I really don't know what I'm doing with my Canon T2i, but I've heard great things about the Nifty Fifty lens. So for mothers day, my husband bought it for me.
I don't really like it.
I think its mostly because I don't know how to use it, but I don't like how far away I have to stand to get a shot of my LO. I love the low f-stop and the pretty pictures, but lately I have gone back to my kit lens. Any suggestions? Any one else love/hate the 50mm?
14 votes
squash / 13199 posts
I will be following this thread I also have the T2i and I am looking into getting another lens
cantaloupe / 6164 posts
i shoot nikon, but i love the 50. i just love the 35 a little bit more! the trick to primes is being willing to move/twist/contort to get the shot. since you can't zoom you can't just stand in one place. you shouldn't have to stand very far away though. try getting down on her level, open up the aperture to 2.8 or so, and make sure you have autofocus on!
ETA: for most moms a 50mm is really all you'll need. it's incredibly versatile once you get the hang of it. there's really no need to spend more money!
coconut / 8430 posts
I agree, the 50mm on a crop body isn't ideal for indoor pictures. Ideally for indoor, you want a wide and fast lens. I have the 24-70mm f/2.8 and it's great, but it was very expensive and it's very heavy.
I've heard that the 17-55mm is also great, but again, it's a pricey lens.
For a more modest budget, I would check out the 18-135mm lens or try lenses from a 3rd party like Tokina, Tamron or Sigma.
GOLD / pear / 1845 posts
It's all I use for portraits of my girls, it's got great glass (leading to sharper images), and does well in lower light. It's not perfect for every situation, but you can't beat the quality for the price.
But don't ever drop it, I'm on my second one!
cantaloupe / 6164 posts
@sunny: with the cheap zooms you're not going to get the low apertures that a cheap prime will give you. i would say that having the ability to shoot at 1.4 or 1.8 inside would be more valuable than a zoom lens. that camera flash is going to destroy your pictures.
grapefruit / 4703 posts
@sunny: I agree on all fronts. I feel like all the people who loooove the nifty fifty have full frame bodies, and the 35mm would be better for crop sensors (too bad there isn't a nifty 35 for $100!)
@Thehistoryofus: I have the Tamron 17-50 2.8 and I LOOOOVE that one. So versatile, and although it's almost 5x more expensive than the 50, it's half the price of the Canon 17-55 2.8, so still a good deal. It's good if you are comfortable with the kit lens, because it's the same mm (roughly) but in a much better lens and with a much lower F stop.
ETA: personally, I don't run into situations where the light is so low that 2.8 doesn't work but 1.8 would, but maybe that's just luck 
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
Which one is the "Nifty Fifty"? I have the 50mm f/1.8 and I LOVE it. It's great for detail shots or portraits, so I guess it depends on what you want to do. I LOVE the bohka you can get with the 50mm. But if I'm doing any landscape shots or nature shots, I use a different lens.
grapefruit / 4703 posts
Thought I'd add a couple pictures, since this is a photography thread
The first one is of a cupcake I made, taken with the "nifty fifty".
This is my niece, taken with the Tamron I mentioned above.
I don't know if they show any differences between the lenses since the subjects are different, but oh well!
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
Thanks for all the suggestions. Sounds like I just need to spend some more time getting used to using it. I think I just need to rethink how to shot and where to stand
pomegranate / 3503 posts
I have the 50 for my canon t1i and really like it. Now we also have a Nikon but still has a cropped sensor. We're using the 35mm and it's so much easier to take photos with it. I see why the 50 is better with a full body camera now. I have the tamron 17-50 mentioned by Rachel as well, really good all around lens.
persimmon / 1194 posts
Wow I have a canon t3i and have been debating on what lens to get. Looks like it will be the nifty fifty, thanks for asking this question!
hostess / papaya / 10540 posts
I really need to learn how to use my camera better so I'll better know what you all are talking about! 
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22646 posts
i have the nifty fifty for our rebel t3i! LOVE IT. def know what you mean about distancing, but once you get some practice in -- it's a great value lens for quality pics!
blogger / pear / 1964 posts
I have the Canon T2i with a nifty-fity, and I really like it -- sometimes!! If I'm outdoors taking portraits, it's prefect!! It's a lot harder to use to take "unplanned" or candid shots, because I have move around a lot more to capture what I want. It also takes great bokeh.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
@Mrsbells: I think most 18-55 (not the super expensive ones) have a much higher f-stop. The 50mm I have is f/1.8 which allows more light.
blogger / nectarine / 2010 posts
I have a 50 for the Nikon and love it. I use it for portraits when I know I can get M to sit still and for still photos for blogging. I use my 18-135 a lot outside and for kids though. I think the 50 is something you take on and off a lot depending on what you shoot. I love the super low fstop.
blogger / nectarine / 2010 posts
Check out Ken Rockwell's blog for recommendations on all kinds of lenses. Such a great resource!
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
@Mrsbells: Also, you can see that the focus is on my LO and the background is blurry. I like that it hides all my junk!
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