Buying my 1st fixed focal length lens

Mydadssideburns

Mydadssideburns

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Craig
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Morning all

Im looking to purchase my 1st fixed focal length lens for my Nikon D3100. Im undecided between a 50mm or a 35mm. If you were in my shoes which would you choose.

The lens is help me improve my newbie skills and take some cracking pics of my 1st child when he/she finally arrives at the end of the year.
 
I have both on the 50d, and on a cropper, the 35mm is an ideal focal length.

I love my Canon 35mm f/2!
 
Nikon 35mm 1.8 AF-S

sorted
 
I had the 50mm 1.8 on my D7000, couldn't get on with it, bought the 35mm 1.8 and absolutely love it. You should try both then decide.
 
Ona crop sensor body 50mm becomes the equivalent of about 75 mm which in my experience isn't that useful. My advice would be if you've got a zoom that covers this particular range, to set it to 35mm for a day and take photos only at that focal length, then the same with 50mm, and see which you prefer.
 
viewfromthenorth said:
Ona crop sensor body 50mm becomes the equivalent of about 75 mm which in my experience isn't that useful. My advice would be if you've got a zoom that covers this particular range, to set it to 35mm for a day and take photos only at that focal length, then the same with 50mm, and see which you prefer.
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I don't think it's fair to say a 50mm is not useful on a crop. I have 3 primes, Canons 35mm f/2, 50mm f/1.8 and 85mm f/1.8 and they are all as useful as eachother. Yes I prefer the 35mm overall but I still wouldn't be without my 50mm!
 
I have a 30mm f/1.4 and a 50mm f/1.8 on a crop (Canon 40D), and I'd probably have to blow the dust of the 50mm to use it, whilst the 30mm lives on the camera and is used 90% of the time. But it's horses for courses.. if I was planning on doing a lot of portraits I'd probably look at 85mm rather than either of the two shorter focal lengths.
 
odd jim said:
I don't think it's fair to say a 50mm is not useful on a crop. I have 3 primes, Canons 35mm f/2, 50mm f/1.8 and 85mm f/1.8 and they are all as useful as eachother. Yes I prefer the 35mm overall but I still wouldn't be without my 50mm!
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That's fine, just relaying my own personal experience :)
 
odd jim said:
I have both on the 50d, and on a cropper, the 35mm is an ideal focal length.

I love my Canon 35mm f/2!
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what he said!

I got a nifty-fifty (cus you have to) and had the 50mm 1.4 for a week. Never use the nifty anymore. The 35mm is just the right range.
 
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Hi, I also will be buying my first prime lens sometime soon, I was going to get the 50mm
what is so good about the 35mm compared?
I guess I was thinking the 50mm so distance would be slightly better, but I have no idea to be fair :lol:
 
Quickshooter said:
Hi, I also will be buying my first prime lens sometime soon, I was going to get the 50mm
what is so good about the 35mm compared?
I guess I was thinking the 50mm so distance would be slightly better, but I have no idea to be fair :lol:
Click to expand...

Same as me

I think ill just go and get the 35mm lens, and then wait a while and buy the
50mm soon after.

Only then I guess, I will manage to form an opinion for myself. From the comments Ive seen, 1 size doesn't fit all.
 
Quickshooter said:
Hi, I also will be buying my first prime lens sometime soon, I was going to get the 50mm
what is so good about the 35mm compared?
I guess I was thinking the 50mm so distance would be slightly better, but I have no idea to be fair :lol:
Click to expand...

35mm on crop sensors gives a field of view nearly identical to a 50mm on 35mm format.
50mm's are popular on 35mm format because it pretty much matches the human eye for framing (hard to explain until you look through a full frame viewfinder at 50mm, then it becomes obvious).

35mm's do much the same on crop format.

As a general "walkabout" prime, most people find 50mm on crop too tight since it's equivalent FoV to 75 or 80mm on 35mm format.
 
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squishy said:
35mm on crop sensors gives a field of view nearly identical to a 50mm on 35mm format.
50mm's are popular on 35mm format because it pretty much matches the human eye for framing (hard to explain until you look through a full frame viewfinder at 50mm, then it becomes obvious).

35mm's do much the same on crop format.

As a general "walkabout" prime, most people find 50mm on crop too tight since it's equivalent FoV to 75 or 80mm on 35mm format.
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Ah right ok that makes sense! Thank you :thumbs: in this case i will look at getting a 35mm :)
Also does it matter much whether its a f1.4 or f1.8 i see the price difference is quite large, for me and shooting people and some landscape i guess the 1.8 will be fine :)
Thanks again!
 
Mydadssideburns said:
Same as me

I think ill just go and get the 35mm lens, and then wait a while and buy the
50mm soon after.

Only then I guess, I will manage to form an opinion for myself. From the comments Ive seen, 1 size doesn't fit all.
Click to expand...


I think I will be doing the same now from what has been said. :)
 
Would you guys say the Canon 35mm f/2 is a better lens than the Canon 50mm 1.8. IQ etc?
 
I like my 50mm and would recommend that ahead of a 35mm. For shooting my kids I find that I can get nice headshots and general portraits. With 35mm I would have to be closer, or end up with too much background. Just got an 85mm and loving that!
 
+1 that 50mm on a crop frame is slightly too long. I get much more use out of my 29mm 2.8 although its nothing like as good quality as my 50mm 1.8, because you can always crop from a wider lens but you can't do the opposite with a lens too long.
 
cam1986 said:
Would you guys say the Canon 35mm f/2 is a better lens than the Canon 50mm 1.8. IQ etc?
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Iq wise, the Canon 35mm f/2 is far better wide open than the 50mm, it's a lot, lot sharper. The point the poster above made about needing to be closer with the 35mm isolate the background is a fairly moot point, as you can comfortably shoot at f/2 (and isolate the background) with the 35mm and get very sharp results whereas you have stop the 50mm down to f/2.8 at the very least to get anywhere near the same sharpness, bringing the background further into focus to varying degrees.

I also prefer the focal range (on crop) to the 50mm and is a far better portrait lens on a crop IMO.
 
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Ive been having the same problem, undecided between 50mm and 35mm.

One of the reviews on the internet suggested that the 50mm has nicer bokeh and is a little sharper. But like people have said, 35mm is possibly a slightly more useful range for day to day use.

For now, im still undecided, especially as theres only a few £ between them.
 
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