I’ve been getting a few questions about my new lens, so I thought I’d talk about it today. I’m still trying to grasp all of the officially technical terms, so if I slip up, I’m still learning!
The first thing I noticed was that Alexis was absolutely right – it is NOT a macro lens. Where a macro lens should allow you to focus when you’re a foot or less away from your subject, this 50mm lens requires at least a foot and a half between me and my subject in order to focus at all. Where I can get pretty close with my kit lens to capture detail, the 50mm lens requires that I stand back. Sometimes I have to stand way back, just to get everything I want in the photo in the photo. Like the photos of the cars below; you’ll have to take my word for it, but I’m a good six feet away from each car, if not more, and I still didn’t get a photo of the whole thing.
The second thing I found myself doing was trying to adjust my lens, or zoom in, which made me laugh. I do this constantly with my kit lens, since it has a focal range of 18mm to 55mm, so I can “zoom” in or out without moving. With the 50mm lens, it’s always 50mm (which is known as a fixed lens or a prime lens). It’s always going to be this length, so again, if I want to get closer or further away, I physically have to move. Honestly though, it’s not that bad, just something I have to get used to in my head.
The thing I love about this lens is how low I can go with the f/stop. Not to get too technical, but the f/stop deals with how wide the lens opens (the wider the aperture opening, the brighter the photo, because more light is getting in). So, with a lower f/stop, I can get a brighter picture taken at a faster shutter speed at a lower ISO, when compared with my kit lens. That part’s awesome, and I can see how this would help me with the ever-elusive indoor photos and blurs (between this lens and the Pop-Up Flash Bounce, I’m as fully prepared for Christmas photos as I can be).
The other thing I love is the super shallow depth of field this lens captures at that low f/stop. If you don’t know what that means, it’s essentially how much of the photo is in focus. Shallow depths of field mean not a lot is in focus, like the photo above; as a reference, those earrings are only maybe an inch and a half or two inches long, and only parts of the center pairs are in focus because of how shallow the depth of field is. What I’ve been reminding myself of is this: the lower the f/stop, the blurrier the background (and foreground) will be; and the higher the f/stop, the more things would be in focus. I could get a blurry background with my kit lens, but not to this degree.
So, that’s what I’ve learned so far with this lens (it’s been fun playing with it). I signed up for a photography class which starts next week (my birthday present to myself!), so I’m looking forward to learning more about photography in general, and how I can use this lens in particular.
Anybody got a lens they love and would recommend? I’m scouting around for my next purchase.
Brandi, what a great post. I loved the example photos using your new 50mm lens. My b-day is coming up soon and I’ve had a portrait lens in the back of my mind for some time now too.
Is your photography class in-person or online? I think that is a wonderful present to yourself. I’d love to take an in-depth photography class but with all of my kids’ afterschool clubs, I can’t find any more time. Thanks for all of the info you continue to share on this topic = it’s always so helpful!
I read the post, I knew most of what you were talking about… depth of focus, f/stop, ISO… however, I am a newbie with a point and shoot which allows adjustments to both f/stop and ISO, and I am still a long way to figuring out how it all meshes together. I just need to keep exposing myself to this knowledge until it becomes comfortable and doable. I will get there.