50mm or 35mm for DX/Crop Sensors

Hi! I was just wondering which of the two lenses is a better option for a cropped sensor camera, 50mm 1.8g or 35mm 1.8g.

Btw I am using a D3100, I know that the 50mm is great for portraits but considering that I have a DX body won't it be a little tight? I don't wanna result to using the 50mm for portraits only, So I was thinking if the 35mm is a better option?

Please enlighten me on this. Thanks!


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Just yesterday evening a I wished that I had a 35. My 50 mm did a great job but at that evening event it was just to long.

It depends on what style you want for your shots - They are among the cheapest of lenses, so you could get both!

The 35mm on a crop sensor does give a focal length of (Near enough) 50mm anyway, but yes, it will be less "Tight" for portraits, but also mean you are more "up in the face" of the subject.

If you have the 18-55mm kit lens, use that at both 35mm & 50mm and see which you prefer. Bear in mind that both lenses are much sharper than the 18-55mm, but you will get a feel for the focal length and field of view.

I second Steve's suggestion of using your kit lens to see which one would be of more use to you.

I did the same, and ended up with the 50mm f/1.8 even though it can be tight in some places for me.
But I think the sharpness of the lens far outweighs anything else

Depends on the style of portraits and how close you like to shoot, head shots, bust shots, 3/4, full body and/or group. The 35mm would be more flexible giving the larger field of view, because the 50mm view is in the middle of every 35mm shot. But the reverse is, if the 50mm view is the one you need, you lose sharpness by post cropping the 35mm shot.

Beyond portraits, either would work, but you have the same pre-crop vs post-crop situation. So, if you can always move to frame the subject, either, but if not, maybe you need both.

To tight, not at all. Using a 200mm for portraits is very common.

I've had my 50mm on a DX for almost 2 years now. I use it for many types of shots, more so than portraits actually.

I'd like to have a 35mm in the bag as well, I'll sure I'll pick one up before too long.

My next prime is torn between the 28mm f/1.8 or the zoom Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8

Whilst the 50mm I have is great it is sometimes just tooooooo tight with my kids in the house.
I know I've lost a lot of good shots because of this.

You might also want to give thought to whether you want the FX or DX version of the 35mm if you go down that path...

Of all my prime lenses - the 35mm, the 50mm and the 85mm - the 50mm gets the least use, by far. Neither the 35mm nor the 50mm are head-and-shoulders style portrait lenses. Nothing wrong with the 50mm, it's a great little lens, I just find the 35mm far more flexible. I can always crop a 35mm shot to mimic the 50mm field of view, but I can't "embiggin" a 50mm shot to include the 35mm field of view.

....

Thanks for your inputs everyone. Still a little undecided on this, especially when I'm shooting indoors with limited space.


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Nowe said:

Still a little undecided on this, especially when I'm shooting indoors with limited space.

Click to expand...

Cos of this issue I use my 40mm 2.8 indoors. I does a superb job.

I went out shooting with the 50 this morning because I let my son borrow the 35 and I won't be getting it back until this weekend. He scored a job as a college photographer/reporter. He better be getting his own soon! I like the 50, but I find the 35 better for my style of shooting.

Definitely 35 for a crop, much more versatile than a 50. Else I'd add a 24 of some sort from the vintage variety to be an actual 35 and useable indoors.

Getting both would be the best option. I'm going to someday get the 35mm to go with my 50mm. Then someday I'll get a 85mm and by then maybe even a good ultra wide angle lens!

I think you answered your own question. If you are mostly shooting indoors you will do better with the 35mm or the 40mm as Michael suggested which will also give you some macro capability.

I've finally decided. I'll go with 35mm instead.
I also read somewhere that a 35mm is almost equivalent to a 50mm on an FX. So a 50mm on a DX is somewhere around 65-70mm?


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Just multiply the focal length by 1.5 to determine the fx full frame equivalent.


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I find the kit 18-55 VR-II and excellent lense when the light is bright. For indoor shots I use the 35mmDX. I do have a 50mm F1.8AF, but still prefer the 35mm, especially for indoors where a bit wide is welcome. When I shoot with flash I use the kit zoom, as that goes much wider, but flashless it is the 35.

I as well was about to ask about these two. I am leaning on the 35mm because I will be using it to document my artwork process indoors as well as taking reference photos and some portrait. The only reason I was leaning on the 50mm was because it was FX and would be useful down the road if I upgrade, but I guess they are cheap enough to just buy the 50mm when that time comes.

I purchased the 35mm 1.8 for my DX camera for shooting indoors with low lighting. It worked fantasticly. When you transfer to an FX camera, your angle of vision will be similar so it will be easier for you to master the 50mm. When you decide to go FX, buy another 50mm that suits you. You can buy them new/used for ~$100 so it shouldn't implode your wallet.


I acquired several DX lenses, but when my little sister came to me wanting to learn photography, I gave her a DX camera with a 1.8/35 because I knew she could learn more from it than a zoom or other primes and capture stunning photos. She is learning well. : )