canon 50mm f1.4 or 85mm f1.8

Rivit

Rivit

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Rachel
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Decisions, decisions. If it wasn't for this forum i don't think i'd even make any!

I debating between a canon 50mm f1.4 and canon 85mm f1.8.

Ideally i love a canon 85mm f1.2 but there's just no way the pots ever gonna get that full to afford one.

I've been doing mostly wedding photography so far so i thought an 85mm would be more useful along side my 24-105mm f4 L but i've recently decided to have a go at a few baby/toddler portraits (first one this sunday), so a low f is needed.

What do most people have, a 50mm or 85mm?
 
Get the 85 1.8, it's a great lens for weddings.

The 50 1.4 is good as well, but fragile, I went through three before I got a 50 1.2
 
Rivit - I have the Canon 50mm 1.4 and it is a lovely lens, but I am going to get me an 85mm 1.8 at some stage, and think that your uses for such a lens would be much the same as mine - it comes so highly recommended, and the more portraits I do, the more I find I am using that sort of focal length, and want that aperture - my 17-55 f2.8 EF-S, which on a full frame would be about 24-88 I think is used so much at 55mm but f2.8 is just not enough at times - go buy it, then tell me just how sad I am for still not owning one.
I know you had/have a 24-105 f4 - the reason I sold mine was that it was too slow to focus, and the maximum aperture was not wide enough - so go for it (hey, you can always sell it to me after if you don't like it...!
 
steveinspain said:
Rivit - I have the Canon 50mm 1.4 and it is a lovely lens, but I am going to get me an 85mm 1.8 at some stage, and think that your uses for such a lens would be much the same as mine - it comes so highly recommended, and the more portraits I do, the more I find I am using that sort of focal length, and want that aperture - my 17-55 f2.8 EF-S, which on a full frame would be about 24-88 I think is used so much at 55mm but f2.8 is just not enough at times - go buy it, then tell me just how sad I am for still not owning one.
I know you had/have a 24-105 f4 - the reason I sold mine was that it was too slow to focus, and the maximum aperture was not wide enough - so go for it (hey, you can always sell it to me after if you don't like it...!
Click to expand...

Hi Steve,

How are you. I've still got the 24-105mm and its a brilliant lens but like you say a bit slow and for shots of the bride getting ready and toddler portraits i'd like to be able to get a bit more blur on the background. I'm doing a portrait shoot this weekend and was thinking about hiring one to see what its like. I'll let you know if i do, maybe even post some pic's.

If any ones got some portrait pic's taken with an 85mm f1.8 i'd love to see them.
 
I can't help Rach, but this might give you some idea of what f2.8 at 100mm looks like - an 85mm lens will give you slightly more depth of field at f2.8, but at f1.8 you will need to focus carefully !!

IMG_8371resized.jpg
 
Great pic Steve! One of your girls i'm guessing. Very cute.
 
How can you tell - by the messy eating habits I guess..!
Now, to further confuse matters, I have just been reading about the Canon 135 soft focus lens. f2.8, and pretty good as a normal lens, but with the benefit of soft focus if wanted.
I don't know how to link to things, but i was looking at a thread here, in the post processing place (I think) which ought to be close to the top (or search on my posting - it is one of the last ones..) but it might be of interest for kids and weddings, although maybe slightly long on a crop body.. Worth a read though...
 
i would look at what focal length you use the most and pick the one closest to it.
 
I have the 50 f/1.4 and the 85 f/1.2 and would say that it all depends on how much space you have to move around and lighting conditions? If you don't have a full frame then the 50 become 80 and 85 becomes 136. If it was me deciding between the 50 f/1.4 and the 85 f/1.8. I'll personally would go for the 50 and use my feet to zoom in or out and also it is the faster lens (via aperture) - if lighting is not too good. If you purchased the 85 and find that you are too close then you need space to walk back - providing there is space for you to move back.

Steve - lovely picture of your daughter
 
Don't forget sensor size plays an enormous part here. On a crop sensor your 50mm 1.4 is pretty well the equivalent of 80mm anyway and you're getting a wider FOV which might be important in cramped interiors.

Sometimes you might struggle for room with the 85mm in tiny cramped vestries etc.

I can't see you going far wrong with either though really.
 
I think the 50mm f1.4 is a great lens, when it works though...
 
I had the same question. It's not straightforward. What is it with Canon and 50mm?

1.8 gets the worst focus motor ever and horrid build quality, albeit with great optics.

1.4 is better built with another stupid motor (the cause of the problems with it i'm almost certain), and much worse price/performance ratio.

1.2 seems to get bad reviews almost everywhere and is very pricey.

And 50mm is supposed to be simple to make!? Can I suggest a third option? This Sigma is 1.4, and has a true ring type ultrasonic motor.



For what its worth, I have the 85mm and it's superb. They'd both make good portrait lenses on 1.6x crop being equivalent to ~80mm and ~135mm on 35mm.

On my 1.3 crop 1D I use the 50mm 1.8 for low light walk about (when it focusses, the motor is a bit sloppy) and the 85mm for portraits.

Overall I'd say the 85mm is a must have for any Canon bag, and the 50mm 1.8 is so cheap you dont need much excuse to buy one!

Hope thats useful,

Paul
 
Thanks for all the advise guys (and girls). It think i might go for the canon 50mm f1.8 in the short term (since i just got a redsnapper tripod and head which emptied the pot) and so as the pots replenished i'll get the an 85mm f1.8.
 
Guess I must be lucky, my 50 1.4 has been absolutely spot on since I got it (y)
 
My 1.4 is great too - just wouldn't be without it. (y)
 
not had any probs with my 1.4 either, maybe you got a bad one?
 
Don't know how much this means but the 85/1.8 has a bigger aperture hole by far at f/1.8 (47.22222 mm) than the 50/1.4 at f/1.4 - 35.714mm...:shrug:

:D
 
Anton Roland said:
Don't know how much this means but the 85/1.8 has a bigger aperture hole by far at f/1.8 (47.22222 mm) than the 50/1.4 at f/1.4 - 35.714mm...:shrug:

:D
Click to expand...

f number is the focal ratio.

take the reciprocal of the hole size divided by the focal length and you get f number.

i.e:

1 / (47.2/85) = 1.8

1 / (35.7/50) = 1.4

The 85mm hole is bigger because the focal length is longer, which is why the 50mm lets in more light relative to the 85mm despite its smaller hole.

:D
 
Tch tch! Need to have a word with that Anton -he should know this stuff by now. ;)
 
CT said:
Tch tch! Need to have a word with that Anton -he should know this stuff by now. ;)
Click to expand...

:razz: @ CT :LOL:

What type of person would I be if I didn't share this type of useless info with you all...

:D
 
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