DSLR Photography Forum

Hey guys,

I'm in the process of choosing a Canon fast wide-angle prime lens and I'm torn between a few choices.
I'd appreciate any opinions, especially if you've got some experience using one of the lenses mentioned.

The lens will be used mainly on a 1DMk3 (1.3 crop factor) body and also from time-to-time on a 5D (full frame) when I get one later in the year. It needs to be equally useful on both cameras, but for slightly different reasons.

Ideally I'd like a 28mm lens and this is the exact reason I bought a Sigma 28mm f/1.8 lens a while ago...
As I've mentioned here before, I have a real love/hate relationship with my Sigma 28mm f/1.8... I love the optics and the photos it can produce, but the autofocus so noisy and slow it makes it near-impossible to track moving subjects in low-light (which is the main reason I bought the lens). It's a lens that requires static objects and a bit of patience, or skill in manual focussing. I have none of these things.

So I'm now shopping for a replacement for this lens. I've nailed the choices down to 3 lenses:

1. Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L
A great lens by all accounts. Not amazingly sharp in the corners wide-open, but tack sharp in the middle at any aperture. Very similar to the 35mm f/1.4L in all other respects. Roughly the same price as the 35mm f/1.4L too (ie expensive). This is a pretty good focal length for me on the 1DMk3, but I'm concerned it will be too wide as a walk-around lens on the 5D (which is it's intended purpose on the 5D).

2. Canon EF 28mm f/1.8
This is by far the cheapest of these lenses. In fact if I were to choose this then I'd also buy an EF 85mm f/1.8 at the same time and it would still come in cheaper than either of the other two. The samples photos I've seen look very soft at f/1.8 (which is where I'd hope to be using it), so I'd have to use it at f/2.2 or beyond to get it sharp. Also the images just don't seem to have the 3D-effect of either of the other two lenses. But it is still well-regarded when compared to lenses like the 50mm f/1.4 (which I love), although sample photos show the 28mm to be noticably softer at f/1.8 than the 50mm is even at f/1.4.

3. Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L
A legendary lens forming part of the Canon "Holy Trinity". Optically the best lens of the three (although the 24 is very very close), and with a current rebate it is about $100 cheaper than the 24mm L (but still well over double the 28mm f/1.8). It's a touch longer than I'd like on the 1DMk3, but will be great on a 5D. My main concern is that 35mm is just a bit too similar to the 50mm f/1.4 which I currently own and really like. I suspect I'll end up no longer using the 50mm.

So... any thoughts?
I intend to get an EF 85mm f/1.8 anyway at some point, but if I get the 28mm then I can buy the 85mm now instead of waiting for my bank balance to recover from the $1k L glass.

Hi Adrian,

I find when using a wide angle wide open that you very rarely use the corners of the glass as the DOF is so narrow anyway. You usually use it to isolate the subject and the corners tend to be filled with bokeh, rather than tack sharp detail. If using it for landscapes than you are going to close it down anyway.

So my advice would be to get the 24 1.4. On the Mark 3 it will be about 31 (close to your desired 28) and on the 5D you can always crop a little to get the 28mm frame you want or zoom with your feet. It is usually easier to go a little closer than a little further back in a tight space. The 50 1.4 can be utilised on your 5D as a walk around partner for the 24.

If you buy the 28 you compromise on quality and the 35 is too close to the 50. However, the Sigma 30 1.4 has a very good reputation and might be worth checking out. Heaps of wedding guys rave about it.

For me I just like the convenience of the 16-35 2.8 zoom.

I might be willing to sell my 85 1.8 if you are interested.

Cheers,

Chris

Thanks for the advice Chris.

When I said I really like the 28mm, that's because of how it looks on a 1.3 crop camera, and I was also equally happy with it on a 1.6 crop camera. So the more I think about it the more I think 35mm will be most appropriate. When 35mm is used on FF and 1.3 bodies it is similar to using a 28mm on 1.3 and 1.6 bodies which is what I'm after.

It was Tina's birthday this weekend and I took my Sigma 28mm f/1.8 and Canon 50mm f/1.4 out to spend a night shooting exclusively with them on my 1D3, paying particular attention to the "ideal" focal length... the verdict was that the 50mm was a touch too long for many shots while the 28mm was a touch too wide for some. A 35mm would've been perfect!
So... even though 35mm is quite close to 50mm, I think that's the one I'll go for. It might make my 50mm a bit redundant, but paired with an 85mm (and my 135L) it makes complete sense. There's a reason why the three L lenses of these focal lengths are grouped together and called the Holy Trinity!

The Sigma 30 f/1.4 is excellent by all accounts, but it is only for crop cameras and unfortunately shows major vignetting even on a 1.3 body.

