I did something dumb

Kawi_T · Feb 10, 2008

Just received my 50mm 1.8 from B&H. So naturally I'm excited to play with it and take some pics. Played with it a few minutes, nothing great, just some quick snaps. (ha ha ha, as if I've ever taken a great pic). So I'm in Chicago and I'm going to the motorcycle show at the Stevens (Stephens?) Convention center. So I decide this will be a great place for me to test out the 50 (WRONG!). I figure the place will be filled with all kinds of background mess, so if I shoot at 1.8 it will help blur the crap in the background. So I pop the 50 on my D80 and off I go. I don't even bother to bring another lens. So I get there, pull out the camera and start looking around. My mistake was instantly obvious. This thing was not nearly wide enough to take pictures in a situation like this. Standing at a comfortable distance I couldn't fit the complete motorcycle in the frame. So I'm stepping back. And stepping back. And squatting down. Step back some more. People in front of me. Of course people are in front of me, I'm standing 15 feet from the bike. At this point I'm wishing I had my 18-55. So I never considered that the 50 wouldn't be wide enough (I am a noob afterall). There was tons of cool stuff to take pics of and I basically blew it. Oh well, lesson learned. 1. I should probably learn when a lens is a good option and when a lens is a bad option. 2. Bringing just one lens? Duh. What sense does that make? Well, its 1 a.m. and I don't feel like downloading my crappy pics. I'll take a look tomorrow and see if any of them are any good. :grumpy:

Meysha · Feb 10, 2008

Don't worry about it.
It takes a while to learn what lens to use... and then a while longer to go out of the house with only one! hehehe.

Socrates · Feb 10, 2008

Kawi_T said:
Just received my 50mm 1.8 from B&H. So naturally I'm excited to play with it and take some pics. Played with it a few minutes, nothing great, just some quick snaps. (ha ha ha, as if I've ever taken a great pic). So I'm in Chicago and I'm going to the motorcycle show at the Stevens (Stephens?) Convention center. So I decide this will be a great place for me to test out the 50 (WRONG!). I figure the place will be filled with all kinds of background mess, so if I shoot at 1.8 it will help blur the crap in the background. So I pop the 50 on my D80 and off I go. I don't even bother to bring another lens. So I get there, pull out the camera and start looking around. My mistake was instantly obvious. This thing was not nearly wide enough to take pictures in a situation like this. Standing at a comfortable distance I couldn't fit the complete motorcycle in the frame. So I'm stepping back. And stepping back. And squatting down. Step back some more. People in front of me. Of course people are in front of me, I'm standing 15 feet from the bike. At this point I'm wishing I had my 18-55. So I never considered that the 50 wouldn't be wide enough (I am a noob afterall). There was tons of cool stuff to take pics of and I basically blew it. Oh well, lesson learned. 1. I should probably learn when a lens is a good option and when a lens is a bad option. 2. Bringing just one lens? Duh. What sense does that make? Well, its 1 a.m. and I don't feel like downloading my crappy pics. I'll take a look tomorrow and see if any of them are any good.

Instead of being concerned about what you could NOT do, you should have investigated what you COULD do. Perhaps a really great shot of a motorcycle wheel or handlebars or whatever? After all, I've heard that there "was tons of cool stuff to take pics of."

Happy Hour · Feb 10, 2008

I have just about given up on shows here in Chicago. There are way too many ignorant people that don't care if your trying to take a picture! I was at that show and I had a bag of lenses. Out of 300+ pics about 15 didn't have some ignorant @ss walking right in front of me. So don't feel so bad I had a ton of lenses and they were as useless as your 1.

DSLR noob · Feb 10, 2008

Same thing happened to me, I sold my Rebel XT with its 18-55 kit lens to help pay for a 20D, the only lens I had at the point was a 50mm ,I am in my highschool yearbook, the next day, I had to take a picture of the school newspaper team, well I had to take them outside and stop their newspaper work to ger the group of like 20 people in the frame because the classroom (about 25 by 25 feet) wasn't large enough. I had that 50mm as my only lens for 3 months until I found a great deal on an old 28-70 which is now getting repaired because it stopped focusing (auto or manual) So I currently only have the 50mm again. Although after shooting with it as my only lens for so long, I've adapted to it.

Kawi_T · Feb 10, 2008

Socrates said:
Instead of being concerned about what you could NOT do, you should have investigated what you COULD do. Perhaps a really great shot of a motorcycle wheel or handlebars or whatever? After all, I've heard that there "was tons of cool stuff to take pics of."

"tons of cool stuff to take pics of" correct. you are correct on all parts. the learning continues ..... please continue to put up with me, i'm having fun.

Iron Flatline · Feb 11, 2008

It's actually a great way to learn. Limit yourself through equipment. If you go out shooting, only bring one lens. Less to carry, too ;-)

Sandspur · Feb 11, 2008

I agree with Iron Flatline - going out with only one lens is a good way to learn.

But on your D80 that 50mm lens is actually a 75mm lens. I can see your problem - especially in tight quarters.

Oh well, lesson learned. Now go out there and shoot some really sharp images with the great lens. It's gonna be a dynamite portrait lens!