28mm or 35mm prime?

Solaris

Solaris

Solaris

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31 Oct 2006
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So I'm pretty new to all this, shoot a lot of portrait with the Canon nifty fifty on a 600d.

Just want something a little more wide angle, but really can't decide between the 28mm and 35mm lenses. And can't get my head around why they are so much more expensive than the 50mm.

I'm also trying to stick to EF lenses and stay away from anything EF-S in case I want to go full frame at some point in the future.
 
I'm assuming you're talking about the 35mm f2 and 28mm 1.8? I think the price difference is mainly due to build quality, metal mounts, focus motors etc.

I use the 28mm 1.8 on full frame and its pretty nice, much better build quality than the nifty fifty. Its sharp in the centre wide open but it still suffers from flare I've found. On a crop it will be sharper across the frame and give a nice 50mm-ish perspective.

You should also consider the 40mm 2.8 pancake, its awesome for the price imo, very sharp and contrasty but also tiny.
 
Yeah I've read that a lot about the 28mm 1.8. Apparently it isn't as bad if you use it at f/2.2

The 40mm pancake I've heard good things about but would probably be too close to the 50mm for my liking.
 
Has the new finish Sigma 30 f/1.4 come out yet? I'd go with that.

Also the price difference comes from all the things 42zx said, as well as the simple fact that optically it's very simple to make a sharp, reasonably fast 50, while most other lenses are a fair bit more complex to design and produce.

The 28mm 1.8 is more in the league of the 50mm 1.4, not the 50mm 1.8. The Canon 35mm is rubbish if you're talking about the old f/2 non stabilised version, and if you're talking about the IS version both the Sigma 30mm and Sigma 35mm (full frame) are much much better choices.
 
Yeah, I use it 2/2.2 mostly and its fine. It's bokeh is fine for the focal length as well. I've not tried the 35mm f2, mostly because I wanted something wider than that but I've heard good things, its also cheaper at about £170 second hand.

This is an example at 2.2 on the 28mm that I've posted before, albeit on full frame -


Day 73 by 42zx, on Flickr

and centre crop -


Crop by 42zx, on Flickr

and a bokeh example -


Day 89 by 42zx, on Flickr
 
Solaris said:
So I'm pretty new to all this, shoot a lot of portrait with the Canon nifty fifty on a 600d.

Just want something a little more wide angle, but really can't decide between the 28mm and 35mm lenses. And can't get my head around why they are so much more expensive than the 50mm.

I'm also trying to stick to EF lenses and stay away from anything EF-S in case I want to go full frame at some point in the future.
Click to expand...

Unless your into video, you will likely be better off with this.

This is the trouble with choosing gear when you are a noob.. you don't really know what's important in a camera to achieve the look you are going for.
 
An Exception makes a good point, a full frame camera with the 50mm is the other way to go. 5D classics are still awesome cameras and will easily give better images than any crop sensor, especially for protraits. Then you could get an 85mm 1.8 in the future :)
 
Ahhh I was going to see how my photography is going, do a few courses, then commit to a 5d mk III in January 2014 with a fat bonus that I've got coming.

I've already been told a few times how much better full sensor is which is why I'm shying away from anything EF-S.

I think I'm going to bite the bullet and go for the EF 28mm f1.8 USM. Then it will still be useful when I do switch to full frame.

Cheers guys :-)
 
The old Canon 35mm f2 isn't in the same league as the Sigma, but then it's a much older design and a third of the price. It's also much smaller and lighter. It's ok... These are on a crop sensor (wide open):


Jennie by jj_glos, on Flickr


Jennie by jj_glos, on Flickr

AF speed isn't lightening fast, but it has its moments:


Jennie by jj_glos, on Flickr

On a crop though I'd be using a Sigma 30mm f1.4 if it was the only body I had...
 
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