Better choice for walkabout and street candid

[richardchua85]

Hi guys,

Hope to get some information and guidances from you all. There's 2 prime lens that I have been thinking for quite sometime, but still unable to get an answer.

Would it be better to use a 40mm pancake or a 50mm f1.4 for walkabout, street candid and also for events? The consideration of purchasing the prime is that to move around lighter and also because of the speed.

Currently, I'm using only the kit lens of 18-200mm with a 60D body. The kit lens had serve me well but sometimes the weight is an issue. And also in October, I will be getting the sigma 18-35mm f1.8.

Should I get either 40mm or 50mm f1.4 or to get both?

Thanks for all the help that I could get from you all.

 

[Reportage]

Hi guys,

Hope to get some information and guidances from you all. There's 2 prime lens that I have been thinking for quite sometime, but still unable to get an answer.

Would it be better to use a 40mm pancake or a 50mm f1.4 for walkabout, street candid and also for events? The consideration of purchasing the prime is that to move around lighter and also because of the speed.

Currently, I'm using only the kit lens of 18-200mm with a 60D body. The kit lens had serve me well but sometimes the weight is an issue. And also in October, I will be getting the sigma 18-35mm f1.8.

Should I get either 40mm or 50mm f1.4 or to get both?

Thanks for all the help that I could get from you all.

Depends on your shooting style. Check what is your most often used focal length and then get the fastest prime you can afford for it.

For me, i prefer not to pose the subject and take them as they are naturally so i would use a telephoto. If you like to pose the subject, might as well bring a small pns camera with raw capability since it is very difficult to get a posed shot wrong.

 

[shierwin]

Hi guys,

Hope to get some information and guidances from you all. There's 2 prime lens that I have been thinking for quite sometime, but still unable to get an answer.

Would it be better to use a 40mm pancake or a 50mm f1.4 for walkabout, street candid and also for events? The consideration of purchasing the prime is that to move around lighter and also because of the speed.

Currently, I'm using only the kit lens of 18-200mm with a 60D body. The kit lens had serve me well but sometimes the weight is an issue. And also in October, I will be getting the sigma 18-35mm f1.8.

Should I get either 40mm or 50mm f1.4 or to get both?

Thanks for all the help that I could get from you all.

The sigma weighs in at 810gm. The canon 18-200mm weighs in at 600gm. If wt is an issue, why are you buying a heavier sigma lens to replace the canon lens?

 

[richardchua85]

The sigma weighs in at 810gm. The canon 18-200mm weighs in at 600gm. If wt is an issue, why are you buying a heavier sigma lens to replace the canon lens?

Thanks for the reminder. But don't get me wrong. As I will be using the prime lens more on the registration period, where people are walking around and kind of crowded. And I feel that using a lighter and a prime would be a better way for me in indoor events. Therefore, having a prime would give me more options and able to get some image faster.

I have decided to get the 50mm but What you all think of between the sigma 50mm f1.4 compare to canon 50mm f1.4???

 

[rhino123]

I have decided to get the 50mm but What you all think of between the sigma 50mm f1.4 compare to canon 50mm f1.4???

From the reviews that I have read, Sigma 50mm f1.4 should have class leading image quality (Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM review: Digital Photography Review), so should be better than other 50mm f1.4. However, it is larger, heavier and more expensive than all of the other 50mm f1.4 lens, secondly, the first couple of batches (not sure about the quality now) suffer from quality issues, there are quite a number of complains that some copies of the Siggy 50mm f1.4 suffered from front or rear focusing issues... this should be solved by now though.

So when buying Siggy 50mm f1.4 lens, make sure you do a thorough check on it (actually come to think of it... you need to do thorough checks on all other lens too).

 

[ed9119]

assuming you are using a APSC sized sensor camera ..... with a 50mm you're going to get mostly head or half-body shots when the subjects are near to you .... and is bokeh important to you or do you want everything in sharp focus ?

i will rather stick with the kit zoom lens @5.6 to 6.5 and kick up the ISO

 

[richardchua85]

From the reviews that I have read, Sigma 50mm f1.4 should have class leading image quality (Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM review: Digital Photography Review), so should be better than other 50mm f1.4. However, it is larger, heavier and more expensive than all of the other 50mm f1.4 lens, secondly, the first couple of batches (not sure about the quality now) suffer from quality issues, there are quite a number of complains that some copies of the Siggy 50mm f1.4 suffered from front or rear focusing issues... this should be solved by now though.

So when buying Siggy 50mm f1.4 lens, make sure you do a thorough check on it (actually come to think of it... you need to do thorough checks on all other lens too).

Thanks for the advice.

