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| Left: 50mm f1.4; Right: 85mm f1.8 (taken at f2.8 on a full-frame Canon 5D Mark II) |
Based on feedback from my first photography post, I had a reader request a comparison picture using my Canon 50mm f1.4 lens and my Canon 85mm f1.8 lens. These are my two favorite lenses and I can easily recommend either of them for someone looking to do fashion blog photography. Here’s a quick rundown of the pros/cons of each:
- Easy to use and reliably chooses the correct image to focus when doing tripod/remote self-photography
- Great for indoor shots or close spaces where you don’t have room to move back to fit everything in frame
- Better for low-light situations
- Wider frame — easier to take full-body shots with a tripod/remote as you don’t need to stand as far back
- More affordable
Cons:
- Harsh background blur — colors don’t seem to blend as well
- Less bright – it doesn’t seem to pick up as much light for natural illumination in portraits
Canon 85mm f1.8:
Pros:
- Longer range — includes more surrounding detail
- Beautiful, blended bokeh
- Sharper, more focused pictures — great for detail shots
- Ideal for outdoor photography and still works well even in low-light situations (I don’t own a flash and it’s never been a problem)
- Excels in portrait photography
Cons:
- Doesn’t always pick the right subject to focus on — I have about a 3% failure rate compared to virtually 0% focus failure rate with the 50mm.
- More expensive
I hope this side-by-side comparison helped! If you’re uncertain about which one to get, I would also suggest renting them (I’ve used BorrowLenses in the past) and just play around with it for a bit. You’ll get a feel for the lens and I usually find that a week is just enough time for me to decide if it’s worth the purchase.
Thanks for reading and let me know if you have any questions and/or if this was helpful!
P.S. In case you missed it:
- Floral Blazer + Yellow Surplice Top – A cheerful little outfit to officially welcome spring!
Your blog tips and photography posts have been extremely helpful to me! Thank you so much for the detail and thoroughness! I just bought the 50mm lens at the start of the year, and now I'm really wanting to experiment with the 85mm, too! I'm totally not anywhere to being an experienced photographer, but it's amazing how just the mere switch from a 35-55mm to a 50mm lens makes such an amazing difference! Carylee | morepiecesofme.com
The 50mm is a huge step up from the 35-55mm lens. In general, I'm a huge fan of the prime lenses. The 85mm is my next recommendation if you're getting pretty handy with the 50mm and want the next step up in blog pictures. It's pretty interesting to see the side-by-side comparison. 🙂
Very helpful, thanks! I got the canon 50mm f/1.8 II – can you explain what's the difference between 50mm f/1.4 and 50mm f/1.8, except for the price? 🙂 (I guess it's because of the focal length but I'm not sure.)
Here's a really good video that goes into a lot of detail about the differences: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKOoY_WZvFA
Personally, the f1.8 lens is a good starter lens but you'll notice a HUGE step up in quality with the f1.4. Besides just the focal length, it's just a higher quality lens. Definitely worth the investment!
Lovely look, great combination of colors and the floral blazer.
x Sandra
http://www.morestylethanfashion.com
Ahh good to know! And the video is helpful, too. Thank you, Kileen. 🙂
I have had the focus issue with my 1.8. It tends to send objects out of focus where not needed very easily, and that annoys me. But having said that, it is my go to lens.
Wow, what a difference! You are making want to upgrade from the 50mm 1.4 now…
good to know. nice post!
oooo–love this outfit! that jacket makes me want to see spring arrive anytime now! 🙂
Stunning blazer! Florals are one of my favourite trends for spring!
Jennifer Ashley
http://www.prettylittledetails.ca