50mm 1.4 VS 50mm 1.8

Senor Hound · May 30, 2008

99csvtoledo said:
so general consensus(sp?) is the 1.8 would be suffient for a amature/enthusiast. the one question i have is that i would be using this to take pics for a band from time to time. would th 1.8 be good in the really low light of the club and will i be able to freeze the musician?

Its possible. If any lens can it will be a 1.8 or 1.4. I know it won't help you much, but a 1.4 will give you about 2/3rds of a step worth of shutter speed above the 1.8. So for example if you were having to shoot at 1/15 with the 1.8, you'll be able to shoot at 1/25th with the 1.4. So if you can borrow a 1.8 or something, you can see if that difference will be worth it to you.

RubyMagic · May 31, 2008

I dont see the 1.4 beating the 1.8 in value.

Just get the 1.8. Its just as good (its a trivial difference, really) and 200 bucks cheaper.

table1349 · May 31, 2008

RubyMagic said:
I dont see the 1.4 beating the 1.8 in value.

Just get the 1.8. Its just as good (its a trivial difference, really) and 200 bucks cheaper.

To me it all came down to frequency of use and Bokeh. Bokeh is nicer from the 1.4. I always have and knew I would continue to use the 50mm quite a bit. The 1.4 is built to last. The 1.8 is a great little lens to have around. If you need a good 50 for those occasional shots, get the 1.8. If is going to be a workhorse get the 1.4. By the time you buy and break 3, 1.8's you have paid for the 1.4.

Black Magic Studio · May 31, 2008

99csvtoledo said:
so general consensus(sp?) is the 1.8 would be suffient for a amature/enthusiast. the one question i have is that i would be using this to take pics for a band from time to time. would th 1.8 be good in the really low light of the club and will i be able to freeze the musician?

I shoot bands fairly often. Nothing will be able to freeze the performers in that kind of light unless you use a flash. My f/1.4 is one of the lenses I using during performances, but I also use f/2.8 zoom lenses. The extra 2/3 of a stop will help, but it won't make or break you.

The best strategy for bands is to just take lots of shots. Some will turn out such that the subject isn't moving much. You'll want to set your exposure manually, especially if the lights change or move. And don't be afraid to under-expose, especially with colored lights which will blow out your detail if you don't rein in the exposure.