# Canon 50mm 1.8 vs. 85mm 1.8



## impressme (Nov 16, 2008)

I was at the camera shop looking at some new glass to add to my collection. Many of you have raved on the 50mm but they actually suggested the 85mm- any limitations from the 85 that I can do with the 50?


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## impressme (Nov 16, 2008)

or is it simply b/c the 50mm is less expensive?


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## rdompor (Nov 16, 2008)

The 85 1.8 is of much better quality.  It has better build and better AF.  A much better comparison would be between the 50 1.4 and 85 1.8.


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## Dao (Nov 16, 2008)

Both lens are nice lens to have.  For 50mm, there is a F/1.4 version  and the cost of that lens is similar to the 85mm f/1.8

I have the 50mm f/1.8.  The cost of that lens is a lot less expensive than the 85mm f/1.8.  The next lens I would like to get is the 85mm f/1.8.

I found that when I am outside taking pictures of my wife or daughter, sort of like portrait shots.  I prefer a longer range. (longer focal length)  But the current lens that I have can only do F/4 at that focal length.

Apart from the build, better autofocus .....  Since it is a longer focal length lens, it will have the less perspective issue.

For example, if a person lay down on the ground with the foot point away from the camera at an angle, the shorter focal length lens will have more issue of the person's head is a lot larger than the foot.  And of course when the person is sitting on the grass and the foot is closer to the camera, the foot MAY appear bigger.

Of course, it really depends on the situation and how you frame the subject such as how much the subject take up the whole frame.


Don't get me wrong, both are nice lenses to have.  It really depends on what you would like to do.  If you want to do a lot of indoor head short type of photography, 50mm of course is going to be a lot more practical unless indoor mean inside a big warehouse.  But then again, for less than $90 brand new, the 50mm F/1.8 is a great buy.


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## Dao (Nov 16, 2008)

By the way,  if you like to know more about the Focal Length Perspective, please take a look at the following links.


http://photoinf.com/General/Klaus_Schroiff/Perspective.htm (under focal length and  perspective)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspective_distortion_(photography)


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## impressme (Nov 16, 2008)

Thanks so much for your help Dao!


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## Iron Flatline (Nov 17, 2008)

There is a school of thought (to which I subscribe) that believes that 80 - 85mm is a better focal length at which to shoot a portrait. 

Regarding distortion, if any: The crop factor of your camera does not make a 50mm lens an 80mm lens... it just makes it a 50mm lens with a third of the image cropped. It would also crop a lot off the 85mm lens... think about how tight you want to work.

F-stops are not the same across all the various lenses, so you must consider the 85mm 1.8 to be a relative of the 50mm 1.4, not the 50mm 1.8.


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## Big Mike (Nov 17, 2008)

I agree with what has been said.  The 85mm F1.8 is a great lens for it's price point, and compares more closely to the 50mm F1.4, than to the 50mm F1.8.  

If you had all three lenses right in front of you, it would be fairly obvious how cheaply made the 50mm F1.8 is.  It's optically quite good but the rest of it...isn't so great.


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## ksmattfish (Nov 17, 2008)

impressme said:


> ... any limitations from the 85 that I can do with the 50?



It's like screwdrivers.  In general a particular size screwdriver isn't better than another, it's just that they are either the right size for the job or they aren't.  You've got these focal lengths covered in gear you own right now.  Which do you think you use more often:  50mm or 85mm?

The Canon 50mm f/1.8 is an $80 lens.  For $80 it's a bargain, but they had to cut corners somewhere to make a lens 1/4th normal price.  Physically comparing it to $300+ lenses the differences are obvious.  Hang photos from the $80 lens next to photos from $300+, and even $1000+ lenses, and the differences are pretty subtle.  It definitely gets the maximum image quality to dollar spent ratio.


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## keith204 (Nov 17, 2008)

From experience, the 85 f/1.8 has some incredibly super FAST AF.  When doing some auto racing stuff, this was my lens of choice - even compared to my Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS.


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## TimothyHughes (Nov 19, 2008)

Iron Flatline said:


> There is a school of thought (to which I subscribe) that believes that 80 - 85mm is a better focal length at which to shoot a portrait.



Basically true. Hence, I bought a 70-200mm which is even > the 85mm. :thumbup:

That being said, for environmental portraiture or full-body shots you can get away with wider angle focal-lengths.


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