Do you have a lens in your kit that delivers results every time? Is it your go-to lens or is it one that you don't use as much as you should?
I have a confession to make: I absolutely love my 50mm f/1.8 lens. It never lets me down and delivers strong results every time I shoot with it. The lens is adorably compact, as lightweight as I could want a lens to be, and is consistently sharp from frame to frame. What more could a person ask for? All things considered, this 50mm lens is one of my absolute favorite pieces of gear, and I understand and agree when people say that everyone should have one in their bag.
Now full disclosure, if all things were equal, I would actually prefer to shoot with my 85mm lens, as I generally prefer the look and feel of that focal length in my work. With that being said, though, I can think of multiple scenarios in which the 85mm isn't an ideal choice for the scene. First, the Sigma 85mm is ludicrously heavy, so if I'm not on a tripod, I can forget about dropping the shutter speed if I want to avoid camera shake. Second, depending on where you're shooting, the space may not allow for that kind of focal length. In these shots, for example, if I had been using my 85mm I would have had to wade much farther out into the water for some of the shots, so far that I wouldn't have been comfortable holding my camera with chest-high water levels and waves around me.
The 50mm f/1.8 is lightweight, which allows me to drop my shutter speed while still remaining steady enough for hand-holding my camera (or at least drop my shutter speed much lower than I could holding my 85mm). It's a focal length with a look that I like for portraits, as it looks great for both full-length and three-quarter shots. The bottom line is this is one of those reliable lenses that delivers magic when you're shooting with it.
Leave a comment about your experience shooting at 50mm. Is it one that you shoot often? Do you use it for multiple types of photography? Not to mention that you can get a great lens for under $250, it's hard to make a case against owning one of these. I know that I have shot mine for landscapes in addition to portraits and have had great success. If I find myself in a scene where I'm questioning my 85mm, I am definitely going straight to my 50mm.
Thanks very much J.R.
My favorite is... whatever tool fits the job.
I don't use a Standard Head Screw Driver to remove a Phillips Head screw.
Select the right tool for the job. I am easy that way.
I like using my Nikkor 600mm f4 for portraits for three reasons.
#1. I like the bokeh.
#2. I am allergic to humans.
#3. I do whatever the hell I want.
Old age has it's benefits.
Okay, the lens I use most often is the one that gives me the results I am looking for. That's right... Control Freak!
Haha, that's the second time in the last couple days I've heard the saying old age has it's privileges :P
On my 5Ds, it's my 24-105L. On my 7D2, it's my Tamron 18-400. It's a workhorse and I was blessed with a great specimen.
Mine was my Sigma 85mm Art... until I let it down. Down being that I stupidly left the zipper open in the department on my camera bag after a photoshoot and it did a 4 1/2 ft face plant onto tile. I can still hear it hitting the floor in my head (happened last week). I love that lens so much though I will eventually get it fixed in the future. That lens was my go to for almost everything. Even with it being as heavy as it is, that didnt stop me from keeping it attached to my a7Riii a majority of the time.
Dang man, that makes me super sad to hear! I can only imagine how much that must've sucked :(
I was livid at first but you know what, it's something that can be replaced (at a steep price). Live and learn man, sometimes the hard way. I can guarantee you though, that will never happen again.
I'm fairly new to photography, but a recent pleasant discovery has been the wonderful results I get with an old Nikon "nifty-fifty" f/1.8 E series lens that was given to me. I use it on both my Nikon D3400 and an old N2000 film camera. Everything I shoot just "looks better", especially compared to the kit lenses that came with my DSLR - proof that having good glass makes a big difference!
Beautiful image, Clifford! And yeah, that Series E 50/1.8 is a brilliant lens. So small and light, and it has a distinctive character I just don't see in today's lenses.
For me it's almost a toss-up between my EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM lens and my EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS USM II. My 85 seems to be almost always glued to my 5D Mark III these days for portraiture in studio and outdoors so... I'm going to go with that.
Would you tell me camera model please???
I have the Nikon 50mm tattooed onto my right arm.
Brilliant! I hope no offense would be taken if I were to get this inked on to my arm as well??
Of course not, but be prepared for the endless parade of people asking you if it's a "Star Wars" thing. You can find the glass layout online in a lot of places, the refraction lines (red lines) and the direction arrow I added myself.
ha! that's rad, one of those "wish i had thought of it" ideas, but an ode to my 85 would be cool. if somebody puts it on a t-shirt, i'll buy it, as well... #awesomestuff
On my D3400 I almost religiously use my 35mm f/1.8 (52mm FX Equivalent) but once I fgot my hands on a D800 I am always using my 50mm f/1.8. Their both light weight lenses that produce sharp images with great bokeh.
My Sigma 50 1.4 Art is glued to my camera... Some of my best portraits were taken with it... But I picked up a 24-35 2.0 and I really like it at 35mm... Almost makes me want to buy a 35 1.4, but first I'll get the "bloody heavy" 85 1.4...
I was hoping that the new Sigma 70-200 would be 2.0 instead of 2.8... A full stop faster would be incredible based on the bokeh at 2.8...
70-200 2.8 IS II, always does the trick.