Did I make a mistake?

[KmH]

The bottom line is - bokeh is not adjustable - depth-of-field is.

 

[Stacylouwho]

That's not really a question that anyone can answer for you. That's really something you're going to have to decide for yourself once you get the lens.

that blurry background look you're talking about is known as "bokeh." The amount of bokeh present in your photographs is going to relate mostly on your depth of field. There are several variables that come into play when talking about DoF. I don't know why you would be "unhappy" with the 50mm 1.8. However, maybe the prime lens just won't appease you. I will say, that a 50mm at 1.8 is going to be much simpler to get that bokeh effect from, versus using a zoom lens with a smaller aperture value (higher f-number).

Once said before, no one can really answer this question except for yourself.

Okay.. I'm guessing the 50mm will be a quick go to for those kind of shots I want. Thanks for your reply!

The 50mm 1.8 is known for very poor quality Bokeh... so it may not make you happy! Now the Sigma 50mm 1.4? Makes lovely Bokeh!

Thanks! I just don't have the money at the moment for that one.. Though I would like to get one eventually!

 

[Stacylouwho]

Stacylou, The 50mm 1.8 is still a "faster" lens than either the 18-55 or the 55-200 zoom, meaning it opens wider, and allows in more light. That will allow the 50mm lens to be set, at let's say, f/2.2, not wide-open, but instead stopped down a tad, and that will give you shallow depth of field at portrait distances. Having a sharp subject, like let's say a man and woman posed together, and a seriously out-of-focus background is PROPERLY described as ,"using selective focus". Or , "a shot made with deliberately shallow depth of field," since you set the lens to f/2.2. If you had, instead, set the lens to f/22, the shot would have much,much deeper depth of field.

Bokeh is an Americanized version of the Japanese word boke. The term bokeh was first brought to American attention in the early 1990's in a short series of articles written by Mike Johnston, who currently is editor and owner of The Online Photographer blog site. He has qritten several article describing what the word means; I would say that it has two definitions.

Anyway...will the 50 be dead weight? I dunno...maybe, maybe not.

Okay.. Thank you! Well I will try it out and see how I like it then!

 

[Juga]

Stacylou, The 50mm 1.8 is still a "faster" lens than either the 18-55 or the 55-200 zoom, meaning it opens wider, and allows in more light. That will allow the 50mm lens to be set, at let's say, f/2.2, not wide-open, but instead stopped down a tad, and that will give you shallow depth of field at portrait distances. Having a sharp subject, like let's say a man and woman posed together, and a seriously out-of-focus background is PROPERLY described as ,"using selective focus". Or , "a shot made with deliberately shallow depth of field," since you set the lens to f/2.2. If you had, instead, set the lens to f/22, the shot would have much,much deeper depth of field.

Bokeh is an Americanized version of the Japanese word boke. The term bokeh was first brought to American attention in the early 1990's in a short series of articles written by Mike Johnston, who currently is editor and owner of The Online Photographer blog site. He has qritten several article describing what the word means; I would say that it has two definitions.

Anyway...will the 50 be dead weight? I dunno...maybe, maybe not.

Okay.. Thank you! Well I will try it out and see how I like it then!

I have a EF 50mm/f1.8 II and personally I really like it and will last until I have enough saved up for my EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM. Soooooo if you are looking for a cheap 'hold me over' this is a great purchase.

 

[texkam]

I like my nifty fifty. Plenty of uses. If you don't like yours you can sell it and get nearly all your money back out of it, for they are pretty popular on the used market.

 

[o hey tyler]

I like my nifty fifty. Plenty of uses. If you don't like yours you can sell it and get nearly all your money back out of it, for they are pretty popular on the used market.

If you buy a 50/1.8II used, you're a fool.

 

[Stacylouwho]

Stacylou, The 50mm 1.8 is still a "faster" lens than either the 18-55 or the 55-200 zoom, meaning it opens wider, and allows in more light. That will allow the 50mm lens to be set, at let's say, f/2.2, not wide-open, but instead stopped down a tad, and that will give you shallow depth of field at portrait distances. Having a sharp subject, like let's say a man and woman posed together, and a seriously out-of-focus background is PROPERLY described as ,"using selective focus". Or , "a shot made with deliberately shallow depth of field," since you set the lens to f/2.2. If you had, instead, set the lens to f/22, the shot would have much,much deeper depth of field.

