With Christmas approaching we thought we do a round up of 10 of the best photography related stocking fillers out there.

Photography is an expensive hobby, and we all know Christmas time is a drain on our resources so we’ve tried to keep our selection to accessories at the cheap end of the scale.

1. A Tripod

In our opinion a tripod is one of the most useful accessories any photography can have. Whether you’re shooting sports, wildlife, landscapes or portraits there are always times when a monopod gives you the ability to shoot steadier, sharper images than hand holding shots.

Amazon price: $12.95

2. White Foam Backed Board

One of the foundations of good photography is good light. Whether you are shooting indoors or out this board is great for bouncing light around and removing shadows, softening tones or even as a makeshift neutral background.

Amazon price: $12.97.

3. Hot Shoe Bubble Level

This great little device should see an end to you correcting wonky horizons in photo shop for ever. Pop it on your DSLRs hot shoe and the 3 axis bubbles let you see when your composition is level in an instant, no matter if you’re shooting portrait, horizon.

Amazon price: $9.99.

4. Flash Diffuser

Using one of these diffusers can transform the light your flash gives off. It’s amazing what a difference these diffusers make. They’ll soften the light that hits your subject making the end shots look much more professional.

Amazon cost: $12.95.

5. Lens Blower

We discussed before how a lens blower is the best way to not only keep your lenses clean but also remove irritating dust from your cameras sensor. These blowers are exactly the sorts of things all photographers would have a good use for but few get round to buying, making them an excellent Christmas present.

Amazon price: $9.85.

6. Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson 

Before I read this book i thought that there were two types of photography books: ones with pretty pictures and insanely boring ones about the theory of photography.That was until we read Understanding Exposure.

This book was a game changer in terms of educating amateur photographers. While some of the pictures look a bit dated now (shock horror they were mainly shot with film) the way the author breaks down the key elements of exposure and explains how easy it is to capture great shots.

Amazon price: $17.52 (and worth every cent!).

7. Rechargeable AA Batteries

Anyone that uses speed lights or off camera flash will know how much money you can quickly spend on batteries. After we ran some tests earlier this year we soon found out that you can save a fortune by simply switching to rechargeable AA batteries.

Rechargeable batteries have come a long way since i first used them in the early 1990’s. So long as you buy batteries with a high mAH rating (aim for 2400 or above) they should provide just as much charge as disposables.

Amazon price: $13.33

8. More Memory!

As DSLR cameras increasingly offer more mega pixels and higher resolution images the demand for large memory cards keeps increasing for photographers. Add to that the fact  that virtually all prosumer level DSLRs now shoot HD quality video and having large amounts of spare memory storage is crucial.

The good news is that memory cards just keep getting cheaper and cheaper. You can now pick up a 16gb Transend SD card for under $20.

Amazon price: $19.99

9. The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby

Scott Kelby’s The Digital Photography Book is perhaps the biggest selling digital photography book of all time. The main idea of this book is to share the tricks of the trade used by professional photographer day in and day out. Placing less focus on theory it instead tells you what settings to use when – practical advise with the sole intention of getting the reader taking better photographs.

There’s not too much detail (a good ting) with each page dedicated to a different technique, trick of skill. This fantastic format makes this book a real page turner.

Amazon price: $13.99

10. A Film Camera

We’ve written before here on DSLRGuru about how refreshing and good for your photography shooting with a film camera can be. While we recommended the Lomo LCA it isn’t the cheapest option by a long way.

A far cheaper, yet equally fun and exciting way of experimenting with shooting film is with a Holga medium format camera.

Amazon price: $29.99

So there it is, a selection of 10 great accessories that any photography would be happy to receive on Christmas morning. Have we missed anything? If so let us know using the comment box below.

Previously here on Digital SLR Guru we’ve waxed lyrical about both Canon’s 50mm f1.8 and the f1.4 lenses. In our review of the f1.4 version and the original f1.8 review we discussed a few of the advantages but we never really did a full comparison of the two lenses. In this article we’ll compare the lenses side by side with the aim of making it easier for you to pick between them.

