Sequels – Another round with a Nifty-Fifty

A few weeks ago I went to Wales with some pals. We all took our interns with us and did our best to entertain them on the Welsh coast. Prepping my bag before we left I was told that a suitcase full of cameras would be inappropriate, (as would a tripod and lee filters). I was once again left to wonder what would be both big enough, small enough, good enough and yet light enough. All this, while still being heavyweight.

Last February we took the intern down to family in Cornwall and I took a Canon 5d and 50mm f/1.8 along with me. I enjoyed the combo, shooting it freely, embracing its limitations, relishing its strengths, and when time came to return it, I was reluctant. After reminiscing with one of my long-suffering friends about how light the 5d mkI was, he pointed out that I was a moron. He was right, actual research revealed that the mkIV is 11 grams lighter than the mkI. The difference was all in the lens. My 50mm f/1.2L, (a lens I love so much I’ve considered getting a tattoo of its optical formula), weighs a whopping 625g with its hood up. The 50mm f/1.8 in comparison weighs 159g, (I don’t have the hood). I kept it because of its lightness, and because the STM focus motor is useful for occasional video work. As I cast around my studio it became a clear choice to take to Wales. I stuck it on the front of one of mkIV bodies and thrust it into a bag, (with my Leica and Mju). Cue holiday snaps –

Conclusions

While the mass of the two bodies might be very similar there is a weight attached to the cost of the camera. I enjoyed shooting the mkIV combo, and took some nice pictures, but I know that I didn’t feel as free as I did with the mkI. Last year I was more devil-may-care, scampering (climbing slowly) over rocks and pools in a way I just didn’t with my mkIV. Something about all of that sand and salty water and the fact that I need the camera for work made me more risk-averse than I was with the mkI. The 50mm is fast enough, sharp enough, light enough, and it’s still the cheapest lens that Canon sell. In my ongoing, fruitless, misguided and ultimately stupid search for the perfect camera, (posts passim), I’m often guilty of overlooking that which is in my arsenal. The trip was ace, interns and parents alike enjoyed the seaside and the break, and both tripod and filters would indeed have been inappropriate.