Using a 50mm Canon prime on a Rebel XSI?

[Spartan X]

So I have had my XSI for a few months now. I bought it refurbished with a simple non IS 18mm-70mm lens. I bought a 18-55mm IS lense for pictures taken on the move, and Sigma 70-300 Lens for distance shots. I'm now looking at Primes for inside/portrait shots.

Doing a ebay search came up with NOTHING on Primes for Digtal cameras.....so I was like WTF

Could some one explain this to me? So far I have gathered that you can't use 35 mm film canon slr lens with out a adapter.....primes have better/higher quality glass, and a 50mm prime should rune relatively cheap.
A little help here? Thanks!

[lasrsktr]

So I have had my XSI for a few months now. I bought it refurbished with a simple non IS 18mm-70mm lens. I bought a 18-55mm IS lense for pictures taken on the move, and Sigma 70-300 Lens for distance shots. I'm now looking at Primes for inside/portrait shots.

You can you any Canon Mount SLR glass as long as its not FD mount... basically any modern glass designed for Canon EOS or Rebel cameras will work...

You do not need primes for inside/portrait shots.. But they are fun to use.. but the drawback to primes are the fact that they only way to zoom is to walk around ....

Whats the main objective you want to accomplish with your photography and we can move from there.


You seem to have two great walk around do anything lenses...

If your looking to just upgrade to better quality lenses here is something I would suggest.

I would use a Canon 24-105 F4L IS as a daily walk around lens... Its not super wide on a crop sensor body, but you can make it work by just taking a couple steps back.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...4L_IS_USM.html

If your looking for more of a studio lens/ F2.8 workhorse I would recommend the 24-70 F/2.8L

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ephoto_EF.html

Yes they are pricey, but when it comes to glass you get what you pay for.

The Thing I do not like about primes is the fact you need many to accomplish the vast array of shots one would likely encounter and its gets expensive..

I do own the "Nifty Fifty" which i have fun with. I bought it because it was cheap and truly a fun lens with a very wide 1.8 aperture!

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...0mm_f_1_8.html



Another Lens I would highly recommend if you plan on sticking with the crop sensor bodies (you can use this instead of the 24-70 2.8 lens) is the Canon 17-55 F2.8 IS
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc..._f_2_8_IS.html

pm me if you have any questions.

[Spartan X]

The "Nifty Fifty" is basically what I was looking for.

I do eventually plan to move to a full frame camera such as the 5D once I finish school and can afford it, so I don't want to invest into glass that will only work/or is not optimized for a full frame sensor. I want to use my XSI and learn about photography, and I think the Glass I have now is fine, I just need to get the most out of my settings in the environments I'm shooting in.

So if I find a 50mm EF on ebay, I can use it on my Rebel XSI?

$114 is reasonable, but I can also pick up a used one on ebay for $80, same exact lense it would seam. I got my sigma used($100), and it was a very good experience.

Moving around to frame the picture is just fine with me when using a Prime. The wide F of the 50mm lens is exactly what I was looking for in a new Glass, besides what I already have.

People are also so surprised by the awesome pictures my Rebel can take when used as a simple point and shot camera...so I've been quite pleased, can't wait to learn more!

[Hexis]

Every EF lens works on every EF body. As far as I know there are no exceptions. The EF-S glass (specific to the APS-C cropped sensor) will only work on the bodies with an APS-C sensor (and 20D or newer). If you stick with EF glass, you will be alright on all of the future bodies, regardless of the sensor size. I highly doubt Canon will switch from the EF mount, so you are pretty much future proof on the glass (other than new versions of a lens).

The 50mm f1.8 gets good reviews, and it's damn cheap. I have the 50mm f1.4 and it's easily the highest resolution lens in my studio. Even the L zooms don't hold up to the detail a prime offers. Don't get me wrong, the 70-200mm 2.8L IS is my favorite lens. I love it for almost everything. But when you need f1.4, you need f1.4. Even on the 5D mark 2, where I can shoot ISO 6,400 with good results I still love the 1.4 wide open. I covet the 50mm f1.2 and the 85mm f1.2. mmmmm so fast.

[xero28]

My wife and I have been using the 50 1.8 on an XTI for the last couple of years. It has been a great little lens. I bought for around $80 on Amazon. It really feels like it could fall apart at any time because of the plastic body, but it has kept up just fine and takes some very nice pictures. We recently upgraded to the 5D MkII as my wife's photography business is beginning to take off. With the full frame we are now using the 85 1.8 more and more. Our next lens will probably be the 70-200 L or 28-70 L, still debating on that one. I would suggest you just go with the "Nifty Fifty" since it is so cheap and you can do almost as much with it as with a more expensive lens. You can learn with that and not have to worry too much about it. Then once you begin to upgrade go with a better lens.

