50mm f1.8 tips

<p>I just got the 50mm f1.8 prime lens today for my Rebel T1i. I seem to have trouble getting focused shots, especially when using f1.8. Any tips for me? I've tried all kinds of lighting (indoor, outdoor, inside w/flash on tripod, flash inside handheld, etc) and the majority seem out of focus for almost the entire picture. Any tips? Thanks.</p>

<p>You are going to have a pretty small depth of focus at 1.8. Your focusing will need to be rather precise. Trying it at smaller apertures will you more latitude for mistakes in focusing. JR</p>

I think there is something probably wrong with your lens do you have any samples.

<p>Yup... if you're shooting it wide open at f/1.8, and focusing on anything fairly close to you, you'll see very little actually in focus. You can see exactly how much wiggle room you have by trying different distance/aperture recipes in this <strong><a href="http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html">depth of field calculator</a></strong>.</p>

<p>I have received great advice from people on this site about the same thing with the same lens. I would suggest you get a depth of feild calc and try messing with the settings for the lens. It really opened my eyes to how little room you have to work with in terms of DOF. </p>

<p>Another tip is to be careful with focus and recompose as the plane of focus changes and is so narrow that you can easily mess it up.</p>

<p>cheers,<br>

Andrew</p>

<p>I was mostly shooting at f1.8 so I will try some smaller apertures and hopefully there will be more in focus. I will keep you focused. Thanks! Any further tips would be great. Also, if any of you have pictures online that you've taken with this camera please give me the links so that I will be INSPIRED! :)<br /> Here's a sample of my crappy shots. See how NOTHING is in focus?</p><div></div>

<p>what was your shutter speed? that could be camera shake. JR</p>

<p>Indeed - that looks more like motion blur.</p>

<p>Focal length: 50<br /> F number: 2<br /> Exposure time: 1/50<br>

I was holding the camera pretty steady. Maybe I should've make my f-stop in the 4 range?</p>

<p>what is the ISO? if it is low then boost it, close the aperture, bump the speed.<br>

it's not ideal to shoot with f1.8 or f2.0 for the result you want (like whole thing in focus).</p>

<p>Here's more info...<br>

Shooting Mode Program AE<br /> Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/50<br /> Av( Aperture Value ) 2.0<br /> Metering Mode Evaluative Metering<br /> Exposure Compensation 0<br /> ISO Speed 320<br /> Auto ISO Speed ON<br /> Lens EF50mm f/1.8 II<br /> Focal Length 50.0mm<br /> Image Size 3456x2304<br /> Image Quality Fine<br /> Flash Off<br /> FE lock OFF<br /> White Balance Mode Auto<br /> AF Mode AI Focus AF<br /> Picture Style Standard<br /> Sharpness 3<br /> Contrast 0<br /> Saturation 0<br /> Color tone 0<br /> Color Space sRGB<br /> Long exposure noise reduction 0:Off<br /> High ISO speed noise reduction 0:Standard<br /> Highlight tone priority 0:Disable<br /> Auto Lighting Optimizer 0:Standard<br /> Peripheral illumination correction Disable<br /></p>

<p>Try 1/100 speed or faster, increase the ISO , or get more light.</p>

<p>It might be motion blur, but 1/50 is not very slow on the 50mm (80mm). Was that shot with a tripod?<br>

Is the Auto-focus engaging? Do you hear the motor going when you half-press?<br>

(Might want to double-check the AF-MF switch on the lens)</p>

<p>Hand held.<br>

AF Mode AI Focus AF<br>

Shooting Mode Program AE<br>

Mars I will try to keep that in mind. But, shouldn't P mode take care of that for me for the most part? 1/50 seems pretty fast.</p>

<p>It's not that fast if you're not doing a lot of shooting at that kind of speed. Put the camera on a tripod, try a shot. If it's in focus, it's your technique. If it's out of focus, it's your lens. But there is no reason to believe that shot's problem is anything but technique.</p>

<p>I love my little 50. I agree this is eiher camera shake or you lens has an issue.<br>

1. When I am at 1.8 I am always using manual focus.<br>

2. Using a 5D2 I use Live view to zoom in to verify focus.<br>

3. I use single shot focus mode not AI focus for still shots.<br>

Here is a 50 1.8 sample. <a href="http://www.photo.net/photo/9430015">http://www.photo.net/photo/9430015</a></p>

