40mm DA Limited or 50mm f1.4

smcclelland · 07-15-2007, 08:44 PM

Alright, so I am at a bit of a crossroads here in looking for a good indoor lens especially for lower light situations (all I have right now as a carry around is the 18-55 and it just doesn't suffice when the light starts to get low or for interior shots in the condo). I've read fantastic reviews about both lenses and they're both great prices right now ($250 CDN on average) and as tempting as it is to get both, I'd rather just get one to shoot with and then come back for the other should the need arise

One last question is, the 16-45 is also an option I've been mulling about to replace the 18-55 kit lens but wondering how it might fare versus the 40mm DA Limited (i know the 2.8 is the advantage of the 40mm). Anyone have these lenses and might be able to chime in with their opinions and suggestions of which one to go with or in what order?

-s

Deni · 07-16-2007, 01:24 AM

I have an old manual fast fifty, Super Takumar 50/1.4. In different occasions I've found that I had to shoot at f/2 and iso1600, so f/2.8 might still be a little bit slow.

egordon99 · 07-16-2007, 05:45 AM

Agree with Deni, if you're doing really low-light work without flash, you'll need f/1.4 (or maybe f/2). Heck, Stanley Kubrick needed f/.7 for some scenes in Barry Lyndon (a film every photographer needs to see!)

smcclelland · 07-16-2007, 11:29 AM

Yeah, I've been leaning towards the 50mm f1.4 for it's flexibility even stopped down to f2. I don't use a flash very often as I prefer to get more of a natural lighting using available light (flashes always seem to kill outtings with friends in low light situations but the 18-55 has proven to be rather unforgiving in those circumstances). The 50mm f1.4 might be just what the doctor ordered and then replace the 18-55 with a 16-45 in the near future

Thanks again for the assistance!

-s

joele · 07-16-2007, 06:10 PM

I would lean towards the 35/2 if you can find one.. Better FOV for general indoor use, I don't think a FOV equiv of 75mm is anywhere near ideal is it? And bright enough (2.8 isn't good enough IMO)..

Deni · 07-17-2007, 12:14 AM

Originally posted by joele

I would lean towards the 35/2 if you can find one..

I have to agree with Joele. I've found the 50mm on a cropped sensor to be a tad too long. The 35mm though would be ideal. Though there's a full stop difference between f/1.4 and f/2.

smcclelland · 07-17-2007, 07:10 AM

Even shooting at f2 wouldn't be a bad hamper compared to the current kit lens setup ! The 35mm is admittedly nice, albeit a little more pricey.. 40mm DA Limited and 50mm f1.4 combined cost the same in canadian dollars heh. I sense a case of LBA coming on

Thanks for the comments and suggestions, greatly appreciated.

Moggman · 07-17-2007, 07:17 AM

I'm kind of in the same boat as you smcclelland. I was thinking about the 50, but I think it's going to be a bit too long. Sigma makes a 30mm f1.4, but it is for digital so it is going to be native 30mm. What I have been looking for is the Pentax FA 35mm (equiv 52.5 for us DSLR users) F2. I don't know if it's going to be fast enough though. I'm going to keep looking.

Deni · 07-17-2007, 07:22 AM

Originally posted by Moggman

Sigma makes a 30mm f1.4, but it is for digital so it is going to be native 30mm.

I'm afraid you're wrong here. A 30mm lens for digital cameras is still measured in 35mm term, that is in the 1.5 crop sensor it'll be a 45mm lens (so a normal lens).

**NaClH2O** · 07-17-2007, 09:23 AM

Originally posted by smcclelland

Even shooting at f2 wouldn't be a bad hamper compared to the current kit lens setup ! The 35mm is admittedly nice, albeit a little more pricey.. 40mm DA Limited and 50mm f1.4 combined cost the same in canadian dollars heh. I sense a case of LBA coming on

Thanks for the comments and suggestions, greatly appreciated.

You can find used K 35mm F2.0 fairly frequently both on eek bay and KEH, for significantly less than a new FA 35mm F2. Granted, it is a totally manual lens but everybody who owns one that has posted comments has given it good marks.

NaCl(just about the only way I can feed my LBA is thru the second hand market)H2O

smcclelland · 07-17-2007, 10:08 AM

Funny enough I just missed an ebay opportunity for a K 35mm f2 for $79 US (d'oh!). As for the manual focus, I'm more than happy using manual focus as more often than not I find the AF to really annoy me. I'll keep searching, keep an eye out for the 35mm f2 and see what happens. thanks!

