Filters useful for outdoor uses for a 50mm 1.8 prime?

[Silverthorn]

Hi everyone,

I own a D5100 with a kit lens and a 70-300 lens with all the appropriate filters (UV, polarizer and ND).

I just acquired a Nikkor prime 50mm 1.8G lens to take nice indoor portraits of my soon-to-be-born daughter. I didn't bother investigating for filters since it was going to be mostly an indoor lens.

Impressed by the quality of this lens, I started thinking about what I could use this lens for outdoor but my experience is still limited so I don't really know it's full potential.

So my questions are :

1. What is the use of a 50 mm 1.8 lens outdoor? I assume I can do outdoor portraits but beside that?

2. What filters would be useful for such a lens when used outdoor (for portraits and other uses )?

Thanks!

[nick_gray]

Hi Silverthorn,

I think you are getting a little confused when you ask "What is the use of a 50 mm 1.8 lens outdoor" it's as useful outdoors as it is indoors, it's a cracking sharp lens, good in shade and low light or giving a great, shallow depth of field to your shots.

As far as which filters you need, it depends on what sort of photos you are taking with the lens. If you are taking the lens on holiday, or do a lot of photography near water, then you might need a circular polariser, if you want to protect the front of the lens you might put a UV filter on and if you want to do sunset or sunrises, you might need a ND.

I can't remember who it was on this forum, that did a challenge of only using their 50mm for a month, perhaps someone else can jump in with the answer, you'll then be able to see what they achieved. But the 50mm really gets you closer to your subject.

Nick

[donoreo]

Here is a challenge. Use the 50mm only on your camera for a while. It will change how you look at things, not being able to zoom it really makes you think about the composition.

Nick, I did the 50 for 3 weeks I think it was. It was a great experience. I may do it again when I feel creatively challenged.

[Silverthorn]

Thanks for the input. Indeed you are right that I could use the 50 mm 1.8 for pretty much anything I want but I was wondering what would be it's ideal use outdoor beside portraits.

I'll just play around I guess. I was just confused because it's not a landscape lens, it's not for wildlife, etc...

I really love it so the 1 month challenge is pretty much going on

[nick_gray]

Donoreo, I knew it was a regular on here, I just couldn't remember who. Do you have any links to your photo challenge?

Silverthorn, try not to think of your lenses as landscape, wildlife, portrait etc. You can take all of these with any of your lenses, it's just a matter of the effect that you are trying to achieve. There's no reason why you can't take a close up with a wide angle lens (which you might call a landscape lens) like this at 16mm (http://www.burrard-lucas.com/photo/i...encounter.html) or a whole wedding like this (http://www.hughmillerphotography.co....g-photography/) with a 50mm like yours.

Good luck with your challenge, I look forward to seeing the results. I think once you tie yourself to the 50mm for a while, you really are going to enjoy it. BTW - this is a photo I took with my 50mm http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8193/8...8c39f72c_z.jpg I was quite pleased with it.

Nick

[donoreo]

I do not, I am not sure it exists anymore. There was a bunch of us that did it.

Silverthorn there is no such thing as a landscape lens, a wildlife lens, there is only lenses mostly used for those. My point is break the "rules". Often a better photo comes out of it.

[jet_kit]

Hi,
Filters are a whole new world.
You might like to start with a tutorial (http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/20...ced-exposures/) just to get you started.
Then, rather than just amass huge quantities of glass (or resin) 'just in case', think about what you want to do and what filtration you need to do it. There's no getting away from the fact that in time you will end up with a large collection, but at least you'll know exactly what you can do with each and every one.

[changing]

Originally Posted by nick_gray

Silverthorn, try not to think of your lenses as landscape, wildlife, portrait etc. You can take all of these with any of your lenses, it's just a matter of the effect that you are trying to achieve.

I'll second that view.

If we take landscape as an example, you will generally want good depth of field but, apart from that, there are many approaches that will dictate what focal length you use. A few years ago there was a fetish with using very w/a lenses to distort the perspective and exaggerate foreground details. There have been many effective "layered" landscapes produced by using long-focus lenses to draw in successive ranges of hills.

Have fun experimenting with the lenses you already have and only think about buying others once you discover a need that you cannot meet with existing kit.

Going back to your original question about filters for your 50mm prime, why not just get an adapter ring so that you can use your existing filters with it? Probably about 99p on eBay.