New 50mm Lens for Christmas!
Shayne got me an awesome new lens for Christmas. It’s a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 autofocus lens. I love it! I wanted this lens because the lenses I have for my digital camera are not very fast. The light in my livingroom, where I take most of my pictures of Chloe, is generally pretty dim, so I need that extra stop on my lens to capture good pictures without using a flash.
For those new to f/stops, camera lenses are referred to by their fastest f/stop. An f/stop is a setting of the physical opening in the lens that lets in the light. The more open the lens goes, the “faster” the lens is, meaning you can shoot in lower light. It’s possible to have two totally different 50mm lenses based on how fast they are. The view of the lens, meaning what the lens sees, is the same, but an 50mm f/1.8 lens will “see” in dimmer light than a 50mm f/4 lens (for instance). For the most part, you will want the fastest lens you can afford. For more on camera lenses, click here.
Another awesome thing about my new lens is that I will be able to use all my old lens filters again. The front element of my newer lenses is much bigger than my film camera’s lenses. I have TONS of filters, but they’ve been collecting dust since I started shooting digital. I’m very excited to get to play with my filters again.
This is not a new lens, either, so it was very affordable. Shayne picked it up at KEH.com, a great website for used camera equipment. While the lens came without lens caps, the quality of the images is great. I’m terribly pleased. This is my second lens from KEH, and I’ve had great experiences both times.
Responses and Conversations
Truly a fantastic lens. I think that every photographer should have one of these. For digital cameras, it is the equivalent of a prime on film, which is a handy lens to have.
The fact that it is super quick, very sharp and produces clear, undistorted images makes it a great piece of kit for any photographer. I found that within a few days of using this lens i hardly took it off my camera, and i noticed i learned a great deal about composition through the lack of zoom.
Price is good too!
Comment by Fergus Macdonald on December 27th, 2006 at 9:04 am
I couldn’t agree more, Fergus. It’s a great exercise to choose a lens and stick with it. You learn about distance, composition, and lens properties. The limitations of the field of view forces you to use your brain and choose your subjects more carefully.
Maybe I’ll start a new project of the month and only shoot with my new 50mm lens. Hmmmmm…
Comment by Stephanie Simpson on December 27th, 2006 at 11:26 am
This lens should be the kit lens on every Nikon DSLR. Fantastic and an absolute steal in terms of image quality/price.
Comment by John Koontz on December 27th, 2006 at 2:15 pm
Hi
How are you getting on with your with your new lens and also your Nikon camera. I have a Canon G3 and concidering replacing it with the Nikon D80.
Comment by Bob Wright on December 28th, 2006 at 1:27 pm
I’m doing splendidly with both my Nikon D70s and my new 50mm lens, thank you! I’ve had my camera for almost a year now, but I feel as though I’m just scratching the surface of understanding the nuances of this camera. My hands are just starting to know the dials without looking. If only there was more time in the day!
But if I had it to do over (and if timing had worked out), I would get the Nikon D80. The increased firepower of the fat megapixels gives the camera longevity. In a few years, I’ll probably be upgrading. When you get your new camera, Bob, would you let us know? I would definitely like to hear your thoughts. Does anyone else have a D80?
Comment by Stephanie Simpson on December 28th, 2006 at 6:39 pm
[...] I might stick to my new 50mm lens for the whole month of February. I’m reconnecting with all my filters that finally fit on one of my digital camera lenses! I looooooooove my filters. Anything accessory-ish like that is totally fun for me. I have lens shades, 20 or so filters, flashes, filter step-down rings, all kinds of fun things. I think accessories of all kinds are wonderful – including purses, jewelry and shoes, but camera accessories are so fun to look at. [...]
Comment by i speak film - » 85 Filter on January 31st, 2007 at 5:00 am