Ok, so here are what we see as the key differences between these two 50mm lenses.

Now let’s take a look at some of these areas in more detail.

Build Quality

Read any review of the Canon 50mm f1.8 and you’ll come across references to the cheap build quality. Sure the f1.8 is made almost entirely of plastic (apart from the glass elements obviously) and feels cheap, almost toy like don’t let this deceive you. It still takes pin sharp pictures, the crappy build quality is the reason that Canon manages to keep the price so damn low.

As you can see above the f1.8 weighs a meager 130 grams, amazingly light for a lens capable of producing some stunning images. At such a cheap price point (just over $100 at the time of writing) it really is remarkable value considering the quality of images it produces.

While the f1.8 is almost entirely plastic the f1.4 gives you a metal mount, rubber focus ring and much more sturdy feel. This all adds up and the f1.4 weighs in at more than double the f1.8 at 290grams.

Sharpness

One of the reasons I’m such a big fan of 50mm lenses is they just seem so sharp. I have used both of these lenses extensively for the last few years and have to conclude that there is very little to choose in terms of sharpness.

Both lenses are said to be a little bit soft when wide open but as with all lenses this is to be expected. Stop down a couple of f-stops and they are both razor sharp. That said, the portrait shot below was taken with the 50 mm f1.8 wide open at f1.8 and in my opinion it is about as sharp as sharp is!!!

While the f1.8 might take a little longer to focus  (more on that later), but when it does it is as sharp to the f1.4 as you can see in the above shot.

Bokeh

One of the things that I love about both of these lenses is the bokeh that the large apertures produce, particularly when shooting at night with lights in the background.

The f1.8 version of this lens has only five aperture blades versus the 8 in the f1.4 version. What this means is the bokeh produced is not as smooth with the f1.8. As you can see in the photo above the bokeh of the Christmas tree lights appears as a pentagon (the photograph was shot wide open at f1.8).

The same shot taken with the f1.4 would have had a more rounded bokeh as it would have been an octagon shape but slightly rounded as f1.8 is not wide open on the f1.4 lens.

Focusing

This is one area where these two little 50mm lenses vary quite a bit. The f1.4 version comes with a ‘micro USM motor’. USM stands for Ultrasonic Motor and is Canon’s advanced focus motor technology. What does this mean? Well it means USM lenses like the f1.4 focus much faster and quieter than lenses with Canon’s standard micro motor found on the f1.8.

The micro-motor USM mechanism found in the f1.4 is one step down from the ring-type USM found on some of Canon’s more expensive lenses (mainly the L-series professional range), the difference being it doesn’t have ‘full time manual  functionality. This means you can’t manually over ride the auto focus at any point – in order to manual focus you need to switch from auto to manual focus using the switch on the lens barrel. While nice to have ring-type focusing isn’t essential and is only really relevant if you like to focus manually a lot of the time.

In addition the focus ring on the f1.8 50mm is not in the middle of the barrel casing as with most other lenses but is instead right on the end of the barrel as shown in the photo below. This takes some getting used to and can easily lead to fingers appearing in the edge of shots when you manually focus. In addition to this, the focus ring on the f1.8 is made from hard plastic as opposed to the soft, grippy rubber on the f1.4.

image by mayhem

All in all the focus mechanism of the f1.4 lens is much better than that of the f1.8. The f1.8 can hunt around a bit in low light and is quite noisy when doing so. If you’re into manual focusing then you’ll definitely want to opt for the f1.4 as the f1.8 really is designed mainly for auto focus work. Even when manual focusing the f1.4 offers a nice smooth resistance and much more professional feel than the f1.8.

Aperture

The best thing about these lenses for me is the big aperture they offer. Once you start shooting with one of these 50mm lenses you’ll discover how much better your pictures are when you don’t use the on-board flash on your DSLR.