[Thordic]

Everyone should own a prime. Learn how to set up your shots the old fashioned way, with your feet.

Not to mention the better image quality, low-light shooting and bokeh you get by using a fast prime.

I have the nifty fifty, I found it a little too long for APS-C digital (effective focal length of 80mm) so I picked up the Sigma 30mm f/1.4. Its faster, and at an effective focal length of 48mm, gives you the "normal" focal length a 50mm provided for 35mm cameras. Its also a lot pricier than the nifty fifty, but you get what you pay for.

I'm pretty much fully committed to APS-C at this point, I've been shooting my 20D for a long time now and still own my 300D even though its just gathering dust as a backup. The XXD line provides everything I need in a body, and is much more affordable than the 1.3 or full frame bodies.

[BobTheCow]

I have the nifty fifty, I found it a little too long for APS-C digital (effective focal length of 80mm) so I picked up the Sigma 30mm f/1.4. Its faster, and at an effective focal length of 48mm, gives you the "normal" focal length a 50mm provided for 35mm cameras. Its also a lot pricier than the nifty fifty, but you get what you pay for.

I've been considering picking up that Sigma as my next lens, after a strobe purchase... damn this expensive hobby.

Are you happy with the image quality? f/1.4 would be incredibly useful for me, especially at that focal length. I've been seeing some mixed reviews, but I tend not to trust random internet pixel peepers. Is it too soft wide open to be usable? How about stopped down a bit?

e for some content: I too own the nifty fifty, and although I tend to forget about it and stick to my Tammy 17-50 2.8, it's quite useful for low light situations with space to move around. The image quality is mind-blowing for a $100 lens. If you're at all interested in continuing in the photography world, just buy it new, and try to forget a $30 difference in prices. Soon enough you'll be looking at $400 light sources and $1500+ lenses and my wallet hates me for getting into photography.

[Thordic]

1.4 means not having to worry about artificial light

I'll take some sample pics when I get home so you can take a look yourself. I find the lens to do a pretty good job. Worth the investment, IMO. Also, if you get a bad copy, Sigma has an excellent reputation for warranty work. I've heard a lot of stories about people taking in a lens that was used and getting beat up but still under warranty and getting a brand new lens back.

And the 50 1.8 image quality is amazing, I love that little plastic piece of crap.

[Hexis]

Should look something like...


An image of my brother from a party last weekend:


Using a 35mm f1.4 lens will be a similar field of view, but a slightly deeper depth of field (smaller sensor) and a bit more perspective exaggeration (shorter focal length, so closer to subject to get same field of view).

[Thordic]

I didn't get around to taking samples last night, but pbase is always good.

http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/30_14_ex_dc_hsm

pbase uses exif info from photos users upload to allow you to browse random pictures taken with a specific lens. Its a great resource. Sometimes you are going to get some terrible pictures taken by terrible photographers but theres usually a lot of quality pics to look at.

[Spartan X]

I bought a 50mm f/1.8 lens today from the Mall, $120. Not really that much more then online, plus I get it NOW

I am blown away at how much more light this little lens soaks up! I am really going to have some fun with this thing! Do they make IS Primes? That's going to be the only downfall to this thing...prtty much has to stay bound to a tripod like any other non IS lens.

[Thordic]

prtty much has to stay bound to a tripod like any other non IS lens.

Say what? Theres no reason to use it with a tripod. If you can't hold a lens still by hand, especially a fast prime, you may have to see a doctor.

I don't own any IS lenses and the only one that gives me fits hand-held is my Sigma 50-500mm, and that beast weighs a ton.

A 50 1.8 in sunlight will be shooting at 1/2000 of a second or higher, if you can't handhold at those shutter speeds, you definitely have issues.

Theres no reason to use a tripod most of the time.

[Hexis]

Traditional best practice is 1/focal-length for handheld exposures. Everyone is a lil different, but it's a good starting point. 1/50th and max aperture of f1.8 gives you a lot of situations where handheld is perfect. Not a whole lot of reason for IS on something as wide as a 50mm.

[Spartan X]

For the purposes that I was looking to employ this lens, yes I will need a tripod. I'm using it in low light situations where I do NOT want to use a flash because the lighting looks un-natural. I want to be able to keep the shutter open to absorb as much natural light as possible. Of course this is done mostly on still objects.

[dark blade]

cameras are fun, i have one


i use a 50d with the standard 18-135 IS 3.5-5.6 kit lens because it covers everything i ever need.

and I see no need for primes, none of my photos ever are printed large enough to be able to see the true quality of a prime. If you are not going to be printing larger than 8x5 or anything slightly larger, you really dont need on IMHO