Moggman · 07-17-2007, 10:45 AM

Originally posted by Deni

I'm afraid you're wrong here. A 30mm lens for digital cameras is still measured in 35mm term, that is in the 1.5 crop sensor it'll be a 45mm lens (so a normal lens).

So even if the lens says specifically that it's for the APS-C sensor, the focal length is still going to have the same crop factor? I'm kind of new to all this and I thought that since it says it is built for the sensor specifically, it would be a 1:1 CF.

Here's a link to it in case anyone needs to know what I'm talking about.

Sigma - Lenses

pdmlmember · 07-17-2007, 11:11 AM

Yesterday I had some fun shooting some friends kids indoor with available light. I definately prefered the 35 since the fov let me include some of the suroundings. The 50 is definetly more of a head and shoulder lens.

smcclelland · 07-17-2007, 11:27 AM

Originally posted by Moggman

So even if the lens says specifically that it's for the APS-C sensor, the focal length is still going to have the same crop factor? I'm kind of new to all this and I thought that since it says it is built for the sensor specifically, it would be a 1:1 CF.

Here's a link to it in case anyone needs to know what I'm talking about.

Sigma - Lenses

Yeah, even though the lens is designed for the APS-C sensor the camera isn't a full frame so you still have the crop factor. If it's built for the specific sensor then it usually means the glass is optimized for use with such a sensor to achieve the best results (reduced flaring, vignetting etc etc).

Maggie: I am starting to certainly look more at the 35mm as it certainly has gotten good reviews. Knowing me, if I find a 35mm f2 for the right price I may just end up getting them all... hark, I hear my bank account weeping.

Moggman · 07-17-2007, 12:10 PM

ok, thanks all for straightening me out on that. I have found that Sigma makes a 28mm F1.8 that seems to be getting pretty high marks from reviewers. It sells for sub $300 US. This would equate to about a 42mm with the digital CF. Has anyone else used this lens? Is it too wide?

07-15-2007, 08:44 PM	#1
smcclelland Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 168	40mm DA Limited or 50mm f1.4 Alright, so I am at a bit of a crossroads here in looking for a good indoor lens especially for lower light situations (all I have right now as a carry around is the 18-55 and it just doesn't suffice when the light starts to get low or for interior shots in the condo). I've read fantastic reviews about both lenses and they're both great prices right now ($250 CDN on average) and as tempting as it is to get both, I'd rather just get one to shoot with and then come back for the other should the need arise One last question is, the 16-45 is also an option I've been mulling about to replace the 18-55 kit lens but wondering how it might fare versus the 40mm DA Limited (i know the 2.8 is the advantage of the 40mm). Anyone have these lenses and might be able to chime in with their opinions and suggestions of which one to go with or in what order? -s

07-17-2007, 11:27 AM	#14
smcclelland Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 168 Original Poster	Originally posted by Moggman So even if the lens says specifically that it's for the APS-C sensor, the focal length is still going to have the same crop factor? I'm kind of new to all this and I thought that since it says it is built for the sensor specifically, it would be a 1:1 CF. Here's a link to it in case anyone needs to know what I'm talking about. Sigma - Lenses Yeah, even though the lens is designed for the APS-C sensor the camera isn't a full frame so you still have the crop factor. If it's built for the specific sensor then it usually means the glass is optimized for use with such a sensor to achieve the best results (reduced flaring, vignetting etc etc). Maggie: I am starting to certainly look more at the 35mm as it certainly has gotten good reviews. Knowing me, if I find a 35mm f2 for the right price I may just end up getting them all... hark, I hear my bank account weeping. Last edited by smcclelland; 07-17-2007 at 11:39 AM.

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07-16-2007, 01:24 AM	#2
Deni Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Tirana, Albania, South Europe, Planet Earth Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 621	I have an old manual fast fifty, Super Takumar 50/1.4. In different occasions I've found that I had to shoot at f/2 and iso1600, so f/2.8 might still be a little bit slow.

07-16-2007, 05:45 AM	#3
egordon99 Inactive Account Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Outside of Philly Posts: 1,561	Agree with Deni, if you're doing really low-light work without flash, you'll need f/1.4 (or maybe f/2). Heck, Stanley Kubrick needed f/.7 for some scenes in Barry Lyndon (a film every photographer needs to see!)

