this post was submitted on 25 Oct 2023
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Photography

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So. My nifty 50mm F1.8 STM Canon lens on my SL2 yields a focal length of 80mm. Do yall think that is too "zoomed in" for daily use?

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[–] SandpaperTeddyBear@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That’s one of my favorite focal lengths. It’s a standard portrait length, and in my experience the best for replicating a human view on a landscape.

[–] 8fqThs4EX2T9@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

You must have some rather odd landcapes where 50mm replicates how you see the world.

[–] SandpaperTeddyBear@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago

This isn’t a particularly good photo, but the spot does have some potential if I ever care to be up there when the light is nice: https://imgur.com/a/meBXBAT. I shot that with the 80 mm equivalent lens on my phone to capture “here’s what this spot looked like to me in the moment.”

50 is generally considered “normal,” and I think that’s more-or-less correct for within 20 feet, but I’ve found that I (and as far as I can tell most everyone does this) tend to narrow my perceived field-of-view when I am focusing my eyes at infinity.

From a photography standpoint what this generally means to me is that the things that correspond to “that’s pretty, I should take a picture of it” frame nicely at ~80 mm focal length. When I’m trying to capture something best captured at wide angles I need to fuss with foreground elements for composition, and I know it won’t feel like an eyewitness shot.

[–] BarnacleMcBarndoor@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago

Depends on your needs. For me, if I’m outside doing street, I can use it. Portraits I use it.

But If I’m inside, it gets a bit tough when there’s only so much room behind me. I couldn’t use it for a birthdays party outside either because I had to stand on or over tables to get a shot.

So the answer I guess is maybe?

[–] SweetNique11@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago

Unrelated-I hate that there’s math involved with photography.

I have the same camera (canon SL2) and no matter how many times this is explained to me idk wtf it means.

The lens is a 50mm prime, how does it change 😭

[–] RidexSDS@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago

85mm in full frame is my favorite focal length.

[–] Liquidwombat@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago

My three favorite primes on an APSC sensor are 24, 35, and 50. They feel the same niche as a 35, 50, and 75 mm on full frame.

[–] ShakaKid_@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago

It turns into a nifty 80 is all, and it’s great for most uses you’d use a nifty for but just a little further. But go out and Experiment, you can’t answer a question like this without actually trying it.

[–] danecd@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago

I really like a wide open 50 on aps-c for late night street and portraits -- it lends itself to a different way of staging shots that I like better than the typical 24-50mm FOV, though I usually carry a 18-55 zoom with me in case I get inspired to shoot something wider.

[–] shutterbuug@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] oldskoolak98@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago

This. On 16x24 it's a "50" ish lens. On FF cropped to 24x24 it's the same fov as an 80mm on 56x56 hassy. 35mm is so underrated.

[–] Jefferson_Steel1@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago

Depends on the subject of your photography. Sometimes when I'm photographing people I like using an 85mm so I can stay at a distance

[–] Sweathog1016@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago

Do you have a kit lens? Set it to 50 and use that focal length only. That’ll answer for you if you could live with that focal length as your prime. Or see what most of your current images are taken at. Find a fast prime that falls in that area.

If it’s 50, fine. If not, then you’re back to shopping around a bit. Canon has fast 24’s and 35’s. The 50 is just cheap because it’s a relatively simple lens design to produce a decent lens with.

[–] realgeorgekastanza@alien.top 1 points 11 months ago

A 35mm Prime lens will change your life