Originally posted by drewdlephone A Fast Fifty Is Really A Fast 75mm
There's enough confusion going around regarding what the "crop factor" really means that I think this is a misleading statement. I would phrase it as "A Fast Fifty really has a 75mm field of view".
I usually use my SMC-M 50mm f/1.4 only when I have a special need to restrict depth of field at longer subject distances. As you alluded, I find that it's frequently too long to use in low light situations since these are often indoors where it's difficult to back up far enough to frame the subject. But it is terrific for head-and-shoulder shots.
I recently bought the DA35mm macro limited and it's become my "normal" lens. It's a terrific lens, and while I'm not exactly a macro photographer I really love the fact that the lens has for all intents and purposes no limit on how close I can focus.
For low-light indoor shots I usually find myself using the DA35 or DA12-24. While slower than the fast fifty, the wider field of view (which makes hand-held shots easier) and the ability to shoot up to about ISO 800 with no appreciable noise means that I don't miss the faster lens all that much.