to get the pic you want. Search for 50mm on the Flickr site & you'll find heaps of examples of what people get out of theirs. It's a great way to research a lens.
Pete