13 from 50: My new lens test.

So, yesterday, me and my partner bought a new EF 50mm f/1.8 II. I've been wanting one of these lenses for a long time. I even recommended this lens to a photographer 3 years ago, who went on to become quite successful and make some great photos using it, and she swears by the lens. It came within my grasp last year but I was a tenner short on the deal so I've waited until now.

My initial thoughts on the construction? Well, as a photographer chummy wrote, "it feels like a toy". It's very plastic, doesn't feel sturdy, and I'm scared I might crush it if I even look at it. It's also horrendously noisy while focusing. Those are the only two negative aspects I have regarding the lens and they both pertain to construction. So onwards to the testing.

Ok. So what's the main difference between this lens and my others? Well, it's my first prime, but both of my other lenses cover the 50m.m However, the widest aperture on my other lenses is 3.5, this is 1.8! So of course I had to test the DoF using this large seashell of some sort we have in my home. Talk about shallow DoF... It looks very pretty though ;)


The lens at wide aperture seems quite capable of making very soft images, which are very appealing to the eyes ;)

I suppose it's important to get used to shooting at low apertures and taking the very shallow DoF into account. This image here was taken at 200s and Sierra was not really moving. This should have been in perfect focus, but the focus was not centered on her eye; the result is a slightly in-focus image and the rest completely blurred :) A learning experience

The following images, however, turned out quite ok. I love the softness and clarity of them. Perfect

I also wanted to test how the lens would be outside. I didn't find much inspiration, but below is a small selection of what I did take. I have to say, shooting with a prime is very different and feels quite restrictive, but I suppose that's the compromise for quality. Additionally, I'm not sure 50mm is really the most ideal street-photography focal length for me. I might continue to use my 18mm for that. None the less, this lens is ideal for close-ups now with my lightbox and absolutely perfect for portraits (humans and kitties alike)

 I did try some self-portaits with it, since I'm lacking a model. I have to say, I'm very impressed with the quality of the images taken with the lens. Really, a tripod is needed for this ;) Trying to get it to focus hand-held is a nightmare, I thought I would wear my AF motor out after the 5th shot.

My face after the AF frustration. Note to self: Don't SP with a 50mm without a tripod or mirror.

Overall: Very satisfied with the lens. It has a few quirks and I need to find a niche for it, but really love it, especially at its low price. Maybe one day in the future, I might upgrade to the 1.4L but that's a long way away from now :)