Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Behind the Photos - October 2012

As I mentioned in my inaugural "Behind the Photos" post back in July, I am using today's post to highlight one of my favorite pieces of photography gear. The focus (I'll stop with the puns after this) of this piece is the Nikon 50mm f/1.8D AF. Here are a few photos of my copy of the "nifty fifty" lens:


Nikon 50mm 1.8 D

Wide open at F/1..8

As you know, this isn't a blog about the technical aspects of photography (so here are some more thorough reviews by professionals). I think photos taken with this lens pretty much speak for themselves. I will say that this lens is fast and produces sharp photos consistently. It's a very light and compact lens and it continues to be my "go-to" lens for walking around. What's especially impressive is that it's available new for around $130. The newer version of this lens is the 50mm 1.8 G, which retails for ~$200 new, but I have no problem recommending this slightly older model. On a DX "crop frame" camera like my Nikon D90 this lens is a nice length for a variety of situations. Here are just a few photos I have taken with mine:







So there you have it. This lens gets a five star rating from me. I only use Nikon gear but I hear that similar prime/fixed-length lenses from other camera companies are equally as competent. There's something about using prime lenses that is especially fun for the type of photography I do and 50mm is a good focal length for me  Feel free to use the link to below the check out this lens on Amazon. Any purchases made at Amazon directly after clicking this link will provide me with a small credit on the site (which I will probably use to purchase more camera stuff!):



4 comments:

  1. I used film for a long time with a 50mm 1.8D lens and loved it. I had a hard time adjusting to the new field of view for 50mm when using the DX format and its crop factor. I was really happy to find the 35mm 1.8G has a familiar field of view and great performance, too. And it's only a little more expensive than the 50mm, going for around $150-$175.

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  2. Thanks for the comment, Xach! I'm not sure exactly how they compare, but I have heard that the 50mm on a crop sensor is comprable to the focal length of an 85mm on full frame digital/film. The 35, 50, and 85mm primes are certainly bargains considering how well they work.

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  3. I've looked at that lens before, but seem to be stuck in a rut lately. Your shots are fantastic, it takes more than a good lens to get those, you have a great eye also.

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    1. Thanks for the kind words, Jim! I fall into a rut every now and then also. I find that each time the seasons change I usually find some new inspiration.

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