Using APS-C and 35mm for a shoot

Cholentpot · Oct 26, 2017

Hello, I figured this belonged here.

I started forging into doing portraits alongside doing real estate stuff. I just bought the EF-S 10-18 for real estate work and now need something for portraits.

I've been shooting crop (550D) alongside film. I've been shooting EOS digital and nikon film but now would like a lens that will cover both as I have EOS film cameras. I've been using a 135mm for 35mm film and a 50 on a crop for digital.

The two options I am looking at are a 85 1.8 and a 100 f/2. The 85 would give me about 135 on crop but give me 85 on film. I already have that covered just about with the 50 on digital.

The other option is the 100, that would give me 100 on film but about 160 on digital. Is this too long? Should I stick with the 85 or go with the 100? I've outgrown the 50 as of now, I do like the 135 but it's not compatible with my digital.

Thanks.

MattKing · Oct 26, 2017

If you are going to use two different formats to photograph the same sort of stuff, you need to either:
1) work slowly, with lots of careful thought and lens changes;
2) obtain dedicated lenses - one for each format; or
3) use zoom lenses, and the same amount of careful thought as in #1.
In my case, I almost always have to use different lenses on different cameras, because I am essentially a film shooter, and if I switch formats, the lenses don't travel. But I do get some use of Canon crop sensor and Canon EF film cameras, so I understand your pain.
If I were you, I would experiment with some portrait choices on each camera. Portraits really succeed best when you work instinctually, so comfort with a particular format and focal length is really important.
If you want to see what I mean, look into the work of Jane Bown - one of my portrait "heroes". She loved the 85mm f/2 Zuiko lens, and that might have something to do with my loving it as well.

Cholentpot · Oct 26, 2017

MattKing said:
If you are going to use two different formats to photograph the same sort of stuff, you need to either:
1) work slowly, with lots of careful thought and lens changes;
2) obtain dedicated lenses - one for each format; or
3) use zoom lenses, and the same amount of careful thought as in #1.
In my case, I almost always have to use different lenses on different cameras, because I am essentially a film shooter, and if I switch formats, the lenses don't travel. But I do get some use of Canon crop sensor and Canon EF film cameras, so I understand your pain.
If I were you, I would experiment with some portrait choices on each camera. Portraits really succeed best when you work instinctually, so comfort with a particular format and focal length is really important.
If you want to see what I mean, look into the work of Jane Bown - one of my portrait "heroes". She loved the 85mm f/2 Zuiko lens, and that might have something to do with my loving it as well.

Thanks!

I am comfortable with 50 on a crop i.e. 75-80mm ish and 135. Both out of necessity because that's what I have. I guess the 85 would make sense then, it would give me something I am comfortable with on either camera.

For instance. I did a shoot last week, I brought a 550D with a 50mm, a Nikkormat with a 135 2.8 and an F3 with a 70-210. F3 stayed in bag for most part with the 550D doing the majority of work. I shot a roll through the Nikkormat and those shots were the killers,

Yongnuo makes some really cheap lenses. They have the 85 and 100 for peanuts and compared to what I'm using now for autofocus those would be a step up. I use a 50 1.8 II that works 80% of the time and I still pull off a good shoot.

jtk · Jan 30, 2018

Your digital camera's kit zoom lenses are probably better than any Nikon prime.

Cholentpot · Jan 30, 2018

jtk said:
Your digital camera's kit zoom lenses are probably better than any Nikon prime.

Heck no!

The kit has nothing on a prime. Sure on a technical note it's better but noooo way it's better than a prime. I'm using an 18-55 3.5-5.6 it gets the job done but it's as boring as a cup of Ovaltine.

jim10219 · Jan 30, 2018

Cholentpot said:
Heck no!

The kit has nothing on a prime. Sure on a technical note it's better but noooo way it's better than a prime. I'm using an 18-55 3.5-5.6 it gets the job done but it's as boring as a cup of Ovaltine.

Agreed. Those kit lenses are great for walking around a city in the daylight or landscape photography with a tripod. Basically any situation where you don't need a shallow depth of field, but do need a versatile and portable zoom lens. It's probably my most used lens on my DLSR. But with portrait photography, shallow depth of field can really help separate the subject from the background. It's not super important if you work in a studio against a flat background, but for just about anything else, it's a nice feature to have available to you. Those kit lenses are mediocre at best for portraits, in my experience. A good photographer can make them work, but that doesn't mean it's ideal.

I find 50mm to be a bit too short for portraits on APS-C sensors and 85mm to be a bit too long. 70mm seems to be about right to me, however that's not a common focal length. In any case, if you want a good 85mm for portraits, I'd suggest the Samyang 85mm 1.4 prime if you can stand a manual focus/manual exposure lens. In my opinion, it's one of the best 85mm lenses out there, on par with lenses that cost 4x as much (at least as far as image quality goes). Obviously, since it's manual everything, it's not the easiest to use. It's great for studio situations, though, but not so great for following your kids around at the park.

Cholentpot · Jan 30, 2018

jim10219 said:
Agreed. Those kit lenses are great for walking around a city in the daylight or landscape photography with a tripod. Basically any situation where you don't need a shallow depth of field, but do need a versatile and portable zoom lens. It's probably my most used lens on my DLSR. But with portrait photography, shallow depth of field can really help separate the subject from the background. It's not super important if you work in a studio against a flat background, but for just about anything else, it's a nice feature to have available to you. Those kit lenses are mediocre at best for portraits, in my experience. A good photographer can make them work, but that doesn't mean it's ideal.

I find 50mm to be a bit too short for portraits on APS-C sensors and 85mm to be a bit too long. 70mm seems to be about right to me, however that's not a common focal length. In any case, if you want a good 85mm for portraits, I'd suggest the Samyang 85mm 1.4 prime if you can stand a manual focus/manual exposure lens. In my opinion, it's one of the best 85mm lenses out there, on par with lenses that cost 4x as much (at least as far as image quality goes). Obviously, since it's manual everything, it's not the easiest to use. It's great for studio situations, though, but not so great for following your kids around at the park.

I've been leaning towards the Canon 85 1.8 USM classic lens. It's affordable and has a good reputation. My 50 is going...sad but true. Might be time to find another.

As for the kit, it's a good lens. I use it for events with a speedlight and it's sharp and quick to respond. It gets the job done but no background separation. It just seems like a waste of a DSLR, might as well use a point and shoot if I'm sticking with the kit.

Eric Rose · Jan 30, 2018

I like my 60mm nikkor for crop portraits.

Using APS-C and 35mm for a shoot

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