For the longest time I wanted to achieve the look of the photos I took with my Dads' old fully manual Canon FTb camera. He and his father had two of the same camera and he passed it onto me in my teens. It took vivid photos, warm colours and the sharpest of focus but it was the depth of field that appealed to me most. I have used many digital cameras since then (all with stock lenses) and I just can't get the atmospheric depth and clarity like I did then.
I'm sure if I had asked a professional they would've known the issue right away, but I felt like I didn't know the right questions to ask. I stumbled upon the solution while browsing Flickr photos. In a moment of epiphany I looked at the additional photo information on some pictures that stylistically recognised and there it was. The mighty 50mm f1.4 Canon lens. The same lens that sat on the 1966 body that I grew up using. It's portraiture is crisp and emotive, great speed for low light ambiance and a natural focal length which makes you feel in complete control of your creativity.
As it turns out, there's quite the following for these lenses. The glass is excellent no matter what brand you buy and can usually pick one up for a good price second hand, if not new. The only real choice is to pick between the f1.8 stop version or the f1.4. There's a difference in price but is there a difference in quality? Both are fantastic but one is slightly better. Read more about the Canon EF 50mm f1.4 vs f1.8 on Photo.net and choose for yourself. I can't recommend a greater all-round lens.
Further reading:
Canon Digital System summary with lens comparison and explanation.
Nikon Digital System summary with lens comparison and explanation.
I'm sure if I had asked a professional they would've known the issue right away, but I felt like I didn't know the right questions to ask. I stumbled upon the solution while browsing Flickr photos. In a moment of epiphany I looked at the additional photo information on some pictures that stylistically recognised and there it was. The mighty 50mm f1.4 Canon lens. The same lens that sat on the 1966 body that I grew up using. It's portraiture is crisp and emotive, great speed for low light ambiance and a natural focal length which makes you feel in complete control of your creativity.
As it turns out, there's quite the following for these lenses. The glass is excellent no matter what brand you buy and can usually pick one up for a good price second hand, if not new. The only real choice is to pick between the f1.8 stop version or the f1.4. There's a difference in price but is there a difference in quality? Both are fantastic but one is slightly better. Read more about the Canon EF 50mm f1.4 vs f1.8 on Photo.net and choose for yourself. I can't recommend a greater all-round lens.
Further reading:
Canon Digital System summary with lens comparison and explanation.
Nikon Digital System summary with lens comparison and explanation.
