Canon 50mm f1:8

[kev7d]

I have had my little 50mm a few years now.  Never used it much.  I am flying down to Lyon for a week on New Years Eve.  My thoughts are to take nothing but the 50mm on the front of the 7d.  This will give me no option other than to use it and maybe try something different? What do you think? Will I regret not taking another lens?

[Clicker]

I think it's the sort of challenge you will relish Kev ... go for  it !

I'll await the  results with interest

[FUJI]

Street Photography, Street `Photography, Street `Photography......plus.....Street Portraits ( do my challenge) ....get in close.....set to Aperture Priority if your not sure...

Otherwise, open it right up, set shutter-speed between 200 and 1600 depending upon ambient light, try to leave ISO at 200 .......as you go through the day, only adjust shutter speed to capture the moment.

Get in Close!

You won't regret it, as long as you remember the limits of the lens.

 

Have Fun!

FUJI

[Phil]

Hmm, 50mm on a crop sensor is gonna leave you a little limited, now if it had been a 35mm (50mm equivalent) I would have said yes all the way.

That's not to say don't do it, just be sure you'll be happy leaving all your gear at home.

[Black Pearl]

Its a no from me.

I do tend to wander about with just one lens (a bit wider as Phil has suggested) but there is no way I'd go further afield without options.

[FUJI]

Ok, Kev....

Put the 50 mm on camera.......but have another lens on hand if you feel the need to.

Ref your crop sensor....do you have a 35 mm or a 20 mm like my tiny LUMIX? 20-1.7?     This is the one that has been stuck on my camera for almost a month now.

You won't know until you try......the other factor is that you seem to visit France on a regular basis, so missing a few things on this trip won't be the end of the world, but you will learn from the experience.

I still say give it a go, be creative............use your iPhone for any other shots.

FUJI

[kev7d]

I do go a lot FUJI.  My partner is French and we are off to see her parents for the New Year.  Because I go a lot was part of my reason for taking just the 50mm. 

No 35mm for me.   

I have decided to take the 24-105 too.  On some days I will only take out the 50mm which will force me to use it. 

Best of both worlds.  

Thanks folks. 

 

[fuzzyedges]

I used to wander with an 85mm lens only it meant a lot of zooming with the feet 

I now tend to shoot around the 23 mark on the 16-55 zoom lens To be honest the zoom is wasted on me 
You soon get to find the limits and adapt 

[kev7d]

It keeps you fit FUJI.  

[FUJI]

Using  a zoom lens can make you miss the shot too, that precious moment can vanish as you faff about....that said, I did take my 200 mm to the pool yesterday, just to see what my GX7 can do with birds in flight......I haven't processed the results yet, but `I do know that the camera was much slower  to track-focus than my SONY A55 kit.

Have no worries about the smaller sensor size, you will rapidly get used to getting the optimum distance from your subject........do your best to...FRAME .....things in-camera, rather than later during processing.

Talk to strangers, get close, shoot as you chat......begin by admiring clothing, jewellery etc ...or even the weather or news.....anything to initiate the process.....explain that you are a ....Street Photographer, and that they can email for a copy......

Have Fun!

FUJI

[kev7d]

Cheers FUJ.  

[ChrisLumix]

If you can zoom with your feet Kev (and I know you can), then I'd say go for it. It would be a superb creative challenge, and you'd look back on the pictures you took with just one fixed prime with a particular pride. Remember - when we started out as toggers, we only had one lens to work with and it was usually a 50mm.

[Black Pearl]

1 hour ago, ChrisLumix said:

If you can zoom with your feet Kev (and I know you can), then I'd say go for it. It would be a superb creative challenge, and you'd look back on the pictures you took with just one fixed prime with a particular pride. Remember - when we started out as toggers, we only had one lens to work with and it was usually a 50mm.

1. It is not possible to zoom with your feet - you can get your subject (roughly) the same size in the frame but everything else changes.

2. When photographers tended to shoot mostly with a 50mm it was on a 35mm system - Kev shoots with a 1.5 crop camera so his field of view will be dramatically different.

[kev7d]

I know what FUJI meant though.   

[FUJI]

Kev.....I knew you would know what I meant...

As a favourite to you and to prove something to myself I put a vintage Super-Takumar 50 mm on my M 4/3 camera yesterday.....set the hyperfocal distance from f8 then went for a long walk.

Verdict?

Yes, because if the crop sensor you will need to be at lest 100 yds  from buildings, unless you want just a gable and chimneys......yes, you will need to be 15 ft or more back for a whole figure...... Portraits, plants and still- life no problems......and for vistas no problems but not as wide view as a 35 mm or 20 mm would give.

I hope to get samples posted on here for you later so you can see for yourself.

Verdict!

BP and co are right in that your field of view will be restricted, and a 35 mm or even a 20 mm would be preferable .....you go for it because it will force you into using what you have creatively ...... as Chris has already suggested.

Watch thus space.....as they say.

FUJI

Edited December 27, 2016 by FUJI

[FUJI]

Here you go Kev....my 50 mm outing as promised....all shots, as taken, except for converting from RAW to PSD then reducing to JPEG's for posting on here.

The Vintage Super Takumar 50mm Lens was on my Panasonic  GX7  M 4/3 rds Camera.

The first was shot from circa 10 ft away.

The house and building detail from the other side of the street but at varying distance to frame what I wanted.

The Vista and People & Dogs pic were simply shot from where I stood....

Because I had pre-set the hyper focal distance on my Vintage lens, I didn't need to focus again.

But....You won't need to do that because yours will be an AF lens.

Have Fun!

 

FUJI

[fuzzyedges]

10 hours ago, Black Pearl said:

1. It is not possible to zoom with your feet - you can get your subject (roughly) the same size in the frame but everything else changes.

2. When photographers tended to shoot mostly with a 50mm it was on a 35mm system - Kev shoots with a 1.5 crop camera so his field of view will be dramatically different.

This is a confusing subject 

Here is a snippet from an article, which should leave you confused 

• You can not “zoom with your feet”, because if you change your position, your perspective changes.
  With a zoom, the perspective does not change – you are merely enlarging the image. This distinction becomes an important point. If you put a 100mm lens on a full-frame body, and a 100mm lens on a crop body, and you want the same size for your subject in the frame, then you are going to have to move much further back to get the same image size with the crop sensor camera. And then your perspective has changed. And yes, then it will give you the same perspective as a 150mm / 160mm lens on a full-frame body when shooting at that new further distance.
• Full article

http://neilvn.com/tangents/full-frame-vs-crop-sensor-cameras-comparison-depth-of-field/

[Black Pearl]

This one explains it better:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/content/id-rather-zoom-my-feet-huh-even-possible#comments

[kev7d]

I have already decided to take a second lens!    The 50 only idea was just about pushing me to do something different.

[ChrisLumix]

On 26 December 2016 at 22:31, Black Pearl said:

1. It is not possible to zoom with your feet - you can get your subject (roughly) the same size in the frame but everything else changes.

2. When photographers tended to shoot mostly with a 50mm it was on a 35mm system - Kev shoots with a 1.5 crop camera so his field of view will be dramatically different.

1. I think you know what I meant.

2. Ah - didn't realise he wasn't using full format. Yes, that would make a big difference. He'd need a ... 35mm lens?

[kev7d]

It does make a massive difference but that was my reason for taking it.  

[kev7d]

Well, just had a 2 hour walk around the hills of the Beaujolais.  Only took the 50mm.  Let's see how it went when I get back home next week.  Off to Lyon tomorrow, again, just taking the 50mm.