Anyone have some love for a 1.8 lens?

[rutgers1]

I was just gushing over my 1.8 lens in another thread. I just purchased it a couple of weeks ago and have loved it thus far. I was wondering if any of you have such a lens and, if so, I'd love to hear how it has changed your photography.

I used it to shoot a basketball game the other day in a gym with about 1/4 of its lights burned out. My 70-200 2.8 lens was great for the close-ups, but there wasn't enough light to adequately freeze the action. So, I popped on the 1.8, sat directly under the basket so the lack of zoom wouldn't be as much of a factor, and took some great shots.

 

[handicap18]

The 50mm f/1.8 and 85mm f/1.8 are discussed quite a bit on this board. Canon & Nikon both make great inexpensive versions. The 50mm f/1.8 is a very popular recommendation on this board because of its low light cababilities and the fact that it can be had for around $100 (Canon & Nikon).

The one drawback on the 50mm f/1.8 is the focal length on a crop dSLR sensor. It makes it on the tight side for "general purpose" use. I use my 50mm f/1.8 for portraits. It is extreamly sharp from f/2.8 to f/11. I've also used it on 2 trips to Disney, though on my last trip I didn't use it as much as I purchased the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 shortly before that trip.

Using a prime lens will make you think more about composition and having the fast aperture will allow you to do more with natural light, but will also you make you think and work harder to get your focus spot on. The shallow depth of field can drive you crazy if your not spot on with your focus.