p.1 #1 · Anyone using 40mm STM on a cropper for portraits
I am looking for an affordable backup lens for portraiture on a 7D. I am not impressed with the "nifty fifty" and was wondering if anyone where successfully using the excellent little 40mm on a crop body for people photography. By my reckoning the 40mm should make a sharp light short telephoto for portrait use. Am I deluded? Is it too short?
p.1 #2 · Anyone using 40mm STM on a cropper for portraits
In my experience ( i.e. I own one) the 40mm is a nice little lens, but optically it's no better than the 50 1.8 II IMHO and for me 50mm on a crop is a better portrait length.
p.1 #3 · Anyone using 40mm STM on a cropper for portraits
Taking the crop into account, and apparently 50-62mm is close to what the human eye sees (can't remember exact number) I find the 40 is quite nice, but never liked it in comparison to my buddy's nifty fifty.
Try them both out in store, grab a couple of test shots of fellow customers, a friend, or the salesperson, at the end of the day it is what you like to shoot with that is important and if you are happy with the shots.
p.1 #4 · Anyone using 40mm STM on a cropper for portraits
Thanks guys, I may have to rethink my backup lens strategy from scratch. For the record I have owned 2 copies of the nifty fifty and can say in 30 years kit buying have never hated a lens so deeply! Its build disgusts me.
p.1 #5 · Anyone using 40mm STM on a cropper for portraits
David Baldwin wrote:
Thanks guys, I may have to rethink my backup lens strategy from scratch. For the record I have owned 2 copies of the nifty fifty and can say in 30 years kit buying have never hated a lens so deeply! Its build disgusts me.
Yes it's not well made, but it's light, sharp and cheap. I keep one in my bag when I'm travelling and it comes in handy for allsorts
I'd use the 50mm 1.8 II over the dreadful 18-55 IS kit lenses any day.
Not that the 40mm pancake isn't sharp and rather fun, it's just not what I would choose for portraits, you may very well think differently.
p.1 #9 · Anyone using 40mm STM on a cropper for portraits
The 40 lens is ok for portrait on a crop body. But I would not buy one if I needed a portrait lens. There are many other better lenses for that. Even a few low priced lenses.
p.1 #10 · Anyone using 40mm STM on a cropper for portraits
I don't see the 40 STM or Iffy Fifty as anything more than "emergency" portrait lenses. There are a lot of better lenses for photographing people. My final falling out with the 50 was trying to do some wide open head shots of my actress daughter with a T2i -- terrible results in almost every way. I liked the 50/1.4 much better for overall tone and background, but nothing was so pleasing as the 50/1.2L. Generally, you get what you pay for!
The only inexpensive EF 50 that turns in consistently excellent results for me on all subjects is the 50/2.5 Compact Macro.
The 40, like 35, is just to short for me for anything but waist-up on a crop camera.
p.1 #12 · Anyone using 40mm STM on a cropper for portraits
I don't think so, it's a good lens but it's not really a portrait lens. It's very sharp and somewhat useful for full body, group, candid, or the like. But the bokeh is not really terribly pleasing and it's a bit of an odd focal length to work with on a crop body.
p.1 #13 · Anyone using 40mm STM on a cropper for portraits
Access wrote:
I don't think so, it's a good lens but it's not really a portrait lens. It's very sharp and somewhat useful for full body, group, candid, or the like. But the bokeh is not really terribly pleasing and it's a bit of an odd focal length to work with on a crop body.
Yeah, you're probably right about the bokeh; it's such a good lens for its uses, but perhaps portraiture isn't one of them unless using a solid backdrop.
p.1 #14 · Anyone using 40mm STM on a cropper for portraits
Access wrote:
I don't think so, it's a good lens but it's not really a portrait lens. It's very sharp and somewhat useful for full body, group, candid, or the like. But the bokeh is not really terribly pleasing and it's a bit of an odd focal length to work with on a crop body.
It's as good as the 40 STM and old Iffy 50! Ha-ha.
I''m not saying 50 is great for portraits on FF, but on crop sensor it is respectable 80mm equiv in angle of view. But that 50 macro is an awesome lens. Bokeh wide open isn't bad.
p.1 #15 · Anyone using 40mm STM on a cropper for portraits
Gunzorro wrote:
But that 50 macro is an awesome lens. Bokeh wide open isn't bad.
Yeah it is, that was the first lens I bought and I still use it today. Very very sharp, good for macro or normal work.
p.1 #18 · Anyone using 40mm STM on a cropper for portraits
I second the motion for the 60 mm macro.......It is superbly sharp and I won the Photo of the Year in my camera club with it. It's pretty fast and a great portrait length plus you have a macro all in one.....You can buy it for about $300 or so....I'd snap one of these up if I were you...You won't regret it.
Photo of the year enclosed...yeah its not a portrait but it is sharp and a perfect focal length for great portrait shots
Ha-ha.