07-16-2007, 11:29 AM	#4
smcclelland Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 168 Original Poster	Yeah, I've been leaning towards the 50mm f1.4 for it's flexibility even stopped down to f2. I don't use a flash very often as I prefer to get more of a natural lighting using available light (flashes always seem to kill outtings with friends in low light situations but the 18-55 has proven to be rather unforgiving in those circumstances). The 50mm f1.4 might be just what the doctor ordered and then replace the 18-55 with a 16-45 in the near future Thanks again for the assistance! -s

07-16-2007, 06:10 PM	#5
joele Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,308	I would lean towards the 35/2 if you can find one.. Better FOV for general indoor use, I don't think a FOV equiv of 75mm is anywhere near ideal is it? And bright enough (2.8 isn't good enough IMO)..

07-17-2007, 12:14 AM	#6
Deni Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Tirana, Albania, South Europe, Planet Earth Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 621	Originally posted by joele I would lean towards the 35/2 if you can find one.. I have to agree with Joele. I've found the 50mm on a cropped sensor to be a tad too long. The 35mm though would be ideal. Though there's a full stop difference between f/1.4 and f/2.

07-17-2007, 07:10 AM	#7
smcclelland Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 168 Original Poster	Even shooting at f2 wouldn't be a bad hamper compared to the current kit lens setup ! The 35mm is admittedly nice, albeit a little more pricey.. 40mm DA Limited and 50mm f1.4 combined cost the same in canadian dollars heh. I sense a case of LBA coming on Thanks for the comments and suggestions, greatly appreciated.

07-17-2007, 07:17 AM	#8
Moggman Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 127	I'm kind of in the same boat as you smcclelland. I was thinking about the 50, but I think it's going to be a bit too long. Sigma makes a 30mm f1.4, but it is for digital so it is going to be native 30mm. What I have been looking for is the Pentax FA 35mm (equiv 52.5 for us DSLR users) F2. I don't know if it's going to be fast enough though. I'm going to keep looking.

07-17-2007, 07:22 AM	#9
Deni Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Tirana, Albania, South Europe, Planet Earth Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 621	Originally posted by Moggman Sigma makes a 30mm f1.4, but it is for digital so it is going to be native 30mm. I'm afraid you're wrong here. A 30mm lens for digital cameras is still measured in 35mm term, that is in the 1.5 crop sensor it'll be a 45mm lens (so a normal lens).

07-17-2007, 09:23 AM	#10
NaClH2O Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bronx NY Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,631	Originally posted by smcclelland Even shooting at f2 wouldn't be a bad hamper compared to the current kit lens setup ! The 35mm is admittedly nice, albeit a little more pricey.. 40mm DA Limited and 50mm f1.4 combined cost the same in canadian dollars heh. I sense a case of LBA coming on Thanks for the comments and suggestions, greatly appreciated. You can find used K 35mm F2.0 fairly frequently both on eek bay and KEH, for significantly less than a new FA 35mm F2. Granted, it is a totally manual lens but everybody who owns one that has posted comments has given it good marks. NaCl(just about the only way I can feed my LBA is thru the second hand market)H2O

07-17-2007, 10:08 AM	#11
smcclelland Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 168 Original Poster	Funny enough I just missed an ebay opportunity for a K 35mm f2 for $79 US (d'oh!). As for the manual focus, I'm more than happy using manual focus as more often than not I find the AF to really annoy me. I'll keep searching, keep an eye out for the 35mm f2 and see what happens. thanks!

07-17-2007, 10:45 AM	#12
Moggman Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 127	Originally posted by Deni I'm afraid you're wrong here. A 30mm lens for digital cameras is still measured in 35mm term, that is in the 1.5 crop sensor it'll be a 45mm lens (so a normal lens). So even if the lens says specifically that it's for the APS-C sensor, the focal length is still going to have the same crop factor? I'm kind of new to all this and I thought that since it says it is built for the sensor specifically, it would be a 1:1 CF. Here's a link to it in case anyone needs to know what I'm talking about. Sigma - Lenses

07-17-2007, 11:11 AM	#13
pdmlmember Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Malmö, Sweden Posts: 93	Yesterday I had some fun shooting some friends kids indoor with available light. I definately prefered the 35 since the fov let me include some of the suroundings. The 50 is definetly more of a head and shoulder lens.

07-17-2007, 12:10 PM	#15
Moggman Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 127	ok, thanks all for straightening me out on that. I have found that Sigma makes a 28mm F1.8 that seems to be getting pretty high marks from reviewers. It sells for sub $300 US. This would equate to about a 42mm with the digital CF. Has anyone else used this lens? Is it too wide?