I tend to shoot a lot indoors, at night time in low light so it was a revolution when i started shooting at apertures of around 1.8.

Obviously the f1.8 gives you an additional f-stop compared to the f1.8 meaning that when it is wide open it can soak up twice as much light as the f1.8. Unless you shoot indoors a lot you may not really need the additional stop.

The above shot of the candles was taken hand held in the darkest corner of a bar with the 50mm f1.4, (shot at f1.4) and an ISO of only 800.  The ability of these lenses to shoot like this in the darkest of conditions is their most attractive feature to me.

Key Differences

* Build quality
* USM versus micro motor
* f/1.4 versus f/1.8
* More aperture blades (8 vs 5)
* Slightly better optics in the f/1.4
* Cost!
*Position of Focus Ring

1.4 vs 1.8 Summary

Despite owning quite a few L series lenses I have to admit that my 50mm f1.4 is the lens that is attached to my camera about 80% of the time. Both the f1.8 and f1.4 lenses are great. The image quality if very similar between the two however the f1.4 excels in a couple of areas;

• Far superior build quality

• Quicker and faster focusing

• Softer, richer bokeh

In our opinion ether of these lenses will serve you equally well and both represent great value for money when compared to other lenses in Canon’s range. However if you can afford it we’d recommend you go for the f1.4 version. If you buy the f1.8 you’ll probably fall in love with it and end up upgrading to the f1.4 version anyway like I did!

Check out the latest prices of both the 50mm lenses on Amazon.

A while ago we looked at the infamous monopod vs tripod debate, in fact it is one of our most read articles here on Digital SLR Guru. As a follow on, we’ve decided to take a look at some of the most popular monopods currently available and compare and contrast their benefits.

Before buying a monopod you’ll need to consider what your main uses of it will be. As with buying many photography accessories there are the usual trade offs between cost, performance, size and weight to consider. Below we’ve tried to pick the best three monopods available at three different price points.

Entry Level – Dolica WT-1003

The Dolica WT-1003 monopod is aimed exactly at the budget end of the market. Designed to be ultra light weight (it weighs just under 400 grams) and is built from an aluminum alloy. Initially on sale for about $35, you can now pick them up on Amazon for under $20.

Upon picking this monopod up we were immediately impressed by the build quality. It certainly feels better quality than the low price point would indicate. When fully extended, the four telescopic sections reach about 1.6 meters in length and it stands on the ground securely with the help of the rubber foot.

In the box you get a little carry case for the monopod which is useful to avoid scratching other gear in a tightly packed camera bag. The handle is foam covered and has a handy wrist strap which proves useful as a safety device in case you let go by accident.

The big drawback of this pod compared to some of the higher end models we’ve looked at is the lack of adjustable head. As a result changing the composition of your shot involves either adjusting the extension height or tilting the monopod at an angle. As a result we often found ourselves either leaning slightly off balance (not great for avoiding camera shake) or compromising on composition.

If you’re looking for a cheap but effective monopod then with the current discounts this really is a great choice that provides exceptional value.

Mid Range – Manfrotto 682B

This nice little monopod from the ubiquitous Manfrotto is aimed squarely at the middle market. If you are looking for some basic functionality with great build quality that will last for year then this  Manfrotto 682B might be what you are looking for. In fact I’ve got a friend that is still using the older version of this monopod nearly 10 years after he bought it.

The 3 sections (as opposed to the 4 on the Dolica) mean there is greater stability and more of a solid feel than the Dolica, weighing in at 1.1kg.

Extension ranges from 70cm to 1.7 meters providing more than enough height for most situations. Extra stability is added by the 3 flip down legs that lock into place. These little legs don’t look like they offer much but they offer a resistance point against which you can apply a very light pressure in order to maintain a rock steady position, helping you to avoid camera shake and benefit from sharper images.

The one downside we could find is that the little tripod legs rattle against the main stem when folded up though this could be easily resolved by adding some Velcro or rubber pads to the feet.

