Did I make a mistake?

[o hey tyler]

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

I paid $350 for my 50/1.4 because the EF 50/1.8 isn't worth it. We're in the same boat.

 

[texkam]

$50 (with packaging), from a fellow photog? Hell yes! $90 from an unknown CL seller? Maybe, maybe not. Relax, big boys and girls know what the risks are.

 

[Buckster]

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 (insert anything here) that doesn't have a warranty second hand.

Sure they would. They do it all the time. People routinely buy and sell anything you can think of second hand without a warranty, in all price ranges. It literally happens all day, every day.

None of those purchases inherently make any of the people doing the buying "fools", to quote you, and only a fool would say they do.

If it were a pro grade lens that would be a bit different IMO.

Actually, I think most would easily be more willing to pay $50 for a $90 item without a warranty, than to pay $5000 for a $9000 item without a warranty, simply because there's a LOT less monetary risk involved in the less expensive purchase.

 

[Buckster]

the EF 50/1.8 isn't worth it.

It isn't worth $90 new or $50 used? LOL!!! You're a true riot!!!

 

[o hey tyler]

Sure they would. They do it all the time. People routinely buy and sell anything you can think of second hand without a warranty, in all price ranges. It literally happens all day, every day.

None of those purchases inherently make any of the people doing the buying "fools", to quote you, and only a fool would say they do.

Actually, I think most would easily be more willing to pay $50 for a $90 item without a warranty, than to pay $5000 for a $9000 item without a warranty, simply because there's a LOT less monetary risk involved in the less expensive purchase.

I guess we have different priorities and experiences. That's life.

 

[jrizal]

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!

Simply put the mentioned 50mm can be viewed as an entry-level prime. It is not rated as a stellar performer as it has only five blades nor it is a durable lens. It is what it is an entry level prime that can meet the needs of most casual users at a price point Canon assumes people will buy. Anything better will cost more a lot more. I won't argue about 1.4 or even 1.2 having better quality Canon or otherwise. if you can stretch your budget to $400 then get the 1.4. Add a thousand bucks more and you can get the 1.2. I've tried my pro cousin's 1.2 and it's simply "Dang it's good!" But truth be told I've also used my friend's 1.8 on a 60D and given my skill level I could be perfectly happy with that. For a hundred bucks i'd still go for it. And if you're not happy a used one can still sell for $90. So there is not much to lose if you still have your doubts.

 

[jrizal]

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.

Go to eBay and you'd be surprised.

 

[jrizal]

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.

Bottom line is that it's not built like a tank. But at the same time, it's not an eggshell either. I know, i dropped one with no apparent mechanical or optical damage. And that doesn't mean that I'd throw it against the wall to really see how sturdy it is. It simply goes that like all things, with proper care and usage it will last a long time.

 

[jrizal]

Okay.. So I have the Canon rebel t3i 600D. I also have the kit lens.EFS 18-55mm and the EFS 55-250 mm. I just purchased the 55mm f/1.8 II.online because it was cheap and I want to take portraits of my family and friends with it. After reading some reviews it seemed like it was a good idea. Today I shot with my 55-250mm and got some pretty stunning shots with it with that blurred background look that I desired. Do you think the lens purchase will still be worth it for portraits?

By adding the 50mm you'd have the so-called trinity lenses most beginners and casual users have - a kit, a (telephoto) zoom, and a prime. These three lenses often satisfy the needs and wants of such users for any situation. And I don't think you are making a mistake. Also i suggest you read more on the basics of photography especially on DoF and bokeh so it may help you more with your shots.

 

[Juga]

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.

I bought mine used... guess I passed the idiot test...

 

[AaronLLockhart]

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.

I bought mine used... guess I passed the idiot test...

I think the implication here isn't about the context of directly that lens. You're not getting a huge discount by skipping out on the warranty. Even if I get $25.00 off by buying used from craigslist. It's worth the additional $25.00 to have the warranty, I think is what Tyler is trying to say.

If you find a huge discount on a pro series lens... most professionals have their equipment insured. So, a warranty isn't always necessary. Meaning it is more logical for a pro to buy high end glass used from craigslist, than it is for a consumer to save $25.00 on a very inexpensive lens, and have to lose out on the warranty.

 

[Stacylouwho]

Okay.. So I have the Canon rebel t3i 600D. I also have the kit lens.EFS 18-55mm and the EFS 55-250 mm. I just purchased the 55mm f/1.8 II.online because it was cheap and I want to take portraits of my family and friends with it. After reading some reviews it seemed like it was a good idea. Today I shot with my 55-250mm and got some pretty stunning shots with it with that blurred background look that I desired. Do you think the lens purchase will still be worth it for portraits?

By adding the 50mm you'd have the so-called trinity lenses most beginners and casual users have - a kit, a (telephoto) zoom, and a prime. These three lenses often satisfy the needs and wants of such users for any situation. And I don't think you are making a mistake. Also i suggest you read more on the basics of photography especially on DoF and bokeh so it may help you more with your shots.

Thanks! I have been reading a lot lately, but it can all get jumbled together sometimes. While I'm teaching myself. Though I am using the resources in the beginner part of the forum. I am bummed I had to send my camera off to be cleaned this week.. So now I won't be able to shoot with the lens till it gets back in about two weeks.. but I will study up and have lots planned for it's arrival!