<p> </p>

<p>My 50/1.8 is fine in AF. 1/50s is too slow for sharp handheld shots unless luck is on your side.</p>

<p>My copy of the 50mm f/1.8 II was just fine (as have all other copies I have seen and borrowed from other photogs) with regards to AF and IQ at f/1.8. Pick single point focus and use the center focus point and make sure it hits your subject.</p>

<p>Practice a whole bunch!</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Mars I will try to keep that in mind. But, shouldn't P mode take care of that for me for the most part? 1/50 seems pretty fast.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Program mode is OK but it doesn't always get it right. For full frame cameras you should generally use a shutter speed that is 1/(focal length). For a 50mm that is 1/50 of a second. However you are using APS-C sensor that is smaller than a full frame. That changes the formula to shutter speed = 1/ (focal lenght x 1.6). So with a 50mm lens you should use a shutter speed of 1/80 or higher. Personnally I would aim for greater than 1/100 for best results. </p>

<p>And as others have suggested stopping down the lens would increase depth of field which is probably what you want. Taking the higher shutter speed needed plus stopping down the lens to increase depth of field you would probably have needed an iso of 2560 (+3 stops for an exposure of 1/100 at F4). If you don't want to use a iso setting that high you would probably need a flash or use a tripod.</p>

<p>Other than camera shake you might have accidently focused on something other than what you wanted or the lens might have a focusing problem. To verify the lens is focusing correctly you should do a <a href="../learn/focustest/">focus test</a>.</p>

<p>If you have a steady hand or a support then 1/30 should be pretty usable unless you zoom in to 100%.</p>

<p>My results at 1/50 using a XTi/400D are always better than the sample shown.</p>

<p>A<a href="../photo/9921111"> sample of 1/25</a> while wobbling crouched in the rain.</p>

<p>Also crouched, <a href="../photo/9921103">1/50 sample</a> .</p>

<p>(O.K. sometimes at <a href="../photo/9921115">miss at low speeds</a> ... a 1/30 sample also in the rain shot while slowly walking by.)</p>

<p>(O.K. one more as a <a href="../photo/9921114">sample of what it can do</a> . 1/160, F3.2, ISO 400.)</p>

 

<p>I love this lens. I had some problems getting used to it, but once you do it's well worth it.<br>

At 1.8 you really don't have much margin for error. 1/50 is maybe a little on the slow side.<br>

Have you tried changing your camera setting to a 1-point focus setting instead of 9-point, you focus that point on what you want sharp and then keeping the shutter pressed you recompose and press the shutter?</p>

<p>Your tips are awesome. Thanks to ALL of you. I am going to try to change it to center focus and increase the shutter speed (and iso if necessary) and I will test out the results.</p>

<p>Here's a couple of samples to show you how shallow depth of field gets (handheld). I sometimes find it's easier to switch to manual at wide aperture, especially if the subject is close, and focus by moving myself and the camera back and forth.<br>

<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qz066ksOfNA/Ss3s_HnBwsI/AAAAAAAABW4/K8O-1yMJDEQ/s1600-h/_MG_9249.jpg">1.8 @ 1/160, ISO 1600</a><br>

<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qz066ksOfNA/SrmdfaXEEHI/AAAAAAAABVQ/SNFeOk35Wk8/s1600-h/_MG_8635.jpg">2.8 @ 1/20, ISO 400</a></p>

<p>To test the lens, go outside when the Sun is shining and take a picture using a really fast shutter speed, like 1/1000. Find a subject with good contrast, to help the autofocus mechanism. If that photo is blurry, you can take a photo of a slanted yardstick to find out if the lens is focusing too near or too far.</p>

<p>Further support of above comments:</p>

<p>1/50 sec is beyond many people's ability to hold things steady</p>

<p>f/1.8 or f/2 is going to have a very shallow depth of field. In this situation, too, any swing and sway on the part of the photographer is going to affect things more in making it hard for the AF to settle on something.</p>

<p>Especially, since (although the above picture does't load for me for some reason) autofocus on any lens in any situation simply has little way to know which of the almost infinite number of possible things should be in focus. That's why macro photography is usually better done with manual focus than with AF. What is amazing is how often the AF does get it right. You need to pay attention to which of the little squares is lighting up....</p>