Why I Chose to Have Canon 50mm 1.8 First

Lenses are quite the assets to cameras and having a lens with a fixed focal length is an essential thing in most cases. The staple is probably the 50mm lens mainly because it’s of eye-level. Meaning what you practically see with your eyes at about 1 meter distance, this lens does too, so it gives a good personal view, which makes photos feel just right.

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II is my very first prime lens. Reading this article, you might be laying it out as an option. So let me list down simple reasons as to why I chose this prime lens as my first. Hopefully, they’ll help.

1. Entry level

Shooting with a prime lens is a totally different experience as you can not zoom and it’s always a good idea to try something along the entry level scale rather than jump into more complicated stuff beyond it.

If you’re thinking of buying your first prime lens, and your SLR’s a Canon, then this is a great choice. Do this first. Then once you’ve got the feel of it, upgrade.

It’s like choosing your camera, you don’t jump in on the 5DMIII just yet mainly because it’s top of the line, when you don’t even know how to handle the basics of it via a lower version.

2. Low lighting

We all love to see in the dark. And while we can easily adjust the shutter, ISO, and aperture, lenses with a high base f/Stop will probably compromise by giving you more chances of having your photos blurred up.

Good quality of focus in the night

That’s the great thing about this, you have a small base of f/1.8 which means your base composition at this low aperture is already well lit up and you can apply a higher shutter to reduce your blur chances and make that great shot.

3. Video

DSLRs nowadays have video-capability, which encourages a lot to make videos and shorts. A troublesome feat is when your scene gets dark enough that almost nothing gets recognized.

Low Light Video Visibility in the Club

This lens will do the job in making elements in your scene more visible. Need a shot of your friend to be mugged in an alley? No problem!

4. Bokeh

Bokeh, the term for that creamy blur, is what’s applied to things that are outside the depth of field against the subject being focused on, thus more concentration on the subject.

Bokehlicious with the aperture wide open

This is such an aesthetically pleasing feature of photos which totally create variety and a much more ‘pro’ feel on those images and scenes.

5. Cheap

Above everything else to consider, the price of this lens is the main thing to take note.

The price is around PHP3,000-PHP4,000 retail, which is a lot easier on the pockets than other prime lenses at hand. I got mine at PHP3,000, already with a hood and a UV filter.

For what it can serve up, this is really a bang for a buck, giving individuals with a lower budget a great prime to toggle with.

It should be noted though that the low price is probably due to having a plastic body and mount and that’s perfectly fine, as long as you know how to take care of it.

Really nice focus on a certain focal length

Another thing is that this lens has only 5 aperture blades. That only means that blur shapes might be a bit rough, more pentagonal than round, at a certain aperture, though people who wouldn’t know much about it won’t really notice or find any difference.

This lens stood by me for about a year until it broke because my friend grabbed my DSLR and dropped it, lens first. Yeah it sucks but hey, it’s a cheap lens so I’m not quite surprised.

If you do have a higher budget, it’s upgrade – the Canon 50mm 1.4, is about 5x the price. But an even higher budget, I suggest you take the Sigma 50mm 1.4, which is around PHP20,000 as I have.

Yup! I upgraded. I know what I need this lens for, thanks to the Canon 1.8, and it’s practically a good investment. Til then, consider this lens as it has done me great. If you’re just starting, no doubt this is what you need.

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