Need reccomendations on 50mm

R

randomname

Well-known member
I'm in the market for a 50mm prime but don't want to spend more than $100 on it. I also don't need autofocus, but it is always nice if it happens to have it. The lens I've had my eye on is the FD 1.4, but I've heard that people have problems with the FD to EOS adapters, will that be a problem?
 
you can get the Canon EF 50mm 1.8 for 100$ new. It doesn't look like it but it's a fantastic lens.
 
The 50mm f1.8 from Canon is the only one that will give you autofocus at that price range. You can definitely have some fun and get great deals with vintage glass if you do some research and then head to Ebay. I personally am liking the Pentax SMC 50mm f2 that I recently picked up.
 
Do a search on FD to EOS. Short answer not a good idea as the adapters are expensive and have optical elements inside them. This causes them to have an additional magnification factor and not be able to reach their full aperture without having light bounce around inside the lens and cause problems.

The canon EF 50 1.8 is $99 new or $70 used and is a great option for a lens with auto focus (mainly for stills). For video, the focus ring is not well dampened and the ring is small, this makes it hard to pull focus smoothly etc. Optically it is fantastic and one of the best bargin lenses around. If you want to get a cheap lens with better dampening, take a look at some of the older nikon stuff. You can get cheap adapters and they can sometimes be had for less money. Beware though, the word is out and the prices on these lenses are high on ebay. I would watch craiglist hourly and check pricing on ebay and try to buy on craigslist for less say 60% of your average craigslist price. If you spend a bit more you can get the canon 1.4 which sells around $350, but it doesn't have the issues the 1.8 does with handling. Note that the canon 1.4 still is not quite as smooth handling as some of the older lenses, though it is generally better optically due to modern coatings.
 
saneproductions said:
The canon EF 50 1.8 is $99
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I picked up a Canon EF 1.8 today. With so many positive reviews for sharpness figured it was a no brainer for $98 bucks.
Everybody was correct, it's a great piece of glass.
Never mind the plactic case it's in, just look at the result it produces.
It's also made me rethink what other lenses I need to add.
Zoom lenses are versatile, but slower, bigger to carry around, and expensive.
The look of an image shot with an f 1.8 prime or faster at dusk feels like being there. The 70-200 f4 L non IS looks like a fantastic lens, but the 85mm f 1.8 is many stops faster and I believe it will produce a richer image than the 70-200mm set at 85mm. At half the price leaves some cash to save for a fast 200mm prime next.
Everybody should try this 50mm 1.8 if you don't already have a fast 50mm.
 
I have the 1.4 and the 1.8 Both are fantastic. The 1.4 is built much better as mentioned before and it is heavier. I usually use the 1.4 for hand held and 1.8 for everything else.
 
my friend purchased the canon 50mm 1.8 for a film we have coming up in july. and i mst say it produces really good images. But the focus ring is so thin ...it does take getting used to. However i just won a bid on a Pentax super takumar 50mm f1.4 yesterday. So when it comes i'll tell ya'll how that goes.
 
Richard J. Johnson said:
I have the 1.4 and the 1.8 Both are fantastic. The 1.4 is built much better as mentioned before and it is heavier. I usually use the 1.4 for hand held and 1.8 for everything else.
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After shooting the streets at night for the few hours, the 85mm 1.8 and the 28mm 1.8 have both moved up the list of what I need. It's great to see those deep blue sky tones against warm street lights just turned on at dusk.
 
Best bang for the buck if you want to go retro is the Super Takumar and Super Multi-Coated Takumar in the 50 1.4 or 50 1.8 flavors. The best way to get these cheap is to go on Ebay and bid on a Pentax Spotmatic camera with the lens attached. For some reason, the seller neglects to factor in the value of the "kit" lens and it usually sells for less than the lens alone from more savvy sellers.

Another option while not quite as fast is the Helios 44M or the Helios 44-*(these go from 44-2 all the way up to 8). It's 58mm and an f/2 so it won't win in a low light test but the optics are freaking amazing. Plus they can be had easily for under $50. This lens is really a no brainer to get IMHO.

Getting a fast 50 should be no problem to get as they were the standard kit lens for generations of 35mm cameras and therefore they glut the market today. Have fun!

Chris W
 
Chris Watson said:
Takumar
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I agree with the Takumar option. I used to have a Pentax 6X7 with a 45mm / 105mm / 200mm / 2x Takumar extender. The detail in the shots was amazing. I know they are a little big for a DSLR but, the sweet spot must be very sweet with an apc-s and FF sensor.
There is a 165mm 2.8 that is very cheap for that focal length and speed.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pentax-165mm-2-...=ViewItem&pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item41507743d8

Here is a nice choice for a 300 f4. If anybody is having problems with "The client thinks the 550D doens't look professional", this may do the trick.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pentax-Takumar-...=ViewItem&pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item5ada577d1a
 
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If you want thin depth of field at really bargain prices....try a Kawa Nikon to Eos adapter...$10 on ebay....and a Nikon 50mm 1.4 manual lens on ebay...about $150... Amazing...for the $$!
great glass...great price!

tq
 
I have a Nikon 50mm 1.4 pre-AI, and I love having f1.4. I would feel cheated if I didn't have a lens that fast.

I've used a Canon 50mm f1.2 a little bit and was in heaven with that lens.
 
drameddie said:
Anyone try the Sigma 50mm 1.4 prime lens? Any good?
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The Sigma 50mm 1.4 is a very nice lens and pretty sharp and contrasty wide open. The problem was that both copies I get from B and H brand new front focused (focused slightly in front of the object you focus on). I tested side by side with my canon 50mm 1.8 and the canon didn't have that problem at all. I have heard you can send it in to Sigma to get fixed, but who wants to do that with a brand new lens? Granted i wanted the AF for stills mainly (video would be MF), and if that is not your use you may be ok. I also didn't like the focus action on it. It was gritty and stiff compared to my old leica lenses. Oh ya, it was also really expensive ($500).. the canon 50 1.4 is $350!! Seems like the canon 50 1.4 is a no brainer. I have read that it is not as sharp or contrasty as the sigma wide open and the bokeh is not as smooth, but would you really notice the small difference and would it be worth the tradeoffs? Also sharpness is not as much as an issue when shooting video (though bokeh and contrast are)
 
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