Cameras-n- Stuff

The Last Photo from my trusted Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens

Of all the lens choices a photographer has, there is one that is a requirement for every serious photographer. It is a Canon 50mm lens. I have had more than one in my camera bag.

I just broke my second Canon 50mm lens. My research is now complete, and it is official; a 50mm lens does not do well when bounced on concrete from a height of 4 feet.

The story is depressing.

I knew early on that I needed a 50mm as part of my kit, but price was a concern, so I purchased an f/1.8. That lens may be the best value on the planet considering such a wide aperture at only a hundred smackers. Granted, it is constructed of plastic, but it still gives excellent performance. My plan was never to see if it could bounce.In that case, I forgot to close my camera bag, and when I threw it over my shoulder, the lens flew out of its snug compartment and shattered on the concrete balcony walkway. What a sad day.

But my grief was assuaged by the purchase of the Canon 50mm f/1.4 model. The cost was quite a bit more than the first one at about $350. Part of the reason for buying the better model was for the better lens construction. The plastic lens had shattered, so I figured the metal casing of the f/1.4 model would provide better results in case of another accident.

Everything went fine for quite a while. But then, it happened. Another fatal accident.

The second accident was a bit different than the first. I picked up my camera (with 50mm lens attached), and the camera strap caught on something, pulling the camera out of my hand. It hit the concrete of the garage floor. I was horrified. But then I noticed that there were no parts broken, and there were no dents anywhere. I breathed a sigh of relief. But my feeling of relief was short-lived. I tried to take a picture and discovered that the camera would not work. Something happened to the focus mechanism in the lens, and it would not work. It wouldn’t even focus manually. I’m not sure how long this depression will last, but my wife is hoping it will end soon. I am not a nice person when I lose something this dear to me.

While I am not yet over the experience, I feel that perhaps it will help my mental state to tell others about these 50mm Canon lenses.

The Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens is a great lens. Having owned one for a short time has made me a firm believer. Of course, I have not had the pleasure of using the more expensive f/1.2 model, but I can attest to the value of either the f/1.8 or the f/1.4. If you are an amateur or a professional photographer, either one will provide you with excellent performance and great images.

With regard to the f/1.4, its wide aperture makes it an excellent choice for low light pictures. I personally have used it to take pictures at concerts without a flash and got excellent images.

Another advantage of this lens was (its now past tense) when using it as a portrait lens. While it is not the lens of choice for most professional portrait shooters, it delivers the goods. The Bokeh (Bokeh is a blurry background) is very nice.

I discovered another use for a 50mm lens just recently, although I have not had time to try it. A friend was taking pictures with her new Canon 7D at a high school basketball game, and she was using a 50mm lens. She explained that she liked it better than her other lenses (one of which is a Canon 70-200 f/4) for a couple of reasons. First, the extremely wide aperture was perfect in the gym with its challenging lighting setup. Second, she was shooting on the gym floor, and the Canon 70-200mm lens was too long to catch all the action. So now, the f/1.4 is a sports lens. I had not even thought of that. I will try that out… some day.

Whether I will replace the lens is not the question. It is a given. I just have to choose the right time and place to convince my “better half” that this is the right thing to do.

You can see the entire 50mm Canon lens line-up at http://www.canoneoslenses.org/50mm-lens-for-canon/.

This lens just came up on my radar – the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 lens.

Canon 85mm f/1.8

I am the happy owner of a Canon Digital SLR, and Canon lenses will always get my attention. So, what happens when I come across one that attracts my “lens detector?” Well, I feel like I must have it. Unfortunately, I can’t always give in to my desires because the lenses are not cheap. I mean, let’s face it, my family really needs to come first, in spite of my intense desires. After all, I am a family guy, first and foremost.

This chosen hobby, photography, can have its financial limitations, especially if you have high standards for equipment. If I was a professional, I could use my business expense account for these equpiment “needs.” That makes me a kind of “window shopper” most of the time. But every so often, there’s a Canon lens that is so compelling it can’t be overlooked.

For me, one of those “must have” lenses is the Canon 85mm f/1.8. It simply must be in my camera case (or on my Canon camera). It isn’t just a desire, it’s a necessity. Maybe my viewpoint is a bit skewed by visions of wonderful images, but this lens is good enough to “seem” like a necessity.

Here are a few reasons for my passion about owning this lens.

1. Reviews by other owners. This is my main source of reading material. Call me what you will, but the way I feel about reading camera and equipment reviews is like others feel about mystery novels. It’s just what I do. The reviews for the Canon 85mm f/1.8 are like reading about the next best thing since baked bread. You really should do yourself a favor and read these review at Amazon.

2. The Exact Focal Length for a Canon Portrait lens. Perhaps you have read that 135mm is the perfect portrait focal length. Me too. In fact, a Canon 135mm L lens is on my wish list, and it is the lens choice of many pro portrait shooters. However, pros usually use those expensive full-frame cameras. My Canon digital SLR is not full-frame. It has an APS-C sensor. All Canon models in the entry-level and mid-level range have this type of sensor. That simply means that each lens has a crop-factor of 1.6x added to the focal length. If you do the math (multiply 85 times 1.6) you get 136mm. Can you get any closer to 135?

