Canon Lens 24mm v 50mm

steve burnett

steve burnett

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Steven
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I'm looking to buy the 50mm f/1.8 Canon lens but came accross the Canon EF 24mm f/2.8. Most of the pictures I will take will be in the house and of my young child (not sitting still !!). I like the idea of having a good DOF (I like the picture you get) but I am wondering what benifits there are going with the wider but a good bit more expensive 24mm lens
 
All depends how big your house is! I live in a very small cottage 3m square rooms and a 50mm means I am sometimes right across the room on the rare occassion I take any indoor shots.
 
i find the 50mm very tough to use indoors because of space. I tend to use my zoom lens.
have you thought about the tamron 17-50mm f/2.8?
 
steve burnett said:
I'm looking to buy the 50mm f/1.8 Canon lens but came accross the Canon EF 24mm f/2.8. Most of the pictures I will take will be in the house and of my young child (not sitting still !!). I like the idea of having a good DOF (I like the picture you get) but I am wondering what benifits there are going with the wider but a good bit more expensive 24mm lens
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Don't understand your post - what is a 'good DOF'?? Doesn't make sense - do you mean shallow DOF? Or more DOF?

Obviously the 1.8 is going to give you shallower DOF, but bear in mind that neither have very good autofocus so taking pictures of a young child who doesn't sit still will be difficult... but possible. The 24mm's autofocus isn't much better, it may be marginally better, as it is better built.

Also you haven't said what camera you will be using it on... its a completely different story if you are using it on FF.... I'm going to assume you are using a crop sensor, in which case a 24mm will act closer to a 'normal' lens, whilst the 50mm will be more like a 'portrait lens'.

If I were you I would go for the 50mm 1.8 - the 24mm 2.8 isn't anything interesting on a crop sensor, its too slow for a start. It was made to be used on a FF sensor. Unless you are using flash 2.8 indoors without IS is too slow.. not that IS would help for a moving child.

An alternative you should consider is the 35mm F2, which is about £170 second hand.
 
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I do apologise, Shallow DOF is what I am referring too.

The camera is a Canon 40d.

Do you have a link to the 35mm F2 you are referring too?

Thank you
 
Thanks
 
The Canon 35mm f/2 is a superb little lens, love mine.
 
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