canon 35mm F2.0 - now do i need it ?

tomkbucks

tomkbucks

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thomas
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ive got a canon 60d , 50mm F1.8 and 18-135 canon lens.. and sigma 10-20 i really want to start to get better glass as the 18-135 is just not that sharpe or good in low light and the sigma 10-20 when out and about is a little to wide angled - would the 35mm canon answer the question ? or should i just learn to get the most out of my 18-135 and put the money towards the 70-200 sigma that i really want but just cannot yet afford !

advice needed please chaps :)
 
depends what you shoot.. but the canon 35mm f2 is one of my faveroute lens and would use it instead of the canon 24-70 (tried) or 17-40 (tried) both L glass. did a whole cross country shoot on it yesterday... there isnt another piece of glass i would swap it for...
 
i suppose id like 'one lens' i can go out for with it on for the day.. the 18-135 suffers from bad lens creep and is not that sharpe, plus no F2 ! and the 50mm is lovely but just that little to large at 50mm
 
I find the 18-135 very sharp, I love that lens! Persevere with it its capable of some VERY good images. I've taken some of my favorite landscape shots with that very lens. But yes, lens creep is annoying.

However, I also love the 35mm f/2, Should you get it? Yes!
 
on my recent trip to france i had a huge bag with lots of lenses and bits in - it would be nice to have just one lens on and take the thing out on my shoulder.. any comparison shots @ 35mm with the 18-135 lens ? when should i use one over the other.. hum decisions !
 
You MAY get frustrated just having the 35mm. When I go travelling I take my 18-135 for general stuff and the 35mm f/2 for low light and narrow DOF stuff - a very light pack to travel with! Here are a few comparisons;

EDIT - just noticed you wanted the 135 at 35mm but these 135mm shots arnt all at 35mm. But thats the point of the lens, it is flexible! Here are the shots I was going to post anyway...

18-135 IS;


Coast from Lands End 1 by Odd Jim, on Flickr


Lands End Landscape by Odd Jim, on Flickr


Harbour by Odd Jim, on Flickr

35mm f/2


Seagul by Odd Jim, on Flickr


Candles by Odd Jim, on Flickr

Flickr
What you looking at_ by Odd Jim, on Flickr
 
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Ok, here's a shot by shot comparison at 35mm between the two;

18-135 IS

18-135 by Odd Jim, on Flickr

100% crop 18-135 IS

18-135 100pc crop by Odd Jim, on Flickr

35mm f/2

35 by Odd Jim, on Flickr

100%

35 100pc crop by Odd Jim, on Flickr

Both shot at f/4.5 with the focus point on the F of EF (this is the widest the 18-135 will go at 35mm) and although not the best test shots, clearly the 35mm is unsurprisingly sharper even though the light changed for the worse when I took the 35mm shot (but the 18-135 isnt bad either!). No sharpening etc in PP for either.

And of course the 35mm will go to f/2!

Toy town, Osbourne House map by Odd Jim, on Flickr
 
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you cant compare at those size pictures... you need 100% crop to compare :)
 
Lol, thats what I've done!
 
still the 35mm is much sharper, and yes love the toy town shot ! i think im sold - for the money its going to be a great thing (and small... ) to have in my bag!
 
It is a lovely, lovely lens! I prefer it to the 50mm f/1.8 as its far sharper wide open (its sharp straight away at f/2 whereas the 50mm needs stopping down to about f/2.8 before its gets sharp) and personally I find 35mm a very versatile focal length.

You'll love it!
 
Whisper... crop camera so... Siggy 30mm f1.4 :D
 
its a lot more money though and reviews dont point to it being as good as the canon ,
 
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Anybody here tried the Canon 20/1.8?

I'd love to be able to use the Sig 30/1.4 but the *%#&5's made it DC only! :)
 
tomkbucks said:
its a lot more money though and reviews dont point to it being as good as the canon ,
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I've just checked a few reviews and found the exact opposite. Siggy won every one so that is confusing :thinking:

I've never used the Canon but I can say that the Siggy 30 I owned was sharp from f1.4. Dunno about the cost but you have to factor in a hood and case which no doubt would be extra with the Canon, ok you don't need the case but a hood is handy. Also the Siggy has HSM which is very handy and from what I've seen the Canon gives angular bokeh whereas the Siggy's is much nicer and that's very important when choosing a lens like this IMVHO.

