Lens suggestions!

[DoDaLeCa]

On some DL rides the car track was right up to the exhibit or item of interest.

I shot these dark exhibit scenes at 24 mm f/1.4 on full frame which would require 15 mm on a crop camera for the same field of view.

 

[Animagic!]

Honestly, I can count the shots I have taken with that lens on one hand. 3. Which is probably why reading up on all this "50mm being too tight" is making me a bit paranoid I guess as I have pretty much zero experience with it on any ride. I'll break it out Saturday though and see how it'll do.

Don't give up on it yet. It's generally tight inside dark rides but that doesn't mean you can't use it! I spent three days in the parks with only a 50mm f/1.8 and got plenty of nice pics. My only real suggestions is open it up all the way to f/1.8 on dark rides and stop it down when outdoors. My nifty fifty is very sharp when you stop it down. And since it is fixed focus, remember to zoom with your feet! Expect some "unnecessary zoom" (as Wayne and Garth would say it in Wayne's World) on dark rides, but this isn't always a bad thing because you get some nice details.

Here's some pics from the last time I took the nifty fifty to Disneyland just to give you an idea of the how the nifty fifty works out in the real world. All of these photos are unaltered, uncropped, straight-off-the-camera JPEGs. No editing of any kind. So the composition may not be perfect but the nifty fifty has lots of potential!


Tiki by tomserwin, on Flickr


The Redhead by tomserwin, on Flickr


Main Street Transportation by tomserwin, on Flickr


Sully by tomserwin, on Flickr

 

[traylorc]

Wrong! The skills of the photographer is *THE* most important element.

"Sharpness" is more about technique than equipment.

A good photographer can get sharp photo using modest equipment because they know he strength and weakness of the equipment and use the strength to get the sharpest possible photo.


-Paul

I agree with you Paul, but I'm not quite sure why you felt the need to establish a fellow forum member is "wrong" in order to make your point.

 

[toomanycars]

Wrong! The skills of the photographer is *THE* most important element.

"Sharpness" is more about technique than equipment.

A good photographer can get sharp photo using modest equipment because they know he strength and weakness of the equipment and use the strength to get the sharpest possible photo.


-Paul

Paul her complete question was "I've always been told that it's more about the lens than the camera body, so I'm hoping I can upgrade my lens and hold on to the 30d body I have. "

And I still agree that the lens is the most important part over camera body a simple canon rebel with a nice lens can provide a wonderful image.

Actually if the lens meant truly nothing, we would all still be shooting triplets designs from the 1930's, now made with the finest of optical plastic.

 

[PoohLover78]

Don't give up on it yet. It's generally tight inside dark rides but that doesn't mean you can't use it! I spent three days in the parks with only a 50mm f/1.8 and got plenty of nice pics. My only real suggestions is open it up all the way to f/1.8 on dark rides and stop it down when outdoors. My nifty fifty is very sharp when you stop it down. And since it is fixed focus, remember to zoom with your feet! Expect some "unnecessary zoom" (as Wayne and Garth would say it in Wayne's World) on dark rides, but this isn't always a bad thing because you get some nice details.

Here's some pics from the last time I took the nifty fifty to Disneyland just to give you an idea of the how the nifty fifty works out in the real world. All of these photos are unaltered, uncropped, straight-off-the-camera JPEGs. No editing of any kind. So the composition may not be perfect but the nifty fifty has lots of potential!

Tom, thanks for the encouraging shots! My worry really was that I'm shooting on a crop body and most of the examples with the lens I saw were done full frame. I see you shot those with the Nex5? At least that's what the mobile Flickr site tells me (am currently on my way to the airport). If that's true, the crop factor is similar to my Canon. I'm not so worried anymore now

 

[bob100]

Tom, thanks for the encouraging shots! My worry really was that I'm shooting on a crop body and most of the examples with the lens I saw were done full frame. I see you shot those with the Nex5? At least that's what the mobile Flickr site tells me (am currently on my way to the airport). If that's true, the crop factor is similar to my Canon. I'm not so worried anymore now

don't be worried. it's true you might find the 50mm 1.8 a little "tight' indoors but it's still a decent inexpensive large aperture lens on a crop model.

random 50mm pic -

Canon Rebel XSi /450D with 50mm "nifty fifty"

 

[Animagic!]

Tom, thanks for the encouraging shots! My worry really was that I'm shooting on a crop body and most of the examples with the lens I saw were done full frame. I see you shot those with the Nex5? At least that's what the mobile Flickr site tells me (am currently on my way to the airport). If that's true, the crop factor is similar to my Canon. I'm not so worried anymore now

Yup, my old, beat-up Sony NEX5. Not one of the newer ones, this is the plain ol' 1st generation NEX. Actually it's not really that old or beat up. I love that dumb camera. But as a point of reference it is a 14MP crop sensor. So same size crop sensor (although I'm not sure how many MP your camera has) but they should be similar enough. Now a days 14MP isn't very much but that didn't stop me from getting nice shots with the 50mm f/1.8. Have fun on your trip! I hope you get some great shots!!

 

[PoohLover78]

I just wanna say that I just did my first shoot with the 50/f1.8 in Buzz Lightyear. I'm loving it already! It's true that it is a tight fit but I think I got some awesome shots out of it! I'll know for sure when I get back to the hotel tonight. Thanks I everyone who encouraged me to take this one! I'm not regretting it at all!

 

[photo_chick]

You're all making me think I should have gotten another lens for dark rides beside the 50mm/f1.8 I already own.... now make me really paranoid the day before I leave for the world

I have used the 50mm f/1.8 on a crop body on dark rides quite successfully. There are times wider would have been nicer. But there are times longer would have been nicer as well.