If you are thinking (or have already done so) to search for and capture a fixed focal length, first of all congratulations, you could not have made a better decision :-). Now, surely delving into the millions of forums and blogs, you’ve seen that two of the most recommended lenses are 35mm and 50mm and you’re in a sea of doubt so, throughout this article, I’ll try to uncover the main differences between the two.
Now let’s not build the house from the roof, let’s start at the beginning:
- Probably if you’re here it’s because you bought a new or similar SLR with a lens kit.
- Which at first seemed to be a success.
- Probably when compared to your old compact or your cell phone.
- It did.
- Time.
- The more you dive and admire other amateurs or professionals through the networks.
- The more you learn and the more you sharpen your eye.
- The more you see that something is going on.
- Something doesn’t work on your zoom.
- You lack that sharpness or that bokeh or that incredible shallowness of field that you see in some images.
- Yours isn’t bad.
- But you want something better.
- Don’t you?Welcome.
- Because you have a fixed focus face and you won’t regret :-).
Fixed focal lengths have many advantages, but are distinguished above all by their brightness. As in a zoom, it is very difficult to achieve really wide apertures (f/ 1. 8, f / 1. 4 of / 1. 2), at prices of which you do not need to sell a kidney, fixed focal lengths is common and affordable, look for lenses with lots of brightness.
Diaphragm aperture (f-values) is directly related to depth of field, which determines the amount of area focused on the image (the deeper the field, the deeper the focused area, and the shallower field, the smaller the focused area). With open diaphragms like f/1. 8, the depth of field is lower than with more adjusted diaphragms like f/16.
Fixed optics aim to be good in a single focal range (zooming should try to be acceptable over a multitude of distances), so it’s hard to specialize and get the best performance in each of them. The results should not be terrible, but the difference is quite noticeable compared to a fixed focal length.
Although fixed optics seem to be a big expense, the truth is that these two lenses (35 and 50 mm) can be found at a very good price in most brands.
They are very light, so they have many advantages: they do not intimidate, they are comfortable to wear and are very discreet.
Zooms have higher speeds and more glass than a fixed lens, in kit lenses these are often of poor quality to achieve a competitive price, so it is not surprising that over time they end up posing problems. They are simpler (less glass can cause aberrations? And fewer gears) and therefore more resistant.
Well, let’s get things done as usual: it depends, at that point there’s no magic formula to ensure you’ll never be wrong, right?
I’ll start by telling you that both versions are very good options, so it will be difficult to get it wrong, both come in very bright and economically affordable versions (f/1. 4 versions or, if not, f/1. 8, much cheaper).
We have already suggested that the main difference between the two is the angle, but we will look at some specific situations and try to determine what would be the best objective for each specific case.
Let’s say, for example, that you want to do a portrait. With the 35mm you will have to get much closer to the subject than with a 50mm one, because having a larger angle and a shorter focal length takes us further away from the scene ?, so if you want a close-up you have to be quite close to what you want to photograph. In contrast, the 50 mm allows you to keep a longer distance from the subject, which is much less intimidating and comfortable when photographing a person.
You can also better isolate the subject with the 50mm than with the 35mm thanks to its greater blur, which is also very useful to highlight the protagonist.
In landscapes what we usually want is to have the greatest angle or part of the scene in our frame, so the more angle the better, so a 35mm will be more versatile in this type of scenes than a 50mm because, although it can go away to cover more angle and thus imitate a 35 mm, the truth is that it is not always possible to go back enough.
Street photography requires locating our protagonists according to the street environment, so a 35mm lens is ideal for this type of photography in which, in principle, we do not want close-ups but connect the protagonists with the world around them. .
However, if you prefer tighter planes, the 50mm is still a very good choice.
For more general scenes such as group photos, weddings, baptisms, anniversaries, etc. , a 35 mm will be very useful, because to be able to cover scenes with many people, or when the environment takes on a particular prominence, a greater angle will offer you more possibilities, although remember that for the close-ups you will have to approach the protagonist, which can be somewhat annoying , if this is the type of photography you have in mind, it is better to have a 50 mm.
Fashion has evolved so much and has so many styles, that sometimes it is difficult to know which lens best suits this type of photography, although personally I would bet on the 50mm to be able to have this extreme blur that can provide us with large apertures and, above all, because it does not force us to approach the model so much to get more closed shots than with a 35mm.
A priori, a lens with more angle will be more useful when we want to photograph buildings entirely externally or internally, although a 50mm one can also give us play and does not create distortion in lines like the ones that make the lenses more angular (although it can be easily fixed in an image editor like Lightroom).
In summary
If you have a budget, I wouldn’t hesitate, I would opt for the opening 35 or 50 mm f / 1. 4, because both are relatively affordable (compared to other lenses of similar quality) and their quality and possibilities are worth every penny. Although if your budget is tighter, one of the two f/1. 8 versions is still a great purchase (and a big saving compared to 1. 4).
And finally, a few more readings :-):
I know it’s always hard to make up your mind, although I hope I helped you do it. What is clear is that, whatever you decide, there is little room for repentance ;-). Both are very good optics with very similar performance. If you switch from a zoom of the kit to one of these, you will be surprised by the possibilities available :-).
I hope you liked this article, if so, do not hesitate to share it on Google, Facebook, Twitter or, now also on Instagram. Kindly and next time.