 

[richardchua85]

assuming you are using a APSC sized sensor camera ..... with a 50mm you're going to get mostly head or half-body shots when the subjects are near to you .... and is bokeh important to you or do you want everything in sharp focus ?

i will rather stick with the kit zoom lens @5.6 to 6.5 and kick up the ISO

I have try it. But have to kick the iso quite high and the image will be quite bad. Any solution to this?

 

[rhino123]

I have try it. But have to kick the iso quite high and the image will be quite bad. Any solution to this?

If possible... use flash.

 

[SkyStrike]

I have try it. But have to kick the iso quite high and the image will be quite bad. Any solution to this?

When there isn't enough light, there isn't. So you will have to play around with the other parameters like shutter speed, iso if your aperture is already at its widest.

The next alternative will be to use a flash or Led light.

 

[richardchua85]

When there isn't enough light, there isn't. So you will have to play around with the other parameters like shutter speed, iso if your aperture is already at its widest.

The next alternative will be to use a flash or Led light.

You mean that there's LED light to attach to hotshoe?

 

[rhino123]

You mean that there's LED light to attach to hotshoe?

There is, that is what lots of videographer used. Or you can DIY one easily... Just buy a good LED torch, mill out a hotshoe (or buy one from ebay) mount, attached this two together and attach it to your cam.

 

[albertsy2]

The 18-200mm is a slow lens, and personally I really do not like it. Bokeh is horrendous, bad lens creep, and somehow the image focus looks like it is all over the place.
I've heard a lot of good things about the 50mm f1.4 but you have to remember that you do have a crop factor sensor, so it will give you an equivalent 80mm view -- good for portraits but not much else.
I'd rather wait for the 18-35 f1.8 because this is the usual range for journalism/street photography.

 

[richardchua85]

The 18-200mm is a slow lens, and personally I really do not like it. Bokeh is horrendous, bad lens creep, and somehow the image focus looks like it is all over the place.
I've heard a lot of good things about the 50mm f1.4 but you have to remember that you do have a crop factor sensor, so it will give you an equivalent 80mm view -- good for portraits but not much else.
I'd rather wait for the 18-35 f1.8 because this is the usual range for journalism/street photography.

Thanks for the great input. That's for sure will be getting the 18-35mm. But than mostly will be getting the sigma 50mm lens.

 

[kei1309]

When there isn't enough light, there isn't. So you will have to play around with the other parameters like shutter speed, iso if your aperture is already at its widest.

The next alternative will be to use a flash or Led light.

TS: remember not to use flash or LED lights for streets. Unless you feel like startling people

 

[pinholecam]

Hi guys,

Hope to get some information and guidances from you all. There's 2 prime lens that I have been thinking for quite sometime, but still unable to get an answer.

Would it be better to use a 40mm pancake or a 50mm f1.4 for walkabout, street candid and also for events? The consideration of purchasing the prime is that to move around lighter and also because of the speed.

Currently, I'm using only the kit lens of 18-200mm with a 60D body. The kit lens had serve me well but sometimes the weight is an issue. And also in October, I will be getting the sigma 18-35mm f1.8.

Should I get either 40mm or 50mm f1.4 or to get both?

Thanks for all the help that I could get from you all.

The 40mm is rather small (for Canon), easy to take around lens that is somewhat 'longish normal'.
That means that for moderate working distances between subject to camera its got some bit of FOV to show off the environment, but not that much.
Pretty good for shy photographers who don't dare to go nearer the subject, but not too long either like a 85mm on aps-c which is quite a distance to subject which can pose a problem with ppl moving about into the line of sight.

It depends on what you need/want.
The 50 is faster and has more DOF control.
But its also going to have tighter framing for the same working distance compared to the 40mm
The Sigma 50/1.4 is also not a small lens.

IMO, the 40mm is a bit more versatile for walkabouts.
I often just bring a 40mm in the bag anyway, since its small and very light (mine's a DA40XS btw, not the Canon)
f2.8 is good enough for most street lit situations on today's cameras (eg. Malacca Pasar malam; Taiwan night markets; etc)

You might also want to look at your current photos (streets and walkabouts) and see what focal length you usually use on the 18-200.
That can help you determine what you prefer.

 

[JasonB]

It is better to just shoot.

 

[SkyStrike]

Thanks for the great input. That's for sure will be getting the 18-35mm. But than mostly will be getting the sigma 50mm lens.

But something to keep in mind. To get more light, you use a larger aperture. But also at the same time, you also lose depth of field. There are times where a flash (or higher iso) is really needed instead of using a larger aperture lens.

 

[richardchua85]

Whao! Thanks for all the valuable inputs.. It really started me thinking more about it... And make me able to know what I really wanted.. It seems to me that the 50mm is a better choice for me...

A very great thanks to all of you.

 

[Shizuma]

18-55 is my dream lens. kidding
but it works well enough.

if you are shooting at night - maybe get a fast prime.

most important is to shoot shoot shoot until you know how to use your equipment to its limit