50mm f/1.8 II Lens

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Computers & Electronics
Product Type:	Digital Cameras
Manufacturer:	Canon

ALTHOUGH my 18-55mm kit lens still does its job well, I felt there were instances where I simply could not get the effect that I wanted. It was then that I decided that I needed to make my first lens purchase.

I was torn between purchasing a longer-range telephoto lens, such as the 55-250mm IS lens or the 70-300mm USM lens, both of which are relatively affordable (*When I say "affordable" to pertain to a lens, I generally mean a lens that does not cost as much or more than the entire DSLR) and purchasing the ultra-cheap 50mm lens.

Eventually, I decided that if I'm going to start buying lenses, I'd rather start cheap and basic. The Canon 50mm f/1.8 II, at only P4,700, was relatively cheap compared to its Nikon counterpart (with an aperture of 1.4) at P6,000. The risk with this strategy is that in terms of cameras, you can pretty much safely assume that quality is directly proportional to price. So buying a cheap lens can possibly be a disappointment in terms of quality.

Good thing I was wrong. The 50mm f/1.8 is a steal even at mall price. If you are a kit lens owner like me, you'd certainly appreciate how you would no longer be limited by the 4.5-5.6 aperture. The wide-open f/1.8 will give you all the artistic blurring that you need when focusing on primary subjects, especially when shooting portrait shots. In addition, the same wide-open aperture will allow you to shoot at very fast shutter speeds (such as 1/4000) while still having brightly lit pictures.

The downside: First, being a relatively diminutive lens, the appearance does not look very impressive (if such a category means something to you) but it can easily be enhanced by purchasing add-ons such as a UV filter or polarizer and an ES-62 lens hood. Since it is not a zoom lens, one has to literally walk to fit the subject/s into the viewfinder - but this is a relatively minor inconvenience.

I had fun testing the lens. Every image seems so clear, crisp and more lifelike. I now understand why even serious photographers keep this particular model in their lens collection. If you are a Canon user, it's a small price to pay for a new perspective in your photography.

Chito, Olga and the Batman Dark Knight backpack

Just to show how pleased I am with my new toy. ;-)

• Olga (Canon EOS 450D) mounted on the aluminum tripod (manufactured by Wizen).
• Chito in his 4th year high school football jersey (manufactured by Botak).
• Dark Knight backpack freebie in the background.

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          I realized that I'll never be a cam-man-whore with this DSLR.  As my friend Edvic pointed out, I'll most certainly spend the rest of my shutterbug days behind the camera, and will sorely miss being its subject.  So one afternoon, I set up Olga in her tripod and took pictures of myself with it looking for my best angle.

          Here it is.  Probably the only picture of myself taken with this camera that will ever be in existence.  (All the other pics I already erased.)

Presenting...... Olga!

          Who?

          "Olga", for the information of the faithful readers of this blog is my new toy - a Digital SLR, more specifically of the Canon EOS 450D variety.  (Oh yes, another major purchase just two months after I got Isaac. )

          This means I'd have to apologize to my dear friend Ampy who came up with the name "Athena", which was, until very recently, the leading name suggestion for this DSLR. 

(Ampy, I had every intention of naming this baby "Athena".  However, when I finally held it in my hands, it didn't feel like an "Athena" to me.  This one felt bulky, loaded, and tough.  For a split second, I thought of Lloyd's suggestion - "Holmes" - but then it hit me... OLGA.  A very tough female Russian name.  It was perfect!  Sorry, I guess "Athena" is the perfect name for something else.)

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          I tried hard to produce a good-enough first photo of Olga using my Sony Ericsson P990i, but they didn't really turn out well.  That's the problem with buying a really good camera for the first time - you'd have to take pictures of it using an inferior one.  In this case, a smartphone with a 2 Megapixel camera. 



          The photos you see in this page were already taken using a flash and added lighting from a fluorescent lamp.  I guess it only goes to show that I still have a lot to learn about photography.  The good news is, I now have Olga to learn with. 

          I know this bloke Rockwell said that "it's not the camera, it's the photographer" (or something like that).  But still, it does help if your camera has 12.2 Megapixels, and a $h!tload of other features that are not a few notches above those that are present in even the most advanced point-and-shoot digicams around. 

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          Aside from the items in the box, Olga came with the following freebies/accessories as part of the bargain with Kim (my seller):

• a 2 Gigabyte SD card
• a 1 year Canon Philippines warranty
• a screen protector
• a 4 ft. high aluminum tripod; and
• a black Dark Knight backpack (which is really way cooler than the Rudy Project camera bag that they were giving out before this week)

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Many thanks go to the following:

Kim Lato
- For very good customer service, and another gadget in excellent condition.  Buy smart, Buy Kimstore! 

HSBC Girl Ampy,
Smart Boy Lloyd,
Mrs. Muchay,
Soon-to-be-Mrs. Sheh,
and ex-girlfriend Me-Ann
- For your name suggestions and for sharing my excitement. 

The Social Security System
- For approving my salary loan.