3. Wide aperture at a bargain price. Aperture is arguably the most important feature of a lens (aside from the quality of the glass, of course) because it is the opening width of the lens to let in light. The smaller the number, the wider the opening, and f/1.8 is a really small number in aperture terms. What is the significance of a wide aperture? “Bokeh,” my photographic friend. Bokeh is that pleasing background blur that all professional photographers value so highly when taking head shots. The Canon 85mm f/1.8 has a very wide aperture which is totally capable of professional looking photographs. And at a price that is a fraction of what you have to pay for that Canon 135mm L lens.

That’s my rant about a great portrait lens. Oh yeah, there are a few technical details you may be interested in before you take the plunge and purchase the Canon EF 85mm lens. It’s always a good idea to completely research a lens prior to spending. I personally feel that one of the best things to consider when buying a lens is that they can be used even if you upgrade your digital camera. Manufacturers do not upgrade lenses as often as cameras. The Canon 85mm lens has been around for quite a while, and it still satisfies those who buy it. It will bring a smile to your face, as well.

Make sure you look here: http://www.canoneoslenses.org/canon-85mm-f1-8-usm-portrait-lens/.

Portrait at f/2.8 aperture

Having a DSLR camera allows you to be the right photographer to take those portraits for friends and family. Which Canon Rebel portrait lens is appropriate so you can get the perfect head shots? You may be surprised.

Let’s say you just got your very first DSLR and it’s a Canon Rebel. So now you have become a pro in the eyes of other people. When men and women see that camera, it’s pretty impressive, so they will presume your are one… a pro, that is.

Do you know the standards for a Canon Rebel portrait lens?

Every photographer is a portrait photographer at some point. Your family members will believe that you are a great portrait shooter. Most importantly on their behalf you can expect to get the job done cheap.

That is an undeniable fact. When folks note that enormous dslr camera, they simply suppose that you’re most likely a professional and you’ll snap any kind of photo with brilliance.

And here is a little bit of help, don’t permit them learn that you are a completely new user of that Canon Rebel. Hide behind your camera and allow them think what they want.

Listed below are the two main points to remember to get a good facial shot.

First of all, you will want to be anywhere from around 6 to 20 feet away from the model you are shooting. You might be in danger of getting a distorted photograph if you are closer than half a dozen feet.

Second, make sure you pick as large an aperture as you possibly can, for instance f/2.8 or f/4. A wide aperture can lead to the most desirable depth of field, and therefore the focal plane is restricted to a few inches behind and in front of the main focus area (the face in the case of a head shot). The object of a narrow depth of field is so that the background is out of focus.

Choosing the lens to do this could just mean browsing in your camera carrier or on your Digital Rebel, since you could possibly currently have a great lens.

Your Canon Rebel has a sensor that multiplies the focal length of the lens by a factor of 1.6. To figure the actual focal length of a lens on a Canon Rebel, you need to multiply the lens length by 1.6 to get the effective focal length. Therefore, a 50mm lens would actually act like a lens with a focal length of 80mm.

A portrait typically involves a photograph area roughly 3 to 4 feet high (unless you are shooting kids, then the size of the shot is proportional to the size of the child). Getting a picture by using a 100mm lens would put you roughly 15 feet from your model… perfect.

The very least focal length lens you could use to obtain that identical shot will be a 50mm lens, and that would put you, the photographer, six feet from your model in order to get the best portrait.

A quick note: A Canon EF-S 60mm macro lens will perform the task, too, and it is made specifically for a Rebel.

The perfect Canon Rebel portrait lens could also be a longer focal length. For example, a 70-200mm zoom lens works very well due to how utterly amazing the pictures are. It is in reality what lots of photographers consider the Canon “Flagship” lens. If you own one of the 70-200mm lenses there are a total of five of these lenses now), you will be set.

Nevertheless, a lot of photographers feel that a single focal length lens does the best job and takes the best quality portrait images (a prime lens incorporates a solitary focal length instead of a zoom). There is no disagreement that a wonderful head shot could be taken using a 100mm prime or maybe a 135mm prime lens. They are superb lenses. Nonetheless they are also higher priced than many others.

Assuming budget will play some role affecting your choice, keep in mind that the focal length can be between 50mm and up. It really is your position (distance from your model), the viewpoint of the image, and the quality of the lens that make the picture.

In the event you may be getting numerous portraits, then a high quality lens with the right focal length and a wide aperture might be a good investment. However, in case you are not thinking about producing head shots your main method of photography, you might want to get a lens which will be fitting for whichever sort of images you intend to major in and let it also become a Canon Rebel Portrait lens.

For more about Canon Rebel Portrait lenses, visit  http://www.canoneoslenses.org/canon-portrait-lenses/.