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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.
I hope I don’t get emotional as I relate the story here.
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. You may be familiar with that one. It is extremely inexpensive at about $100. Granted, it is constructed of plastic, but it still gives excellent performance. I planned to take good care of it, so plastic was not a concern for me. 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. I went into mourning over the loss of a dear friend.
But my grief was assuaged by the purchase of the Canon 50mm f/1.4 model. I paid more than $350 for that sweet lens. And it was worth every penny. 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.
Things were great. The new lens was doing its thing, taking quality shots. But then, my world was again shaken by the demise of a 50mm lens.
This time, the accident was not quite the same as the first one, but the results were just as devastating. 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. That is until I tried to use the camera to take a picture. That’s when I discovered the lens no longer worked. 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.
In spite of my grief, I feel compelled to comment on the goodness of 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. Since I have not used the F/1.2 model, I can’t comment on that one, but this one is a fine lens that will satisfy either an enthusiastic amateur or a professional photographer.
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 pictues 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. The Bokeh is awesome. Even though it is not the lens of choice for professional portrait shooters, it does a really nice job.
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. The first reason was the really wide aperture. An f/4 lens was to slow to get the action without blur. And secondly, she felt like the 70-200 was too much in focal length. The 50mm lens gave her more of the action rather than just focusing on one player. I had not considered the f/1.4 lens a sports lens, but in that situation, it was the perfect match.
So, replacement must happen. But my wife has not yet bought the premise that “every photographer must have a 50mm lens.” So I have to play my cards right as I try to win her over to the idea of yet another lens purchase.
You can see the entire 50mm Canon lens line-up at http://www.canoneoslenses.org/50mm-lens-for-canon/.
