As a photography hobbyist I have started collecting lenses though it is a bit hard to do when you are unable to afford the lenses you want (such as a 70-200mm f2.8 IS). After attending the PhotoCamp a little while ago it was recommended to pick up a 50mm lens. I have also had other people suggest and recommend I pick up a 50mm lens for my Canon EOS 450D. Though with more camera gear the next thing I will have to look at is picking up some sort of camera backpack (such as a Kata 3in1).

Canon 50mm f1.8 Lens

There is not a whole lot of features to the 50mm f1.8 lens as it is a fixed focal length lens. This means that it stays at 50mm but does have an aperture that can go as high as 1.8 and as low as 22. The low 1.8 aperture allows this little lens to do well in low-light conditions which I hope will be a good addition for me since my kit lens (18-55mm IS) can only go to about f4.

The other feature of the 50mm 1.8 lens that I like in regards to photography is that it makes for an excellent portrait lens and is relatively inexpensive. At about $100 Canadian why would you not add this little lens to your set?

Why is this lens good for portraits?

Well people tell me it is good for above the shoulder shots as it is not really in the wide-angle area unless you move a distance away from your subject. With the ability to use an f-stop of 1.8 it will blur the background [Bokeh] quite a bit and produce a nice sharp portrait image. Granted the above photo is not really a flattering one of me, it does help show you how the background blurs nicely while keeping the object in focus.

Final Thoughts for the Canon 50mm 1.8

Even though this particular lens is under $150 it seems to perform particularly well. I won’t get into the construction of the lens itself except that it does have a plastic body. The f1.4 version of this lens has a metal body with metal mount which some people might prefer but the price goes up to around $300-$400.

When Robyn took the above picture of me though it was cool to see the mirror flip up through the lens when she took the shot, the 50mm focal length and large aperture makes that possible.

The one thing I have to get used to is that I cannot ‘zoom’ in and out on a subject while using the 50mm. Fixed focal length will do that! What I have to do is be able to switch between lenses quickly or learn when I should use a 50mm and when I should use my kit lens.

It is also great having a lens that can have a large aperture so that I do not have to rely on the flash when indoors. Perhaps one day I’ll pick up a 430EX flash and learn how that works but for now I’ll have to remember how far to stand away from my subjects indoors when I take a photo.