My first lens was Zeiss 55mm 1.8. Not exactly a nifty 50 in terms of price or focal length, but close. Then, for years I used at 85mm 1.8 for almost everything because, as you pointed out, I learned from my experience with the Zeiss that I wanted to go a bit longer and do more “portrait-y” street photography. Just a few weeks ago, I picked up the still nifty, but expensive, Sony 50mm 1.2 because it gave me the lovely bokeh of the 85 with additional context that comes from a wider lens. I love it.
Love the lens, but: I was shooting in aperture priority in daylight f.4 and annoyingly getting SS at 1/100. The net result was a soft image. The next time I shot in manual. Everything okay this time as I forced SS 1/250. Metering setting was evaluative on both shoots
My very first "serious" camera was the Canonet QL17 with a 40/1.7 lens. I loved the wider view of the 40mm vs the 50mm so much so that my "prime" and go-to lens for my M43 system is the Sigma 19mm/2.8 DN lens. This gives me an equivalent of 38mm in 35mm film equivalent. Super sharp even wide open and so much more versatile than the 25mm equivalents from Olympus or Panasonic.
I have a Nikon S 50mm f/1.8 on my Z6 II, and I’m planning for the Panasonic on my SL2-S (currently have a 50mm Summicron-M on the SL2-S). 50mm is my first choice in a general use prime.
It's interesting how 35mm SLRs almost always came with a 50mm fast lens and 35mm compact cameras usually came with maybe a 35. Like compact camera users are a different species! Now, smartphones seem to come with the equivalent of a ... not sure, 35 or 28 equivalent - but it's about 1mm across!
If you had old 35mm film cameras in the 70s and 80s, then the nifty 50 was what you got with it. 🤣👍 So you got used to it, especially if on a budget because it was about the cheapest lens around and it came with the camera usually anyway.
My first ever prime that really inspired me to shoot more artiscally was definitely the Nifty Fifty the mark2 version , it was this nasty plasticky thing heheh
I've read plenty of times that the sony 50mm 1.8 is poor & the zeiss vastly superior. However... I've also read the 50mm 1.8 has had an update & now works amazing?... any feedback on this??
i did a video on the sony nifty 50 and it works it gave some good shots and not so good shots and yet was just over £100-120 it went back as on the a7riv it wasnt good enough but interesting to see. the firmware update it had was just af tweaks . i now have the sigma 50 art lens
I use a canon camera and I have a 50mm lens, but I can't use it so well right away ..: / the pictures are so somehow ordinary compared to the 18-55mm kit lens.
nifty fifty in APS-C DSLR's are WHAT exactly ? and how common are they ? , because a standard full frame 50 mil , doesn't equate to a a 50 mil for folk owning say a Nikon D7200 does it !!!
That's a great point. I did actually used to love my nifty fifty on my Canon 80D, it worked out at about 85mm and it was a blast to use :-) I suppose a reasonably priced 35mm on an APS-C camera would give you a similar experience to a nifty fifty on a full-frame.
My first lens was Zeiss 55mm 1.8. Not exactly a nifty 50 in terms of price or focal length, but close. Then, for years I used at 85mm 1.8 for almost everything because, as you pointed out, I learned from my experience with the Zeiss that I wanted to go a bit longer and do more “portrait-y” street photography. Just a few weeks ago, I picked up the still nifty, but expensive, Sony 50mm 1.2 because it gave me the lovely bokeh of the 85 with additional context that comes from a wider lens. I love it.
Love the lens, but: I was shooting in aperture priority in daylight f.4 and annoyingly getting SS at 1/100. The net result was a soft image. The next time I shot in manual. Everything okay this time as I forced SS 1/250. Metering setting was evaluative on both shoots
My very first "serious" camera was the Canonet QL17 with a 40/1.7 lens. I loved the wider view of the 40mm vs the 50mm so much so that my "prime" and go-to lens for my M43 system is the Sigma 19mm/2.8 DN lens. This gives me an equivalent of 38mm in 35mm film equivalent. Super sharp even wide open and so much more versatile than the 25mm equivalents from Olympus or Panasonic.
I'd not heard of the Sigma 19mm. Good competitor to the Panasonic 20mm?
Nikon 50mm was also my first prime 7 years ago. Luv it and still use it!
I have a Nikon S 50mm f/1.8 on my Z6 II, and I’m planning for the Panasonic on my SL2-S (currently have a 50mm Summicron-M on the SL2-S). 50mm is my first choice in a general use prime.
It's interesting how 35mm SLRs almost always came with a 50mm fast lens and 35mm compact cameras usually came with maybe a 35. Like compact camera users are a different species! Now, smartphones seem to come with the equivalent of a ... not sure, 35 or 28 equivalent - but it's about 1mm across!
If you had old 35mm film cameras in the 70s and 80s, then the nifty 50 was what you got with it. 🤣👍 So you got used to it, especially if on a budget because it was about the cheapest lens around and it came with the camera usually anyway.
My first ever prime that really inspired me to shoot more artiscally was definitely the Nifty Fifty the mark2 version , it was this nasty plasticky thing heheh
I've read plenty of times that the sony 50mm 1.8 is poor & the zeiss vastly superior. However... I've also read the 50mm 1.8 has had an update & now works amazing?... any feedback on this??
i did a video on the sony nifty 50 and it works it gave some good shots and not so good shots and yet was just over £100-120 it went back as on the a7riv it wasnt good enough but interesting to see. the firmware update it had was just af tweaks . i now have the sigma 50 art lens
I use a canon camera and I have a 50mm lens, but I can't use it so well right away ..: / the pictures are so somehow ordinary compared to the 18-55mm kit lens.
Nikon 35mm on D7500, so similar to 50mm full frame
nifty fifty in APS-C DSLR's are WHAT exactly ? and how common are they ? , because a standard full frame 50 mil , doesn't equate to a a 50 mil for folk owning say a Nikon D7200 does it !!!
That's a great point. I did actually used to love my nifty fifty on my Canon 80D, it worked out at about 85mm and it was a blast to use :-)
I suppose a reasonably priced 35mm on an APS-C camera would give you a similar experience to a nifty fifty on a full-frame.