This is by far the best sub $100 monopod available at the minute. If you’ve spent hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on your SLR and lenses then it seems a shame to scrimp on a cheap monopod. The 682B is a great starting point at under $100.

The Top End – Manfrotto 561 BHDV-1 Monopod

This is certainly not the cheapest monopod out there but the Manfrotto 561 BHDV-1 is a truly professional quality monopod. With most newer DSLRs now having the ability to shoot full HD video it is becoming increasingly important to maintain a steady frame.

Like the Dolica there are 4 leg sections though there much thicker on the Manfrotto. Weighing in at 1.9kg this monopod feels and behaves like a truly professional piece of kit. Fully extended you get a full 2 meters of pod to play with while fully closed it is a fraction over 75cm.

Where this pod really comes in to it’s own is the swivel head. The integrated bubble spirit level provide a useful reference point while the fluid tilt mechanism moves through a range from -60 to 90 degrees. What this means is you can easily and effortless achieve the slow, smooth pans that are required for professional looking video shots. Extra stability is provided by the 3 flip down feet at the base of the monopod.

This is perhaps the best monopod for weddings or other situations where you’re shooting a mixture of stills and video. As you’d expect it provides the panning capabilities of a high end tripod with the flexibility and portability of a monopod.

Retailing at a bit over $250 this is a serious bit of kit for serious photographers. While it may seem a lot for a monopod, the superior image quality you can achieve from a pod like this (especially if you’re shooting video) is well worth the extra investment. Check out the latest prices on Amazon…

Having recently bought a 15″ MacBookPro I decided to try and buy a decent sleeve to protect it when traveling. I was not after a laptop bag, just a protective sleeve that would protect my MacBook and allow me to carry it around in my camera bag. After one false start, and reading a lot of reviews i settled on the Incase MacBookPro 15″ Sleeve.

The main reason I chose this sleeve over others is that most sleeves on the market are designed to fit all 15″ laptops. As a result they are usually 16″ meaning your MacBookPro rattles around inside a sleeve that is way too big for it. Infact prior to buying the Incase I bought a Logik sleeve that was way too big for my MacBook so I took it straight back for a refund!

The Incase on the other hand is custom designed to fit the MacBook pro which means it is exactly the right size. The design is plain and simple, no exterior pockets, no carry handles, no bells and whistles. It has obviously been designed to do just two things: fit a MacBookPro perfectly and protect it well. It does both of these superbly.

The main walls are thin neoprene on the outside which feel reassuringly protective, especially compared to other sleeves i’ve used in the past.. The edges are tough in order to protect the most vulnerable part of any laptop when in transit (the edges) while also being perforated to add ventilation.

Inside the sleeve of the Incase there is a great faux fur lining that is very soft and comforting to your macbook’s casing. This lining would be at home in the most comfortable pair of slippers so it is more than adequate for a MaBookPro! The inside of the zips are padded to avoid any scratching of the casing while the zippers themselves seem tough and coated in rubber to avoid any scratching when taking the MacBook out of the sleeve – a nice little detail.

This isn’t the cheapest laptop sleeve on the market (or the most expensive) however in my opinion it is well worth the money. If you’ve gone out and spent all that money on a nice shiny MacBookPro then spending a few more bucks (about $130 at the time of writing) to protect it well is definitely worth it and the Incase Neoprene MacBook Sleeve is one of the best choices you could make.

This is the second in our series of articles about strobism. In the first article we talked about exactly what strobism is all about and how it can dramatically improve the pictures you take.  In this article we’ll run through some of the basic kit you’ll need to get started in the world of strobism.

Flash Unit

Ok first off you are going to need a strobe right? There are a million and one options out there from the high end top of the range offerings from both Canon and Nikon to cheap brands you’ve probably never heard of from China.

Most of the newer expensive models from the big manufacturers come loaded with lots of sophisticated auto exposure, TTL gadgetry designed to allow you to use the flashes in auto mode and get great results. While these flashes are great and do amazing things to really improve you should learn to understand what your flashes are doing and how you can manipulate the light they produce.

