50 f1.8 vs 35 f2

[listener]

hi guys i'm a new owner of a 500d and been playing arnd with my 18-55 kit lens for awhile. i'm looking for a lens with big aperture to play around with. what are your opinions for these 2 lenses? i'm not looking to take only portraits, general walkabout shots as well.

the price diff is obviously one of my main concerns since i'm only student :sweat: so not enough $$ to buy both even tho they are not considered very exp to others. any comments??

 

[magicianhisoka]

hi guys i'm a new owner of a 500d and been playing arnd with my 18-55 kit lens for awhile. i'm looking for a lens with big aperture to play around with. what are your opinions for these 2 lenses? i'm not looking to take only portraits, general walkabout shots as well.

the price diff is obviously one of my main concerns since i'm only student :sweat: so not enough $$ to buy both even tho they are not considered very exp to others. any comments??

I think your biggest concern is the range. The difference in aperture probably isn't that big a difference. you could always just get a 50mm 1.8 to experiment with first since its kinda cheap. Personally I found myself doing better with 30mm. Hope that helps

 

[voxies09]

Yes agree 50mm 1.8 is cheap but not so good on all around purpose, at least u have to move ur body to zoom

 

[martxx]

I have 35mm f2, 50mm f1.4 and sold off my 50mm 1.8.

For both full frame and crop bodies i prefer the 35mm f2 as i usually shoot indoors and it gives me more space.
That being said, the sharpness and quality of the 50mm f1.4 is better than the 35mm f2.

For me the noisy focussing on the 50mm 1.8 is a turn off.
The 50mm 1.4 is really much better and worth saving up for.

 

[coffee3in1]

I have the same setup as you, plus the 50. I use the kit lens more often as I find 80mm (1.6 crop equivalent) too tight. In search for a general purpose , I tried the 28/1.8 and like it.
Factors holding me back are:
1) It is not as lightweight as the kit lens or 50/1.8
2) It's soft wide open. The softness is expected for large aperture lens.

FYI the price is ($7xx). You can test out at most shops before you commit.
I can recommend Florence (cool & steady) from CP-P if you don't have a fav.

 

[sinned79]

go for 35 since u are on crop body.

cos 50 becomes 85 when u use it on crop body.

 

[magicianhisoka]

Call me biased, but I preferred the Sigma 30mm 1.4 to the canon 28mm 1.8. But yes, best is to test. I'm looking at Sigma or canon 50mm 1.4 soon

 

[kaylan2000]

Few facts

35mm on 1.6 cropped body is 50mm on full frame
50mm on 1.6 cropped body is 80mm on full frame
50mm is equivalent to normal human viewing angle
f/1.8 and f/2 is just one stop difference

Both are equally good lenses. 50mm is probably the best value for money lens from Canon and probably from any lens manufacturer.

50mm is not really suitable for walk around but quite nice for portraits/candid... not suitable for group photos in small room.

35mm is more wide and hence can be used for a bit of general purpose, portraits/candid and group photos.

Finally, 50mm is around $120, plastic mount and 35mm is around $430 (if you find one) with metal mount.

And yes, I have both.

 

[jimmygoo]

35 f2 is a better choice for crop body. gives you a much wider angle, and sharper than 50 f1.8. 50mm is too much length for a walk about lens on a crop body.

 

[leschua75]

Few facts

35mm on 1.6 cropped body is 50mm on full frame
50mm on 1.6 cropped body is 80mm on full frame
50mm is equivalent to normal human viewing angle
f/1.8 and f/2 is just one stop difference

Both are equally good lenses. 50mm is probably the best value for money lens from Canon and probably from any lens manufacturer.

50mm is not really suitable for walk around but quite nice for portraits/candid... not suitable for group photos in small room.

35mm is more wide and hence can be used for a bit of general purpose, portraits/candid and group photos.

Finally, 50mm is around $120, plastic mount and 35mm is around $430 (if you find one) with metal mount.

And yes, I have both.

Sorry TS..borrow ur thread for a quick question.

Bro..Just chop in and ask a quick question..How about the 28mm f2.8 on a crop body? no diff since the 28mm is on f2.8?

 

[kaylan2000]

28mm on cropped body is not wide enough for me. I hv that great 28-135, which I hardly used more that 10 times in last 3-4 years!!

24/28/30 does not fit my style and hence never really explored much. However, I heard from many that the Sigma(24mm and 30mm) are significantly better than Canon 24 and 28mm

 

[listener]

seems like the consensus is on 35mm f2!

yup i'm aware of the crop factor and just i've tested the 50mm before and i understand must really walk backwards alot. okay thanks guys! looks like my choice is clear! :thumbsup:

now just need to eat bread and water for 1 month... :sweat:

 

[An drew]

seems like the consensus is on 35mm f2!

good choice for the reasons given. can still use it on FF in the future.

 

[engrmariano]

i have both for diff puposes...

35f2 on 5D2 for wider angle and 50f1.8 on 550D for tighter...

 

[mpenza]

I had both and sold both in favour of the 50 f1.4 which I seldom use too I'm lazy and usually go with a zoom (18-200 IS stayed on my camera most times).

I do find 35f2 better for general photography while 50mm focal length is more suited to shooting small kids (both on crop sensor). 28 f1.8 would do for general photography too but image quality isn't as good as the 35f2 (from review I read, no experience with the lens). I do have a Sigma 20f1.8 which is useful for indoor shots of people.

 

[pattanct]

i feel that 50mm give better boken then 32mm

 

[sinned79]

i feel that 50mm give better boken then 32mm

32? u mean 35?

i find 50 on crop body and ff, the bokeh slightly differs a bit (just my personal experience).

overall i find 35 more suitable on crop bodies.

 

[pattanct]

32? u mean 35?

i find 50 on crop body and ff, the bokeh slightly differs a bit (just my personal experience).

overall i find 35 more suitable on crop bodies.

oops...new lens...yes 35...or even 30 also can...

no doubt 35f2 is more wide for crob...but i find it is somewhere in between....if i need the wide, i can use my 17-55...but if purely for protrait, i prefer 50mm...on my crob body...

 

[giantcanopy]

hi guys i'm a new owner of a 500d and been playing arnd with my 18-55 kit lens for awhile. i'm looking for a lens with big aperture to play around with. what are your opinions for these 2 lenses? i'm not looking to take only portraits, general walkabout shots as well.

the price diff is obviously one of my main concerns since i'm only student :sweat: so not enough $$ to buy both even tho they are not considered very exp to others. any comments??

the 50mm f1.8 prime a great value for money lens, sharp and cheap.

Other than the good glass, the rest is plastic ( some things have to give ), manual focusing ring issin too intuitive and like others mentioned, the AF is a little noisier. BUT with the budget constrain, it is one good lens to try. I used 50mm prime on aps-c sensor cameras before and i loved it

ryan

 

[Bryson]

Hi mate!
I'm also a user of the 500D, student as you too. I own a 50mm F/1.8 MKII and I'm very happy with it as my walkabout lens.
As what others said, the AF noise might be a little noisier but it doesnt matter, at least you know when its AF. The MF ring might be a little too small for big hands like mine but it has enough space for me to turn it around. It gives good IQ too. Its light too! I could even shoot pictures using one hand. Hope this helps.
Cheers!