35mm vs. 50mm & 50mm vs. 85mm

[neuroanatomist]

Are you recommending the 50mm and 85mm because of the particular lenses or because of the benefits of the focal lengths?

Hi Brett,


My recommendations are usually based on a combination of the two, but weighted heavily toward focal length. That makes sense - for example, if you're taking a pictures inside a 10x12 foot room with a 1.6x body, the best 85mm lens will not allow you to take a group shot. There's a pretty substantial difference between 50mm and 85mm. On a crop body, 35-50mm is good for full body portraits, for example, while 85mm is good for tight portraits (head shots, etc.).


So if you want a prime for the wide aperture, how do you choose the focal length? If you have a zoom covering that range, shoot with it set to various lengths, or look back over your EXIF data to see where your shots were taken. Else, guess based on comparisons to lenses you do have, or rent a lens if you like.


As a general rule, decide which focal length(s) you want/need, then get the best quality lens at the chosen focal length(s) that your budget permits. There are some nuances in there - for example, the 35mm f/2 is not the best quality (optically or build), the 50mm f/1.4 is pretty good for both, and the 85mm f/1.8 is excellent for IQ and very good for build.


Hope that helps...


--John

[Sean Setters]

Well said Neuro.

[Firephoto]

Thanks John and Sean.


What you have said does make sense. Just like every lens purchase I will need to weigh out it

[Sean Setters]

My primary camera is a Canon 7D; my backup is a 50D. Both are crop sensors.


And, speaking of the 50mm f/1.4, I used it Thurs night for this shot:





[img]/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer-Discussions-Components-Files/8/3583.IMG_5F00_9318_5F00_small.jpg[/img]

[Firephoto]

Sean,


Looks sharp. Good example. Especially due to the fact that a 7D is top of my Wish List.


Brett

[Sean Setters]

The 50mm f/1.4 is a sharp lens--but not at f/1.4. The picture above was taken at f/4.5.

[Daniel Browning]

LDH01, I agree that the image Sean posted is a good example, but personally I try to be a little more careful about how I draw conclusions about sharpness from web images. It