Mallard Posted August 12, 2012 Report Share Posted August 12, 2012 My wife just bought a Canon T3i and was wondering which lens would be the better 'starter' choice; the 50mm/f1.8 or 40mm/f2.8? I've seen a lot of people recommend to 50mm, but I also see some saying the 40mm is sharper across the image and question if the user would ever need f1.8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berto Posted August 12, 2012 Report Share Posted August 12, 2012 Well I'm no expert but you have to consider that a lens is usually getting into its sharper apperture about 2 steps up from wide open. So my 1.8 I usually use at 2.2 or higher. Using your F2.8 lens at 2.8 might yield soft pictures. Also with the 1.8 you have the ability to go down to out to 1.8 if necessary. just my opinion. What would worry me more is the focal length, are those T3i crop body? 50mm might be too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.cos Posted August 12, 2012 Report Share Posted August 12, 2012 Thats a toughie. Personally id still stick with 50, solely for the extra stops, but thats just me. The pancake sure is nice lookin though, but the 50 isnt exactly a huge lens either. The pancake is fairly new isnt it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted August 12, 2012 Report Share Posted August 12, 2012 My wife just bought a Canon T3i and was wondering which lens would be the better 'starter' choice; the 50mm/f1.8 or 40mm/f2.8? I've seen a lot of people recommend to 50mm, but I also see some saying the 40mm is sharper across the image and question if the user would ever need f1.8. The 40mm is new lens and I've never used it. Early on it was experiencing problems and while Canon says they have a firmware fix, I don't see it and wouldn't trust it. http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras?pageKeyCode=prdAdvDetail&docId=0901e02480602860 In terms of the nifty 50, it's a good lens for the money but the reality is also something you need to acknowledge. The bokeh is meh...not impressive. The focal length will likely be a bit long for her on a crop body camera. The current MKII versions are all plastic and the build quailty is again, meh. It's also exhibits inconsistant focusing when wide open at f/1.8 resulting in slight front or back focusing at wide open apertures. If your camera doesn't have MicroFocus Adjustments (which I don't think Rebels do) it could be an issue. Lastly, the focus is slow, so as long as the little one isn't walking yet, you're fine. It won't shoot more than 3 frames per second also. Those may not aren't deal breakers, but if it's her only lens, I would advise against it. If budget is an issue go with the EF-S 18-55mm make sure it's the MKII (second generation) unit. $180-$200 If budget is still a concern but you can go a little higher and want a much more versitle lens, go with the EF-S 18-200 for about $585. Well worth it if you're going to have just one. Lastly, if she's looking for a small prime and set on that, go with the 35mm F/2. Can't be beat for sharpness. It's effective focal length on that camera is 50mm which is great, it's a bright lens with an f/2 rating and the optics are solid. The downside like the 50mm above is that it's not USM which means you'll hear it focus and it's not a speed demon in terms of chasing running kids and will be limited to 3fps speed. Otherwise, it's a keeper and if I had just one, that would be it. Hope my rambling helps. FWIW, I own the 50mm and 35mm and shoot with them regularly. I don't own the 18-200 but have shot with it quite a bit. I'd own it if I had to have just one to cover wide to mid ranges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallard Posted August 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 (edited) Thanks! It came with the kit lens (EF-S 18-55mm) so she was wondering about what would be a good second lens. She's mostly looking at doing portraits or action shots, not really close ups of flowers, etc. (which seems to be the reason for going with a low f-stop). I think she was leaning towards the 40mm or one of the cheaper telephoto (50-250mm), but the 50mm seems to be something that everyone recommends having. Austen's not walking yet, but he's close. He crawls as fast as I walk, he walks well if he has something to hold on to, and he's starting to stand on his own. Obviously, this camera will mostly be used on him, so it will need to keep up. Edited August 13, 2012 by Mallard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractor Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 The 50 is a lot of lens for under $100 so it should be in every lens bag. It will be a tight frame on a crop body but I like shooting tight. If you end up liking 50mm there is always the 50 1.2L. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Thanks! It came with the kit lens (EF-S 18-55mm) so she was wondering about what would be a good second lens. She's mostly looking at doing portraits or action shots, not really close ups of flowers, etc. No question then, 85mm f/1.8 Perfect lens for tight portraits and has excellent bokeh characteristics along with USM focusing. Expect to pay about $380. If their recommending the 50mm for portraits they must be talking the f/1.2 or else they don't know good bokeh (however that is a pricey one). Really, the 1.8 is a decent lens for what it is, but I'd spend any additional money left on a good flash and diffusor/softbox. The kit lens will work for the little one until he's playing sports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.cos Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 She's mostly looking at doing portraits or action shots These are two completely different things, and will use lenses completely differnt from each other, imho. The 50 is a lot of lens for under $100 so it should be in every lens bag. Im in this camp. I think its a great intro potrait lens, is a lot to learn with, and produces some lovely shots. I dont think the bokeh is meh, so i dont agree with Tim on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 Comparison of all three shot at f/4. Good cheap lens to play with and have for the money, but if you're going to have a shallow DOF with some catchlights around you or on a sunny day, the details will show on portraits. These were shot on a 5DMKII at f/4 to show more closely what a crop body will portray wide open. http://www.pbase.com/timothylauro/image/145353163/original.