But... I might not get to choose any of them! Unfortunately last night after posting the post above, I was eating dinner and bit down on something hard and broke off a piece of tooth! :mad: I should find out how much the dental work might cost before I go buying more luxuries.

I am definately interested in your 85 f/1.8. I had every intention of buying that lens at some stage too (I'm not interested in the 85 f/1.2L - the AF is too slow to be useful for me). If the dentist bill makes buying the 35L impractical for the moment then your 85mm might allow me to get a lens I want now and I'll worry about the wide-angle later.
PM me a price if you're keen..

And finally... here are a couple of shots from Tina's birthday dinner! Both taken with my 50mm f/1.4 on my 1D3.


1. Tina


2. Tina, Sheryl, and Mike (who is also into photography)

Glad to hear that you were able to decide - terrible to hear about your tooth

The 35 is a wonderful lens and I didn't know the Sigma was for crop bodies only - apologies for the dopey advice

I know someone who might be interested in your 50 I saw him today and he was raving about my 50 and saying he wanted one.

Will let you know about the 85.

Cheers,

Chris

Hey Chris,

Thanks for the help. The more I think about it the more certain I am about the 35mm though.
Oh, and I agree with you about corner sharpness not really being that important wide open with a lens like this... but I did notice that the softness in the 28mm f/1.8 looked more like a smear than nice bokeh, so it was a little distracting.

That's interesting that you might know someone looking for a 50mm (1.4 I assume). I'm not sure if I'd want to sell my 50 or not. I guess I'll see how much use it gets once I get a 35mm. I'll quite likely sell my Sigma 28mm f/1.8 however.

Sorry about your tooth!! same happened to me in NY, just weeks before leaving and I had to leave the tooth unfixed waiting to go back to Germany....

you could always sell the 50 if you find you don't use it much anymore. this lense is so popular,
I doubt you will get much less than the original price-even though that might still only cover part of your
denatal work......

Uli

Ouchies! Sorry to hear about your tooth too, Kombi!

Thanks for your concerns about my tooth. It looks like it might not be as serious or costly as I first thought which is good news. Although a big chunk of a molar broke off, it isn't painful, visible or preventing me from eating, so there is no big emergency there any more.

So I just placed an order for the EF 35mm f/1.4L from B&H!!!!

Chris, I am definately still interested in your 85mm f/1.8 thanks, but perhaps not right now. I'm also still interested in your 5D as we discussed, but I'm assuming that won't be happening until October at the earliest depending on when the new model replacing the 5D comes out.

If this lens lives up to its reputation and is anything like the 135mm f/2L in terms of "wow factor" then I'll be in heaven! Can't wait!

Heck, I need to be quicker on the draw here!
I woulda said 24mm f1.4L or the 35(as you've ordered)...the latter reputedly razor-like(Chris has it sewn up in his comments I reckon)....but I have a little "but" or addendum:
Knowing a little of the way you "see" and frame your work(or maybe because of what floats my boat), I'd have thought you'd go either up to 85 f1.8/135 f2 Ls...but would also be willing you along to get the 16-35 f2.8L Mk2; OK at the "long" end not a patch on the prime L wider than f5.6 or f8....but so, so stonking from around 18-32mm; I might be having a Freudian slip or projecting my own stuff here, but, manolito, sticking that with the 50mm1.4 and the 70-210 f4 IS and there's some full-frame oojah going on...
...all of which is no help at all, seeing as you've got the 35 on order, but I thought I'd join in anyway. Blessings and healing on the tooth old chap.

Thanks for the input Zig. I did consider the 16-35 but it just isn't fast enough for what I want. Plus both the 24L and 35L seem able to impart a certain "specialness" into their photos that few lenses come close to, especially zooms. My 135 f/2L does the it too... It's hard to explain but I simply get an amazingly high keeper rate from that lens. Everything it touches turns to gold. I'm hoping this new 35L will behave in much the same way.

I've got a lot of respect for the 16-35, but I just don't think it's the lens for me. On a 1.3 crop factor camera the 16mm isn't as wide as I'd like from such a lens, and most of the long end I have nicely covered by the 24-70mm f/2.8L that I already own.

Kombisaurus Wrote:Although a big chunk of a molar broke off, it isn't painful, visible or preventing me from eating, so there is no big emergency there any more.

So I just placed an order for the EF 35mm f/1.4L from B&H!!!!

Haha, good on you for getting your priorities right! Gadgets and gear before health! (just kidding)

Ade, one day you'll be getting an adapter and asking, "shall I get the 19mm Elmarit or the Summicron?"

Top man mate; I'm with Jules too: gear+feelgood=holistic sense of wellbeing: ergo, good health...

The next one will be the 14 2.8 II

I am still keen to sell you the 5D Adrian (as discussed when the new one is announced) and maybe we can team the 85 with it - unless you want it earlier of course.

Cheers,

Chris