As a result you should look for a cheap flash that allows you to manually control the power output as strobism is all about manually setting your flashes. We recommend a Strobist classic, the Vivitar 285 – Powerful, reliable and and under £100. You can’t go wrong.

Umbrella Stand

Next up you’re going to need a stand to mount your strobe on. This can be where it gets a bit confusing as just a stand will not help you, you’ll also need a mount head adapter and flash cold shoe.

Light stands come in various flavors however unless you are planning on shooting outdoors a lot (where wind can be a problem) then a fairly cheap one should be fine to  get you started.

The mount head adapter fits on top of the stand and carries the cold shoe adapter that your flash gets fixed to. The adapter lets you adjust the angle of the flash unit (and umbrella if you use one) and in our opinion these ‘joint areas’ are where most of the wear and tear takes place so are worth investing in a bit higher quality gear. The cold shoe mount simply lets you attach you flash unit to the adapter so any old cheap one will do.

Most umbrella adapters come with a hot shoe mount included.

Umbrella

One of the keys to successful off camera light is often being able to diffuse or soften the light, especially so when shooting portraits. The most common, flexible and cheapest way to do this is to use an umbrella. You’ll have two main options when it comes to choosing an umbrella:

1. A Reflective Umbrella
As the name suggests these umbrellas are used in such a way so that the flash is fired into the inside of the umbrella which in turn bounces the light back of the silver surface and onto your subject. Theresult is a nice soft diffused light, perfect for general portraits.

2. A Shoot Through Umbrella
Again as the name suggests these umbrellas work slightly differently to reflectors. The light is again fired inside the umbrella however they are made of translucent white material that lets the light pass trough to the other side, which is where your subject should be positioned.

2. The Best of Both Worlds

More recently there are umbrellas out there that give you the flexibility of both types of umbrella. They are made of two layers, one of which  is detachable. When the outer black layer is on then your umbrella is a reflector however take this outer layer off and you have a shoot through. For the small extra cost we think these convertible umbrellas are well worth it.

Strobist Kits

On Amazon there are a number of companies selling strobist kits containing umbrella/s, stands , mounts and adapters.  These are great as you usually save money and are guaranteed to get compatible gear.

Triggers

Ok so strobism is all about getting your flash off camera. You’re not going to get very far unless you have a decent way to be able to trigger your flash when it is over on the other side of the room to your camera.

You can use either cables or Infra red triggers/receivers to fire your flashed however both have quite heavy restrictions. Cables obviously limit you to the length of the cable while infra red often won’t work unless there is an uninterrupted line of sight between your camera and flash.

By fart the most reliable option to fire your off camera strobes is to use radio triggers. These trigger use radio frequencies to allow communication between the flash and the camera. The benefits of radio are that they have a much larger range (often a few hundred feet!) and no direct line of sight is required, unlike infra red.

If money is no object then you choice is a simple one, buy a set of the industry standard pocket wizards – we promise you won’t ever regret the investment.

If you are on a tighter budget then fear not their are some great radio triggers out there for not much money at all. With the cheaper (off brand triggers) you can expect the odd mis-fire and the designs can be a bit clunky to use however they cost a fraction the price of the pocket wizards so if you’re just starting out they are a no-brainer.

Batteries

Once you start experimenting with off camera flash you’ll soon start to worry about how much you are going to end up spending on AA batteries. It can be quite easy to use a set of AA batteries in a strobe over the course of a couple of hours, particularly if shooting on full power. Fear not because there is an easy way to save on this expense, just take a look at our article on the benefits of NiMH batteries.

Gels

Before you go and take your amazon cart to the checkout there is one other thing you may want to consider to get your strobist kit complete.A pack of strobist gels costs less than $10 and will prove well worth the money.