Bokeh is an Americanized version of the Japanese word boke. The term bokeh was first brought to American attention in the early 1990's in a short series of articles written by Mike Johnston, who currently is editor and owner of The Online Photographer blog site. He has qritten several article describing what the word means; I would say that it has two definitions.

Anyway...will the 50 be dead weight? I dunno...maybe, maybe not.

Okay.. Thank you! Well I will try it out and see how I like it then!

I have a EF 50mm/f1.8 II and personally I really like it and will last until I have enough saved up for my EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM. Soooooo if you are looking for a cheap 'hold me over' this is a great purchase.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Buckster]

I like my nifty fifty. Plenty of uses. If you don't like yours you can sell it and get nearly all your money back out of it, for they are pretty popular on the used market.

If you buy a 50/1.8II used, you're a fool.

Unless it works just fine, in which case you're a smart shopper who's saved some money.

 

[Buckster]

OP.. on that 50mm lens... just don't bump it against anything, it is famous for coming apart into two pieces (barrel separation)!

Per thousand nifty fifty lenses, how many do you think that happens to?

I've had mine over 4 years now and in that time, I've tossed it into and carried it in various bags and boxes, bumped it into all kinds of stuff, drug it around through several states, literally from one end of the country in North Carolina to the other end of the country in California, and from Northern Michigan all the way down to Curacao off the coast of South America, and a WHOLE BUNCH of places in between. Not one problem with it. Still works like new; like the day I bought it.

The notion bandied about on the idiotnet, I mean on the internet, that these things fall apart at the slightest provocation appears to be largely bullschitt. Not saying that it hasn't happened, but we don't know the ACTUAL forces or circumstances that were actually in play when it happened. I think it's a lot like when you're looking at the broken lamp on the floor and the toddler says, "I didn't touch it - it just fell off the table all by itself."

 

[texkam]

Bought mine used over 4 years ago for $50 from a trusted seller who had upgraded. I have used the hell out of it. It stays in the bag a bit more these days as I will go to my 85 or 70-200 for portrait and other commercial work, but it has been the best $50 I've spent. Of course YMMV.

 

[cynicaster]

OP.. on that 50mm lens... just don't bump it against anything, it is famous for coming apart into two pieces (barrel separation)!

Per thousand nifty fifty lenses, how many do you think that happens to?

I've had mine over 4 years now and in that time, I've tossed it into and carried it in various bags and boxes, bumped it into all kinds of stuff, drug it around through several states, literally from one end of the country in North Carolina to the other end of the country in California, and from Northern Michigan all the way down to Curacao off the coast of South America, and a WHOLE BUNCH of places in between. Not one problem with it. Still works like new; like the day I bought it.

The notion bandied about on the idiotnet, I mean on the internet, that these things fall apart at the slightest provocation appears to be largely bullschitt. Not saying that it hasn't happened, but we don't know the ACTUAL forces or circumstances that were actually in play when it happened. I think it's a lot like when you're looking at the broken lamp on the floor and the toddler says, "I didn't touch it - it just fell off the table all by itself."

Yeah. In the Internet hobbyist communities for EVERY hobby out there, you'll find little things like this that catch on and become these weird "truisms". The funny part is, the vast majority of the time these truisms are parroted by people who have never actually seen any evidence first hand, their only evidence being people just like themselves saying it on the Internet. Weird how that works.

I have no doubt whatsoever that my fifty will last until I decide I want to upgrade it, at which time it'll become a spare.

 

[o hey tyler]

Unless it works just fine, in which case you're a smart shopper who's saved some money.

A smart shopper wouldn't want to save 10-20 bucks on a $100 lens that doesn't have a warranty second hand. If it were a pro grade lens that would be a bit different IMO.

 

[AaronLLockhart]

A smart shopper wouldn't want to save 10-20 bucks on a $100 lens that doesn't have a warranty second hand. If it were a pro grade lens that would be a bit different IMO.

That lens is only $100.00?!?! Where do I sign up???

 

[o hey tyler]

That lens is only $100.00?!?! Where do I sign up???

B&H or Adorama. ;-)

 

[AaronLLockhart]

B&H or Adorama. ;-)

I paid $300 for my 50mm brand new just because my camera had to have the one with the "G" written on it after the aperture range