File :-(, x, )
35 or 85? Anonymous
I can't decide which one to buy. I have a 50mm, which is very nice, but because it's a prime lens, sometimes it's just too short or too long and no foot zoom is going to help with that.

Both 35 and 85 are optically very nice, and build quality is decent in this day and age. Relics from Iron Age don't meter with my cheap camera body and lack of autofocus results in too many missed shots, so there aren't any real alternatives for these plastic wonders :)

I'd like to have both, but for now, I have money only for one. Should I just throw a coin?

tl;dr: shitty gear thread without any point
EXIF data available. Clickhereto show/hide.
Camera-Specific Properties:Camera SoftwareAdobe Photoshop CS3 WindowsImage-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution72 dpiVertical Resolution72 dpiImage Created2008:02:05 04:55:20Color Space InformationsRGBImage Width933Image Height631
>> Anonymous
35mm sucks.

85mm all the way.

Crop factor doesn't matter.
>> Anonymous
if you really cant foot zoom, then it doesnt matter. you get one, and youre still gonna be missing the other end of it.
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
Is the nifty-fifty the only lens you have? If so, I'd actually recommend picking up the 18-55 VR instead. Not as fast, but a hell of a lot more versatile, and gives you a true wide angle.
>> Anonymous
>>121613
foot zoom doesn't exist. you're not changing the focal length of the lens when you move around.
>> Vincent !!8LCSE0Zp1mL
85mm f1.8, It has a bit of CA which you will notice in daylight, But theres too many good replacement lens in the 35mm category that are IMO better.
>> Anonymous
>>121613

I have 18-70 kit and 70-300 vr. But both are dark, 70-300 focuses to 1.5m (eww) and 18-70 can't throw background of focus thanks to the small f4.5 aperture.

>>121643

No, but I'm changing the composition: And most people do that with a zoom :-) (altough it's not a very good idea)
>> Anonymous
>>121905
Unless you're really into telephotos, get the 35mm.
>> thefamilyman !!rTVzm2BgTOa
>>121645
>>85mm f1.8, It has a bit of CA
I have yet to discover this in my 85mm

>>Chromatic aberrations (color shadows at harsh contrast transitions) are extremely low even for a fix focal lens (http://www.photozone.de/images/8Reviews/lenses/nikkor_85_18/ca.gif).
>> Anonymous
When in doubt, go for the wide angle.
>> Anonymous
>>122020
yeah but im going to estimate around 99% of the time it doesnt really make a difference.
>> Anonymous
>>122021
it has to do with the perspective difference because of the different fields of view. if you want the subject to be the same size with 2 different focal lengths, youll get less of the background in the longer lens, which also makes the subject seem closer to the background.
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
     File :-(, x)
>>122022
It matters a hell of a lot more than 1% of the time or you're doing it wrong. Understanding the different perspectives that different focal lengths give you is a very important part of photography.

Here's two pictures of some random boring crap on my desk. First one at 18mm.

Camera-Specific Properties:Equipment MakeCanonCamera ModelCanon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTiLens Size18.00 - 55.00 mmFirmware VersionFirmware 1.1.1Owner NameunknownSerial Number0420104373Image-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution72 dpiVertical Resolution72 dpiImage Created2008:02:05 17:58:29Exposure Time1/15 secF-Numberf/4.5Exposure ProgramAperture PriorityISO Speed Rating400Lens Aperturef/4.5Exposure Bias0 EVFlashNo Flash, CompulsoryFocal Length18.00 mmColor Space InformationsRGBImage Width3888Image Height2592RenderingNormalExposure ModeAutoScene Capture TypeStandardExposure ModeAv-PriorityFocus TypeAutoMetering ModeCenter-WeightedSharpnessUnknownSaturationNormalContrastNormalShooting ModeManualImage SizeLargeFocus ModeOne-ShotDrive ModeSingleFlash ModeOffCompression SettingFineMacro ModeNormalSubject Distance0.250 mWhite BalanceAutoExposure Compensation3Sensor ISO Speed224Camera Actuations-247267120Color Matrix129
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
     File :-(, x)
Now, framed about the same, but at 55mm. See how the little buddha and the elephant look way closer in this one? Didn't move the statues at all. Just zoomed and reframed.

Camera-Specific Properties:Equipment MakeCanonCamera ModelCanon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTiLens Size18.00 - 55.00 mmFirmware VersionFirmware 1.1.1Owner NameunknownSerial Number0420104373Image-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution72 dpiVertical Resolution72 dpiImage Created2008:02:05 17:57:48Exposure Time1/13 secF-Numberf/5.6Exposure ProgramAperture PriorityISO Speed Rating400Lens Aperturef/5.6Exposure Bias0 EVFlashNo Flash, CompulsoryFocal Length55.00 mmColor Space InformationsRGBImage Width3888Image Height2592RenderingNormalExposure ModeAutoScene Capture TypeStandardExposure ModeAv-PriorityFocus TypeAutoMetering ModeCenter-WeightedSharpnessUnknownSaturationNormalContrastNormalShooting ModeManualImage SizeLargeFocus ModeOne-ShotDrive ModeSingleFlash ModeOffCompression SettingFineMacro ModeNormalSubject Distance0.480 mWhite BalanceAutoExposure Compensation3Sensor ISO Speed224Camera Actuations-247267136Color Matrix129
>> Anonymous
>>122039
i never said anything about not understanding, but how often do you actually switch lenses because of something like that? probably not nearly as often as you make it out to be.
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>>122042
I would say that my choice of focal length is based on perspective reasons about half of the time. Pretty much any time I'm using my 18-55 zoom. If I want telephoto for the sake of magnification, I'll use my 80-200, and sometimes I'll use the 55mm end of my 18-55 for macro stuff since that's the closest focuser I have, but I really do focus for perspective easily as much as I do for framing.
>> Anonymous
>>122039
>>122040

Helpful people like you is why /p/ rocks so hard. Thank you very much.