These are little strips of translucent plastic that you attach to the end of your flash unit to change the colour of the light it produces. You can use these to either give you backgrounds an interesting color such as the shot below or alternatively to neutralize or cancel out tricky/unflattering light such as nasty fluorescent strip lights often found in office buildings – very useful for those quick corporate head shots.

Summary

Hopefully you’ve realized that getting the right gear to get started with off camera flash need not be so confusing and in addition it doesn’t have to cost the earth.

Canon recently announced the new Canon EOS Rebel T2i (550D) as the latest addition to its range. The T2i is widely seen as a replacement for the Canon EOS Rebel T1i (500D) which was only released in 2009. IT continues the trend by dslr manufacturers to pack more of the features and technologies of professional cameras into the consumer end products.

In this post we’ll take a look at the key features of this new addition to the Canon range.

18Mp CMOS Sensor & Improved DIGIC 4 processor

This size of sensor take a big leap on from the 12.2MP that was in the 450d. This new sensor from Canon means you have the ability to be able to crop images much more without losing quality/size. Printing large posters or prints becomes much easier. Perhaps the best advantage this new sensor brings is the improved low light performance thanks to the DIGIC 4 sensor.

ISO Performance

ISO performance is always a key benchmark to look for in new cameras. The 550D’s ISO range  will be 100-6400 and expandable up to 12800. This huge range (along with the enhanced on board noise reduction) means much better performance in low light conditions. In addition you can set the maximum ISO to use if you are shooting in auto ISO mode.

Full HD Video Capture

Since it’s introduction on the Canon 5d Mk II Canon has gradually been adding this functionality onto it’s new models. The 550D will record full 1920 x 1080p HD resolution video at  up to 30fps, much better than the sometimes jerky 20fps on the Canon EOS Rebel T1i (500D) it replaces.

Drop down to 720p and you can shoot at up to 60 fps. Also a nice feature is the ability to plug in an external mic, enabling you to capture the best possible sound. The camera also has an HDMI connection allowing you to playback photos or video on an HDTV with minimal fuss.

Another nice addition is the movie crop feature. This allows you to shoot video using only the center part of the sensor, magnifying you subjects by about 7 times! This is perfect for when your subjects are a long way away and you can’t change to a telephoto lens.

LCD Display

As you’d expect the LCD display on the 550D is bigger and brighter than ever. Measuring 7.7cm it boasts a 3:2 ratio allowing you to preview your shots in the true ratio. The 1040k resolution screen displays  vivid colors making previewing your shots on camera a pleasure.

Additional Usability

One great little feature is the new “Q” button on the back that allows you to access the quick control screen which contains your most used controls. A simple but very slick addition.

This camera follows in the footsteps of the 7D and allows you up to 5 stops up or down of exposure compensation, great for making sure you get the perfect exposure and simply awesome for the HDR lover!

Another great addition is the compatibility with Eye-Fi memory cards. Replace one of your regular SD cards with and Eye-Fi card and you can transfer pictures from camera to computer directly using wifi, no need for any leads whatsoever, you don’t even need to remove your card from your camera.

Available for less that $800 on Amazon this camera is sure to be a hit.

Tokina have just announced that they are about to launch their 11-16mm f2.8 AT-X Pro DX lens with a Sony Alph mount. Until now this has only been available for Canon and Nikon users. The new Sony Mount 11-16mm went on sale in Japan yesterday (Feb 24th 2010) with a global roll out expected to follow shortly.

Tokina 11-16 Lens

As we mentioned in our review of the Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 this lens takes a bit of getting used to however when you learn to play by its rules it produces some stunning photographs. Check out our full review here.

We’ve written a lot on Digital SLR Guru about the Canon 50mm f1.8 lens. In fact for about two years it was my go to lens that rarely got taken off my camera. All this changed however when I decided to upgrade to it’s older brother the Canon EF f1.4 50mm….

Differences between the 50mm f1.8 and f1.4?

