T5i "Nifty 50"

[revkab]

I am a rank amateur.

I just got a new T5i, with an 18-55mm EF-S lens.  Several folks here swear that I ought to add a 50mm 1.5 or 1.8 to my camera bag. 

Question 1:  What will I be able to do different with this lens?

Question 2: Is there a difference between an "EF" lens and an "EF-S" lens when I am considering the 55mm?

Thanks

[ebiggs1]

 Several folks here swear that I ought to add a 50mm 1.5 or 1.8 to my camera bag. 
Question 1:  What will I be able to do different with this lens?

 Question 2: Is there a difference between an "EF" lens and an "EF-S" lens when I am considering the 55mm?

Taken in order asked:

The Canon 50mm comes in three variations. The f1.8, f1.4, and a very expensive f1.2.

For your situation the f1.8 is probably what you need. It is not in the same class as the better, and the one I really recommend f1.4. The f1.2 is a full on 'pro' version and pretty pricey.

1. The main benefit is it is way faster glass than you kit lens is. That means it can operate better in low light situations. It is a prime lens and will also produce sharper images.  You can use higher shutter speeds for action stopping, etc. It's f-ratio is fixed.  It is not a zoom. Something I like to call a "two foot" zoom!

2. EF lenses will fit your camera and all other current Canon cameras. EF-s lenses, on the other hand, will fit only Rebel cameras like your T5i.

It has to do with the "short focus" design (hence the 's') of the lens. Which basically means the lens can be produced cheaper.

[ebiggs1]

BTW, I love Rebels!

I have had five of them over the years. Your T5i is a very capable camera something we call an advanced amateur or enthusiasts camera. When it is coupled with quality glass, it can produce stunningly outstanding photos.

IMHO, the 'kit' lens that comes with it does not do it justice.

The addition of the Canon 50mm f1.4 lens will make a huge difference. And, when you get farther along there are some other way better lens choices that will showcase the ability of the T5i.

Good luck with it,

EB

[ScottyP]

Revkab,

E Biggs gave good answers. To the question of what will a wide aperture (low f-number) non-zoom 50mm lens do that the kit lens won't I would add that 1.) it gives you much sharper images, and 2.) it allows you to do the really cool blurred-out background thing you have seen, which makes your subject pop out, and makes nearly any ugly distant background look beautiful.

For example, Here is a shot I made with a 1.8 NIFTY FIFTY lens:

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/forums/thread25135.htm

The light circles are tiny Christmas tree lights, blurred up into something pretty.

The T5i is a great camera. Have fun figuring out all the neat stuff.

[ebiggs1]

Cool photo Scott.

[revkab]

Many thanks to all of you who responded.  You answered my questions and have given me much to consider.  I think that "50" will go on my Christmas list for sure.

That photo of the jack-in-the-box was amazing!

Ken

[ScottyP]

Thanks!
It is a lot of fun for a $100 buck lens.

[Cara]

I just bought this lens and upgrade dot o the T5i. Excited to play.

[ScottyP]

Good for you! That will be a blast to play with, I promise you.

Note: to do the thing where the background blurs and the subject pops you need to:
1.) Set the camera to AV mode, which lets you pick the aperture (the width of the opening in the lens), and has the camera figure out all the other settings to make your chosen aperture work.
2.). Select a low f/number like 1.8 or 2.0 or so. A low f/number is a wide aperture opening. Wide apertures give you a shallow depth of field, meaning only a thin slice of the scene will be in focus, and things in front of, or behind that in-focus slice will be nicely blurred.
3.). Get the background behind the subject to be relatively far away behind the subject so it will be pretty far out of focus. It really won't work well if your subject is standing with their back against a wall, and you are shooting the subject head-on, for example.
4.). Get the camera relatively close to the subject, to maximize the effect. Subject = close. Background = far-ish behind the subject.
5.). Set the camera to use only ONE autofocus point, and put that one red AF point over the subject's eye closest to you. Your depth of field in-focus is INCREDIBLY THIN at wide apertures. Often it will be so thin that you will only be able to get one eye in focus, and the other one is blurry, and the ears are definitely blurry. If you just leave it up to the camera instead of picking only one AF point, the camera will use 3 or 4 AF points at the same time, trying to average out the scene, not knowing what you are trying to do, and it will totally ruin the picture. In shooting people, you just about always judge whether a picture is properly focused based on whether the eye(s) is/are sharply focused.

Don't get frustrated if you have a lot of shots out of focus at those wide apertures because it really is tricky and unforgiving at such thin planes of focus. You may have to raise the f/number (narrow down the aperture opening) to get more of the shot to be in focus. F/2.8 is still considered to be a wide aperture, and even f/4 is kind of wide and can work the blur trick if you are careful to put the background very far behind the subject, and the camera very close to the subject.

Good luck!