Best single prime for a beginner on a Canon 40D: 40mm f/2.8 or 50mm f/1.8?
Asked 12/17/2012
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I’m giving my daughter a Canon 40D (APS-C crop) as her first interchangeable-lens camera. She’s been doing well with a point-and-shoot, and I’d like to start her with one lens. I’m mainly considering the Canon 40mm f/2.8 pancake and the Canon 50mm f/1.8. I want a prime partly because it can encourage slower, more thoughtful shooting, but I’m concerned about field of view on a crop body: 40mm behaves like about 64mm equivalent, while 50mm behaves like about 80mm equivalent. For someone still discovering what she likes to shoot, which would be the better only lens on a 40D?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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I imagine most people would find a 50mm lens on an APS-C body to be too long most of the time. When I was in University I photographed events with a 50 f/1.4 on APS-C, whilst I appreciated the speed I always found the focal length to be a little long for full length shots and I was forever walking backwards...
If I absolutely had to pick between them I would choose 40mm but only because I feel 50mm risks a very frustrating experience if your daughter is used to shooting with a compact that zooms out to 35mm equiv. But a better choice would be the Canon 35 f/2.0, which is a stop faster and can be had fairly cheap (especially as the IS version starts hitting the stores). Whilst not at tiny as the pancake, it's hardly big or heavy. Another option is the Sigma 30 f/1.4, which is a fine lens, wider and faster, but about 50% more expensive. It terms of cost it looks something like this:
- Canon 50mm f/1.8 £80
- Canon 40mm f/2.8 £159
- Canon 35mm f/2.0 £189 recommended
- Sigma 30mm f/1.4 £299
Originally by user1375. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1375
13y ago
0
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Between those two, the 40mm f/2.8 is generally the safer choice on a Canon APS-C body. A 50mm on 1.6× crop gives a fairly tight field of view, which many people find frustrating as an only lens for everyday use—you may end up constantly stepping back indoors or for full-body shots. The 40mm is still somewhat tight, but more flexible.
That said, several photographers would actually recommend neither as the ideal only prime on crop. A lens in the 28–35mm range is closer to a “normal” field of view on APS-C and is often better for learning and general use. Common suggestions are a 35mm f/2, 30mm f/1.4, or 28mm f/1.8.
If you must choose only between the 40 and 50, pick the 40mm for versatility. Pick the 50mm only if portrait-style shooting and shallow depth of field matter more, and you can live with the tighter framing.
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