Good luck choosing.
 
DemiLion said:
I'd love to be able to use the Sig 30/1.4 but the *%#&5's made it DC only! :)
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It is annoying. When moving more to FF I sold mine but I'd obviously have kept it if it was a FF lens.

The choice now seems to be 28mm f1.8, a very expensive Canon offering or this (what I assume is rather elderly) f2 design that the OP is looking at.

BTW. I have a Siggy 20mm f1.8 and it's a great lens. Not as sharp at f1.8 as the 30mm is at f1.4 but good enough and it gets better very quickly and by f2.2 it's very sharp indeed. I wish it had HSM though.
 
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Personally if I had the choice between the 35/2 and the 30/1.4, I'd go for the Sigma every time. Better Fl on a 1.6, reputedly better IQ and wider aperture - but then that's why it costs more! :)
 
DemiLion said:
Personally if I had the choice between the 35/2 and the 30/1.4, I'd go for the Sigma every time. Better Fl on a 1.6, reputedly better IQ and wider aperture - but then that's why it costs more! :)
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The Sigma is the best overall (it's one of those special lenses) with HSM and the fact it's an f/1.4 lens, but tbh for the extra cost iq wise there's not much in it. The canon does benefit from a hood though, as the rounded front element doesn't half catch stray light so that needs to be factored into the cost. This of course is free with the Siggy.

I've never tried the 20mm f/1.8. I imagine that's quite special, particularly on FF. I'm off to search Flickr for some examples!
 
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I've just ordered mine this morning :D I hope it doesn't take too long to come - maybe you could factor in that nowhere seems to have them actually in stock. Amazon said they did have it in but delivery is going to be 2-4 weeks-I have no patience at all when it comes to waiting
 
Kipax uses it on FF and by the sounds of it he swears by it.
 
I have the 18-135 on a crop sensor, but have considered a prime in the 28-35 range for indoor shots (where the 50mm f/1.8 is too long, and the 18-135 too slow aperture).

I also did an analysis on focal lengths (the spike at 50mm is no doubt due to the nifty fifty).


photoanalysis by aero7, on Flickr
 
I've been thinking about getting this - can't afford the 35mm 1.4 at the mo but wondering whether this would be a good alternative for now for wedding stuff. I would be using it on full frame too - I don't know if soft corners will be too much of an issue as I like to shoot wide open a lot, and the corners are often bokeh anyway.
 
i have just had a look at the 35mm but all the sample photos i look at dont impress me :-(
 
Dylanlewis2000 said:
i have just had a look at the 35mm but all the sample photos i look at dont impress me :-(
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You're looking in the wrong places then, it's a stunning lens.
 
manualfocus-g said:
I had one delivered on Friday and so far so good on the 5D :) I'm hoping to use it for street stuff.
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Ahhh! I went into Jacobs on New Oxford Street last week - no stock anywhere, but I placed an order with them. I want mine now *bohoooo*!
 
How does this compare to the 28 1.8? Only reason I ask is because I dont think I could live without USM anymore. Thats the main reason my nifty doesnt see much action is due to the **** poor af.
 
SamP said:
How does this compare to the 28 1.8? Only reason I ask is because I dont think I could live without USM anymore. Thats the main reason my nifty doesnt see much action is due to the **** poor af.
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Maybe USM proceeds into a different dimension on the 7D, but I can't notice much difference in focusing speed between the plastic fantastic an the USM 100mm f2.

Slrgear reviewed 28mm f1.8. Seems to be solid performer with good centre sharpness wide open, but considerable field curvature.
 
For crop sensors I can strongly recommend the Sigma 30mm f/1.4. Bought a mint condition one last week and it has now become my favourite lens. Don't think I'll go anywhere without it. A joy to use and I love the focal length, it's perfect for me.
 
yes but sigma 30 1.4 is £379 the canon 35mm 2.0 is £220.....
 
SamP said:
How does this compare to the 28 1.8? Only reason I ask is because I dont think I could live without USM anymore. Thats the main reason my nifty doesnt see much action is due to the **** poor af.
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I'm still getting used to any AF full stop :lol:
 
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