Is a Nikon 50mm f/1.8D lens good?

[Rustysmom]

I think I read on this board that someone recommended a 50mm f/1.8 lens to take shots of attractions where you aren't allowed to use a flash. I had a credit on one of my credit cards and the price just went down a little on Amazon, so I bought one.

So, tell me about this lens. Is it a good lens that I would have a lot of use for? I read that it's good for portraits and I love taking pictures of my kids.

I'm just a beginning photographer and don't know much about different lenses or much about my Nikon D50 for that matter other than the auto mode (sometimes I use the P mode). I'm trying to learn though.

 

[YEKCIM]

Yes, it is a good lens. Its primary attributes are sharpness, speed, and low cost. I used it sparingly, but with good success last week at WDW. It is very good for attractions like Small World and The Great Movie Ride, where lighting levels are low and flash is not permitted. I had pretty good luck photographing stage shows with my 70-300VR, by using the D50's spot metering, as the main characters are often spotlighted.

~YEKCIM

 

[ukcatfan]

The 50mm lenses are generally some of the best deals around. I am not familiar with Nikon, but these lenses are well regarded with all brands. Not only are they good for low light, but they also tend to be sharper in all situations. With this lens, you should venture out into aperture priority mode. Because the aperture is so larger, you can get a very small depth of field. If you leave this up to the camera to decide, you might end up with some disappointing results.

Kevin

 

[Rustysmom]

Well, I don't know too much about aperture, but I thought I read that someone said that the best way to use it on the rides where you can't use flash is to put it in aperture mode and set it to f1.8 and take the picture. Is that a good way to do it? I'm not sure what aperture to set it on to take portraits though. That's the beauty of a digital camera though I guess, because if I don't like how it came out the first time, I can keep taking more and not have to worry about the developing costs.

 

[Gdad]

People rave about it- and I guess for the price it is a great value. I have mixed results / emotions with mine.

 

[tinksdad]

I've got one, and it's very nice. Used a bunch in very low light locations like museums and the like. The f/1.8 is awesome to get those low light shots.

It's a very light lens and for portraits is nice focal length.

Have to admit, now that I have my 17-55mm f/2.8 I haven't used the nifty fifty very much.

 

[ukcatfan]

Well, I don't know too much about aperture, but I thought I read that someone said that the best way to use it on the rides where you can't use flash is to put it in aperture mode and set it to f1.8 and take the picture. Is that a good way to do it? I'm not sure what aperture to set it on to take portraits though. That's the beauty of a digital camera though I guess, because if I don't like how it came out the first time, I can keep taking more and not have to worry about the developing costs.

On a ride, that is probably your best bet because you are trying get every little bit of light you can. On a portrait, f/1.8 might be a little too wide open. At typical portrait distances with a 50mm and that wide aperture, you probably will not get the entire face to be in focus because the depth of field is very small. See if this article helps any for understanding the DOF: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/dof.shtml

Also, with a portrait, you will likely care more about sharpness than a low light ride. Pretty much all lenses are at their sharpest when stopped down 2-3 exposure stops. In case I am talking too technical for you, this is when the opening is made smaller. Here is another article from the same place that explains a little on the exposure: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/understandexposure.shtml

Kevin

 

[handicap18]

Well, I don't know too much about aperture, but I thought I read that someone said that the best way to use it on the rides where you can't use flash is to put it in aperture mode and set it to f1.8 and take the picture. Is that a good way to do it? I'm not sure what aperture to set it on to take portraits though. That's the beauty of a digital camera though I guess, because if I don't like how it came out the first time, I can keep taking more and not have to worry about the developing costs.

I love my 50mm f/1.8 on my D50. I don't use it all the time, but do use it quite a bit. I use it as a portrait lens when I take "portraits" of the kids. I've used it a lot at a few different weddings for more a natural look. Sometimes I'll use it as a candids lens when taking general pics around the house and yard.

I took it to Disney with me last summer and didn't use it as much as I could have. I used it with good succes on IASM and The Great Movie Ride. Many people have used it also for photographing Spectromagic.

For IASM and TGMR I use aperture priority, set ISO to 1600 and aperture to f/1.8. More often than not I got some very good shutter speeds and got very good results.

Keep in mind that when using an aperture as wide as f/1.8 you have to make sure that your focus is RIGHT ON. Depth of field is VERY small.

When I use it for portraits with a flash I generally use ISO 400 and f/5.6 and let the camera choose the shutter. I'll also take non flash portraits and then it will depend on the lighting available. Usually ISO 800 or 1600 and try to use f/2.8 sometimes wider.

Its a very sharp lens especially between f/4 and f/11. For the price and size it is a nice lens to have in the bag.

Here are a few of my favorites taken with this lens:

Little bit of lens flare on this one, but I still like it, came out VERY sharp at f/7.1:

Portrait with a flash (with diffuser), ISO 400 f/5.6 1/160th (IIRC)

Here's one at f/1.8 with no flash

and another one at f/1.8 with no flash

 

[Rustysmom]

Thanks everyone and Kyle, love your pictures! They really did come out sharp and that's what I'm looking for. You gave me lots of good information.