Registered: Oct 28, 2009
Total Posts: 2356
Country: United States
Jack OBrien wrote:
The reason wedding, sports, and wildlife photographers don't put trains on the edge of a frame is because they don't shoot trains....... 
Sorry, I just can't help it.....
The point of the 50mm f/1.8 observation is this..... at about 1/10th the price of the 17-55mm, it is an incredible lens. It's funny that your would "replace" a 50mm f/1.8 with a 17-55 when they are two entirely different lenses, in all respects.
BTW, I also shoot with the 17-55mm, and it flares like a biach when locomotive headlights are shining into it. I haven't found the 50mm f/1.8 to be any worse in this respect.
When I shoot wide, I use a WA, in my case, my 12-24mm Nikkor.
I hate polarizers.
Trains about to run off the edge are one of my pet peeves. Take a look at shots done by O.W. Link, Howard Ande, Steve Crise, Scott Lothes, etc. to get an idea of how my own preference came to be. Most issues of Trains Magazine or Railroad & Railfan magazine have at least a few of their shots, or you can google them.
I've come to think that the lens is the single most critical piece of gear, and I don't use cost as a criteria. My choice was to have fewer lenses, but have each one be the very best available. I keep good lenses a lot longer than I keep cameras, 
. I've not had trouble with flare/ghosting with my Nikon 17-55mm f2.8. I do use lens hoods with every lens every time though. The very worst lens I ever owned for that was the 85mm f1.8. For me, it was unusuable. The 50mm f1.8 isn't anywhere near as bad, but I think the 17-55mm is a tad sharper with better color. (Newer coatings?) I also shoot some 4x5 and see DSLR as my "fast" system. I love the speed of using a zoom. I used to own the Nikon 12-24mm f4, but needed something faster for my night shots. I went with the Tokina 11-16mm f2.8, which is excellent. Sold the Nikon. As a bonus, the Tokina has less distortion. Not everybody needs f2.8, but if you do there is no substitute.
Since I have a landscape photography background, I see a polarizer as absolutely indispensable. On your second shot I think it would have removed the glare from the windows so you could see the crew, as well as put better color in the sky. I generally never use filters, but a polarizer and ND grads are the exceptions. Most of my train shots are done at night now, and obviously I don't use polarizers for those.
Kent in SD,
Noct Foamer