 

[Derrel]

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."

BARREL SEPARATION is actually a VERY common breakage scenario for the 50/1.8-II, as well as a goodly number of Sigma, Canon, and Nikon zoom lenses. The people at Lensrentals.com for example, have in the past, STOPPED buying various lenses due to persistent manufacturing problems. If you'd like to literally WATCH a 50/1.8 snap into its two main pieces, just watch this YouTube video of a brand new one, on its maiden drop.... [ Barrel separation happens to a good number of cheap lens designs, of all makes.

Threads on FredMirands.com and other sites have proven over the years that, yes, the 50/1.8-II will literally SNAP into the two main pieces. TPF's very own Overread had this happen to a 50/1.8-II, which I think was his sister's lens??? It is part of the design...as I have been told, the lens is pop-riveted together using some kind of plastic rivets...it is NOT held together with screws....same way some of the el-cheapo Nikkor 28-100 and 28-80 film-era kit zooms were held together...simple,low-cost plastic-on-plastic connections inside, which lead to easy assembly and low,low cost of manufacturing.

The internet has MANY examples of the 50/1.8-II snapping into two pieces; the absolute WORST culprit seems to be when the lens is fitted with its plastic lens hood, which adds extra length, AND LEVERAGE, which helps to sna the lens into two pieces when the lens swings and hits such things as a door, door jamb, car door, or hits or is hit by a second camera body. Again...these are from Canon owner's self-reports. One disingenuous canard is the "my _______ has had no problems, so there *is* no problem with ________". Nice try Buckster, but sorry dude, NO SALE....this lens's well-earned reputation as a plastic piece of crap is well,well-earned, and well,well-documented.

It is the absolute crappiest-designed and made 50 I have ever owned. And I've owned models made in the 1960's, 1970's, 1980's,1990's, 2000's, and now the 2010's...it is bottom-of-the-barrel in flare, ghost resistance,design, focusing speed, focus accuracy, reliability, and construction/build. IT iS HOWEVER, amply "sharp"...but then, so is a $10 1965 Hanimex or Pentax or Nikkor...

 

[Buckster]

It is the absolute crappiest-designed and made 50 I have ever owned.

So, just out of curiosity, how long did yours last before it snapped in two?

And just for giggles, can you give the original question a shot: How many per thousand do you think this happens to?

 

[Derrel]

"Just because MINE has no problem means there is NOT a problem." That is what is called a "canard".

I did own a 50mm 1.8 EF-II. It flared really badly when shot toward the sun. It ghosted a big, huge green ghost across most of the frame when shot at glancing angles toward the sun. It focused very poorly indoors, and often would hunt back-and-forth,back-and-forth, back-and-forth very noisily, and would allow lots of great shot opportunities to go by, due to being unable to focus. I tested it against a Nikon 50mm Series E, a 1982 or '83 model I got for $30 from a pawn shop, and the Series E was more flare-resistant, but it too was inferior to other 50's I owned, so I traded that off. I owned my 50/1.8EF-II for about three months one summer, and then in the fall my wife's nephew went to Seattle to study photography, and a requirement was that ALL students have a 50mm lens, so I gave him mine, with the admonition that, "This lens is a piece of chit when shot toward the light, so be aware of that."

As far as failure rates....take a look at Lensrentals.com's January-July, 2012 freqwuent failures. You will see multiple items which tend to break down frequently, out of a pool of typically 60-100 lenses of each model. Please note: just because somebody has a working ___________, does NOT mean that ALL units of that item are therefore good...that is called, "a canard"....a fancy name for a lie...

LensRentals.com - Lensrentals Repair Data: January ? July 2012

Oh, and BTW....Lensrentals.com will NOT rent the Canon 50/1.8....imagine that!!!! Why? Well, one policy Lensrentals.com has adopted is that when an item breaks down frequently, or early, they will NOT rent it....it's not worth the hassle,for anybody concerned. Besides, who would rent a cheap,plastic lens that has earned a reputation for horrible bokeh, bad flare resistance, ghosting, noisy focus, slow focusing, unreliable focusing, a skinny hard-to-reach focusing ring, and overall econo-box build quality????

Individual users who say, "My D800 is great! There is NO PROBLEM!" are about 80 percent of owners...somewhere between 14 and 20 percent of D800's seem to have been delivered with left-side AF problems. I have seen a good number of D800 owners on-line trying to convince others that because they have no problems, that the quality of ALL D800 units is "perfect". MY PERSONAL Canon 50/1.8 EF-II lens was a cheap, flarey, ghost-prone, slow-focusing, noisy-focusing economy 50mm lens with hashy bokeh...it was,simply put, one of the chittiest 50's I have ever owned when shot indoors, or toward the light. What is the point again? Trying to prove that tens of thousands of owners who have had their 50/1.8 EF-II lenses snap into two pieces are somehow lying? Again...one man who has had luck is trying to persuade others that because HE has had no problems, that therefore ALL examples of this specific product are "good". Nice try, but no sale.

AGAIN....watch the video....the lens is pop-riveted together with plastic rivets...