50mm f 1.8 prime

I'm all a twitter.

I just placed an order at Amazon for a new lens. At under $100.00 it's the cheapest lens Canon has in its whole line-up. But it's good! It's nicknamed the 'Plastic Fantastic' and the 'Nifty Fifty.' I've read reviews and it's cheaply made (plastic, no metal, ask me if I care) but the glass is quality glass, tack sharp they say. It's my first prime lens which means there's no zoom. There's a trade-off between prime and zoom lenses. With zoom you don't have to move to get your shot. This is good for wildlife because usually where you stand when you first see the animal or bird, that's your shot like it or not. You don't get a chance to step closer so it's ideal to be able to twist that zoom ring from where you stand. My 100-400mm L lens (L is professional quality) set me back a pretty penny but I use it all the time.

Portraiture, that's a whole 'nother ball of wax. Definitely, this will cause me to move out of my comfort zone. Now why is it necessary for me to step outside my comfort zone? I have no answer to that question, but it seems to happen with regularity one way or another in my life. Anyway, I need a lens that's better for indoor photography. At the price, how can I go wrong. And it'll give me a place to grow, to improve. I will need to work on composition. It'll force me to move and to think about what elements I want in the frame.

My other option was an external flash but the one I want is several hundred dollars. Besides that, I don't want to be flashing in the kids' faces. I need to use the available light.

I'm up for it. Ready, set, go. Vvvvrrooom, vvvrrroooom! Thank you to Kim, Keri W., Collette, Fox for having faith in my photography potential when my own faith is lagging.