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractor Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 I like shooting portraits 100mm or longer so I usually use my 70-200L 2.8. The longer lens gives much better subject feature compression and is especially useful for larger people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted August 13, 2012 Report Share Posted August 13, 2012 (edited) I like shooting portraits 100mm or longer so I usually use my 70-200L 2.8. The longer lens gives much better subject feature compression and is especially useful for larger people. Here too. I typically am in the 100-150mm range. The 85mm lens however does work well. It doesn't quite compress the features as much as would using an actual longer focal length, but it still works. Pic Whore Time :gabe: This is with the 85mm on a 30D body. A friend of mine who helped shoot a school outing took this and I did the processing. It's a great if not perfect example of how DOF and bokeh really play into the importance of the shot. http://i541.photobucket.com/albums/gg378/pdqgp/85mm.jpg Edited August 13, 2012 by TTQ B4U Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stealthmonkey Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 18-55mm kit lens 55-200mm $200 ish 50mm f/1.8 $125 Buy a battery grip and extra battery it will give you alot of benefits. Ebay price around $50 for one and extra battery. Polarizer filter 58mm + 52mm $65 for both Lens pen $5.00 Good solid tripod $100-200 Shutter release $9.99 those will get you started. That will give you alot to play with for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.cos Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 18-55mm kit lens 55-200mm $200 ish 50mm f/1.8 $125 Buy a battery grip and extra battery it will give you alot of benefits. Ebay price around $50 for one and extra battery. Polarizer filter 58mm + 52mm $65 for both Lens pen $5.00 Good solid tripod $100-200 Shutter release $9.99 those will get you started. That will give you alot to play with for a while. Exactly. I think we have to be careful to not assume that all people who own a DSLR want high end pro equipment, which is kinda where i felt this thread started going. I would almost bet if you showed almost anyone those bokeh comparisons independent of each other, Tim, most wouldnt know the difference. I'm all for education, but, overwhelming someone with information could lead to them not asking for help/advice ever again. The 50, even on a crop body, is excellent for portraits. I never had issues with it on my crops, nikon OR canon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clifford Automotive Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 Basic information is covered here, so I'll skip that. But I will agree with Tim on the bokeh, because of the blade setup in the lens, it produces a very different effect wide open. And its a slow focusing lens. It it something good to learn with, but I wouldnt take portraits with it. It works best at 2.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 I would almost bet if you showed almost anyone those bokeh comparisons independent of each other, Tim, most wouldnt know the difference. I'm all for education, but, overwhelming someone with information could lead to them not asking for help/advice ever again. Perhaps they wouldn't but I'm committed to being very open and real with the details about quality and what it takes to understand it. Otherwise you end up with people investing a lot of money in consumer grade kit lenses and believing there's no real benefit in owning good glass. It is all value based, but you can't put a value on bad bokeh. Phil knows me well enough from CR too that if he had quesitons or if I was scaring him off he'd point it out. He's an engineer too....he can appreciate the details Rant: If I read one more post on a message board about how nice the iPhone is at blurring background I'm going to scream. It's bokeh sucks too. I pitty a woman if she ever asks me how she looks in an outfit because I'm calling it like I see it; don't blame the clothes :fuckyeah: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallard Posted August 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2012 I do appreciate the details, even if I'd have to look some of them up to fully understand. I took photography in HS, but that was a long time ago, and we didn't go that in-depth. Due to sticking to a budget, we got the T3i with kit lens (18-55) and the 50mm f/1.8. After days of looking she did one last search on Amazon and found the T3i for $620 (not a refurb). After we bought it the price went up to $699, so there must have only been one at that price. The 50mm was about $105. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.