Well the obvious and main difference between these two lenses is the extra f stop you get with the f1.4 version. If like me you tend to shoot indoors a lot (in poor light conditions) having that extra stop will make a big difference.

On top of the extra f stop the f1.4 has everything that the f1.8 gets criticised for not having;

• Faster & Less Noisy USM Focus Motor
• Solid All Round Build Quality
• Usable Manual Focus Ring
• Metal Mount Ring

In our review of the 50mm f1.8 we dismissed these features as worth sacrificing for the wonderful image quality. Well the 50mm gives you both the image quality plus all of the above.

Build Quality

One of the main criticisms levelled at the 50mm f1.8 is the cheap, plastic build quality. For the price and image quality of the f1.8 this can be forgiven in our opinion. The 50mm f1.4 on the other hand is build much more like the rest of Canons range of lenses. The f1.4 feels like a “proper lens”, one that is built to last and one that belongs on your expensive digital slr, and will last for many years to come.

The f1.8 version was often accused of feeling like a toy, this f1.4 version doesn’t have the same problem. The f1.4 is built using much more robust materials, including a solid metal mount ring. Overall when mounted on the camera this version feels much more balanced with the weight of you slr.

Usability

One of the big advantages of the f1.4 is the fast ad quiet USM motor that powers the auto focus. The 50mm f1.8 often tended to hunt about for focus in very low light. With the 1.4 this is much less of a problem with focusing being much faster and quieter.

The USM Focus on the 50mm f1.4 lens is impressive

The focus ring on the f1.4 is on the middle of the lens barrel (like most other Canon lenses) and has a smooth action allowing fine adjustments by using the ridged rubber grip. This is much better than the barely usable end mounted ring on the f1.8 that made manual focus virtually impossible.

Unlike the f1.8, the f1.4 comes with a focus distance window, again very useful for manual focusing. Also this lens incorporates manual override feature allowing you to over ride the autofocus by simply twisting the focus ring.

Image Quality of the 50mm f1.4

The image quality if very similar to the f1.8 version in out tests. Unless you look very closely it is very hard to detect much improvement in the quality of images the two lenses produce.

You may expect to see a massive improvement baring in mind this lens costs over twice the price of the f1.8 however most of the extra money goes on the features discussed above. It just proves that the f1.8 was built with only image quality in mind, at the expense of everything else!

The 50mm f1.4 is a great portrait lens…

What this lens does is excel in low light. The extra f stop and USM focus motor mean sharp shots i very low light are possible. The shot blow was hand held at f1.4 on a very low light street.

50mm f1.4 Low Light Performance

The quality of images is still great even for a lens at this price. Colours are vivid and the lens is tack sharp about a stop and a half from maximum aperture.

Another benefit of this lens over the f1.8 is the bokeh it produces. The f1.4 has an 8 blade aperture (compared to 6 in the f1.8) which gives it a softer, more rounded bokeh effect when shooting at big apertures.

Summary

Whether you choose the 50mm f1.8 or the f1.4 version will depend both on your budget and expected use required from a 50mm lens.

If like me you are regularly shoot in poor light (and like to avoid using the flash) we’d recommend you opt for the 50mm f1.4. The big aperture of this lens allows you to shoot fast shutter speeds using lower ISOs.

Don’t get us wrong the f1.8 is a great lens however we feel the better build quality, extra f stop and faster/quieter USM focus motor make the f1.4 a better long term purchase.

Click here to check out the latest prices of the Canon 50mm f1.4 lens.

The aim of this lens is to provide professional photographers with a small, portable standard zoom lens to use on everyday shoots. At is widest this lens provides the photographer with a great wide angle while also having the ability to zoom to just over the 100mm mark.

It must be remembered that if you are using this lens on a cropped frame camera then the equivalent focal length of this lens is about 38-168mm meaning you miss out slightly at the wide end but gain some zoom at the telephoto end.

Build Quality

As with all of Canon’s L series lenses the build quality is superb. Unlike non L lenses this lens is weather sealed meaning it will be fine in a light shower and in addition comes with a lens hood included in the price.

