 Michelle Formaggio-Harrison |
Looking to buy a Prime Lense I want to buy a Prime Lense for my Digital Rebel XT. I am very new to photography and currently am only doing it for my enjoyment and to photograph my four children. I am looking at the 50mm F1.8 and the 50mm F1.4. The price difference is significant so I am trying to decide which one would be the better one for me to start with. Any advice or insight would be appreciated. Thank you
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Alan N. Marcus |
Hi Michelle, Please tell me why you are considering a 50mm focal lenght? In other words, what will be decision making factor? Alan Marcus
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Michelle Formaggio-Harrison |
Alan, to be honest with you I don't really know. I want a decent prime lense that will take nice portrait shots of my children and was considering this one. I am just VERY new to all this and I thought 50mm might be the best place to start. I noticed that the 55mm f 1.8 had a very reasonable price and thought it might work well for me. What do you think?
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
To me 50mm is a good place to start, and keep going. Good for intimate feeling portraits. Go ahead with the 1.8 if you're going to buy one of the two.
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Alan N. Marcus |
Hi again Michelle, The Canon Digital Rebel XT can be purchased body only, no lens. Likely it was sold with the 18mm ~ 55mm zoom lens. We sort lenses by their focal length and how they image based on angle of view. For this camera wide angle lens starts at about 20mm and shorter. A normal view lens is one with a focal length that hovers around 30mm. A telephoto is one that starts out at 80mm -- longer gives more magnification. For portraiture one would choose a lens about 60mm. So let’s look at what you have. Your lens starts at 18mm; this is in the wide angle camp but not in the super wide angle category. As you zoom in (more magnification) you pass through normal. That’s why your zoom range centers up on 30mm. Add more zoom and your lens enters into what I will call the cusp of telephoto neighborhood. And I might add, at 55mm (your max zoom) you are close enough to the ideal portrait focal length i.e. the extra 5mm won’t make any difference at all. Now what you don’t have is extreme wide angle and extreme telephoto so my advice is, choose landscape and go for a super wide angle. Choose wildlife photography and get a long – long lens. OK, your kit lens is slow! Its speed at wide angle setting is f/3.5. as you zoom in, the speed drops to f.5.6. If you are going to do lots of dim light work you want a lens that opens up to f/1.4 or f/1.8 (very very fast. I am taking my time to tell you to look before you leap. What you have is good. First decide where you are going, then pull out the wallet, unless you have deep pockets. Best of luck with your new hobby – reading the manual won’t do you any harm. Alan Marcus (marginal technical advice)
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Michelle Formaggio-Harrison |
Alan, thank you verymuch for your time and your help. I really do appreciate it. I am currently trying to do all I can to learn the basics and the language so your explantion is very helpful. My decision is not something I want to do over night I will be doing my research first and I appreciate all the help I can get. :)
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Alan N. Marcus |
Additional news you can use: Your cameras sports an imaging chip is about 60% of the size of a more advanced camera full frame model. Since many teachers and authors have vast experience with the full frame and its associated lens focal length, advice might need clarification. When you are quoted focal lengths and their effects try and find out if they are taking specifically about your camera or referencing performance encountered on a full size (35mm film frame dimension). Not to worry, your camera is all right. Just keep in mind as you read and receive advice, it might be applicable to a full frame and not your smaller chip. You can make cross comparisons: As an example a book might say a 50mm lens is normal so you take 60% of that and you will get 30mm. For a full frame camera, wide angle starts at 35mm and goes shorter so for your camera its 20mm (60% of 35). For a full frame telephoto starts at 135mm or longer, for your camera its 80mm or longer. Also keep in mind these numbers are not etched in stone they are just approximate and initial staring values. Some will disagree, that’s OK; just ask them to tell you why. Alan Marcus (marginal stuff)
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