Are 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, or 85mm primes generally sharper and less distorted than the others?
Asked 12/16/2015
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I'm choosing between prime lenses around 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm, mainly for street photography. I know these focal lengths give very different perspectives, but setting perspective aside, is one of them generally more likely to produce a sharper lens design than the others?
I'm also wondering whether one of these focal lengths tends to have less distortion. In other words, if you compare typical prime lenses at 24, 35, 50, and 85mm, is there a general optical advantage to one focal length, or does it depend more on the specific lens?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
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Generally, if you're talking about across-the-frame, has the higher line on MTF charts, test-chart type sharpness, then telephotos and primes will tend to beat out wider lenses and zooms--particularly in the corners.
That doesn't mean you can't find individual cases where that doesn't hold true (e.g., Canon's EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM II can pretty much hold its own or beat the EF 135mm f/2L USM on test charts).
So, my vote, if given this list as a hypothetical, would be the 85. But it would also be very very far from my first choice for a streetshooting lens--especially on a crop body--because sharpness ain't everything. How a lens performs with test charts, and how it performs in your hands are two different things. And what many newbs, seduced into the endless rounds of hairsplitting spec-poring test-chart pixel-peeping online discussions don't get is that sometimes sufficiency is more than enough.
You don't need the sharpest lens evah to get a great photograph. You just need a good lens and a decent amount of photographer skillz/imagination/vision.
Overall, while I commend your curiosity about lens performance and focal length, I'd also say that you're analyzing the which-lens-to-buy question from the wrong point of view. Image quality is fine and well. But cost, size/weight, usability, field of view, stabilization, focus speed/accuracy/performance, and build quality could take equal precedence in your deliberations.
For street shooting, I'd go with a 35 to 50 equivalent fast prime, because when I street shoot, those are the "most comfortable", most discrete, and best lenses for the way that I shoot. And I know they'll typically be sharp enough for my needs and print sizes. So, if I were shooting a crop dSLR, I'd probably go for something like the EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM (pancake lens!), or 35/2 of some persuasion. But that's me. You're not me.
What you need, afford, or may find important as a lens feature can and will differ from my priorities. But it's always a group of factors, not just sharpness, or bokeh, or whatever the current hand-wringing fetish of anguish on DPReview is these days :).
Originally by user27440. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user27440
10y ago
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There isn’t a single focal length that is always the sharpest. In general, primes tend to be sharper than zooms, and longer focal lengths often have an easier time delivering high across-the-frame sharpness than wider lenses, especially toward the corners. So among 24/35/50/85, an 85mm prime may often have an edge in chart-style sharpness, while wider lenses tend to show more distortion and vignetting.
But that’s only a broad trend. Actual performance depends heavily on the specific lens design, and there are plenty of exceptions. If sharpness matters, check tests for the exact lenses you’re considering rather than assuming by focal length alone.
For street photography, focal length, size, handling, and how you like to shoot usually matter more than small sharpness differences. A lens that suits your working distance and is easy to carry will usually be a better choice than chasing the “sharpest” option. Many photographers prefer something in the moderate wide-to-normal range for street, and modern zooms can also work very well.
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