The USM motor makes the focusing both speedy and quiet while the Image Stabilization does a great job of reducing the effects of camera shake, meaning you’ll get sharper images, especially at lower shutter speeds.

If you are new to L series lenses the first thing you will notice is that performance and build quality often comes at the expense of weight. This lens is naturally larger and heavier than other similar lenses in Canon’s range such as the EF-S 17-85mm or EFS-18-55 or kit lens that comes with most of the cropped body cameras.

As mentioned above the weight instantly makes this lens feel solid and like it will last an age, after all this lens is designed to be used on a daily basis by professional photographers so it needs to be tough.

Performance

The internal optics offer a constant aperture of f4.0 throughout the focal range of the lens. Both the zoom and focus ring are reassuringly smooth and solid at the same time allowing you to make very small precise changes easily. You can also adjust or override the automatic focusing at any time by simply turning the focus ring which is a nice option.

As expected all focusing is internal meaning that the lens doesn’t increase in size as you focus (unlike most cheaper lenses in the same class). When on auto focus mode the USM motor is fast and quiet – no complaints in this area.

Canon claim that the Image Stabilization system on this lens offers the equivalent of 3 stops of compensation meaning hand holding is a possibility at much slower shutter speeds. This is the equivalent of being able to hand hold not at 1/60 of a second but at 1/6, a truly remarkable performance enhancer! During our tests the IS system certainly made a dramatic difference to the shots we took.

Image Quality

The old adage of you get what you pay for certainly holds true with this lens. The lens performs well throughout its focal range and certainly way above the non L series lenses. Unlike some of its competitors there is minimal vignetting or chromatic aberrations.

If you are looking to upgrade your kit lens to something that will last you well into the future then this lens has to be one of the best options out there. Not only does it offer you are large focal range from traditional wide angle to short telephoto but the image quality is impressive throughout. This really is a multi purpose lens that will last you a life time. The Canon EF 24-105mm f4 L IS USM is certainly one of the best lenses we have tested here at Digital SLR Guru.

One question we get asked about all of the time is “what is the best walkabout lens?”.

This got us thinking about why the usual answer is a zoom lens with a large focal range and what other alternatives are out there.

What is a Walkabout Lens?

In order to be able to answer this question we must first think about what we mean by walkabout lens. Well most people want to know what is the most flexible lens to carry around with you when you do not know what you are going to be shooting. You may head to a friends house, go to a bar, take a drive into the country, but if you were only taking your camera body and one lens what would it be.

Most people think that a lens such as the kit lens that comes on many entry level dslr cameras is the best option. With a focal length of around 18-55mm it is easy to see that the flexibility of this range allows you to comfortably shoot landscapes as well as portraits for example. However we believe there are better walk about lenses out there.

The 18-55mm Kit Lens Can Take Great Photos, Especially Outdoors

The big problem that most people encounter with their kit lenses is the small aperture. While ‘walking about’ all too often i find myself indoors or in a low light situation where i need a lens with a large aperture. As a result for my walkabout lens I opt for a prime or fixed focal length lens with a large aperture.

I think that too many people rely on zoom lenses far too much.  It is very easy to fall in to the trap of thinking it is essential to need a zoom lens with a range of 18-200mm so that you can capture ‘any’ scene that unfolds in front of you. What many people seem to forget is that we are all fitted with our own zoom mechanism – our feet.

There are actually very few instances where you simply cannot get the shot you want if you only have a prime lens. In fact I am a firm believer that when using a prime lens you are, by default, forced to give a lot more  thought to the composition of your photographs.

I think it is fair to say that zoom lenses make us lazy but equally so prime lenses force you into a creative mind set, which ultimately makes you a better photograph.

So what lens do I use as a walkabout lens? Well the lens that is on my current dslr most of the time is the Canon 50mm f1.8 prime lens. If you haven’t already you should definitely check this lens out.