50mm or 35mm for hotel work (on Canon 5D Mark II)
 

I've been looking at getting a sharp prime lens that will let me work in hotel rooms. Right now I shoot primarily with my 70-200mm 2.8L IS, but 70mm just doesn't really work. I also have a nifty-fifty, but the quality is rough (chromatic abrasion and sharpness). So now I am thinking of either getting a Sigma 50mm or 35mm... thoughts?

Seems like the Sigma lens produces better quality compared to the L-Series Canon lenses.

for a second i thought you were referring to guns lolol....

I have no input on this , but I use a 35 mm for my dick pics

Dont have too much experience with prime lenses but 24-70 L series works fine for hotel rooms, its a little more flexible than those prime lenses

Hahahaha, no, I am a 5.57 guy when it comes to guns - XCR actually.

I've got a 24-70, but I find the quality doesn't compare to a prime. Also, I've been a bit disappointed with the weather sealing on the 24-70. Had it cleaned once already to get rid of dust inside.

24mm or 14mm

What about when you zoom in on the pictures? I have tried different lenses but haven't had any luck finding anything that compares to L glass.

Yes, both Sigma 35 and 50 have less chromatic abrasion and are sharper than the Canon lenses... unfortunately (having been a Canon-only fan boy until now).

The prime is shaper but I like the flexibility of a zoom. How about the Sigma 24-105? If you can work with f4 it looks like a real good choice Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens Image Quality

I'm sorry.

Why would I buy a 24-105mm f4 if I have a 70-200mm 2.8L II IS and a 24-70mm 2.8L IS?

I am not asking what else should I get, I am looking for thoughts on choosing between a 35 and 50. LOL.

You don't like the caliber or the XCR?

I think you would like the sig 35. I have it, i shoot only primes and it's my go-to lens for indoor shooting. it allows me to get up close but still no real distortion. super solid lens. I sent my d600body and the 35mm lens to sigma for calibration also.

Exactly. :thumbsup

I could see using a 35 and a 50 for different situations and different looks. The 35 is going to distort a bit when you get in close....which could be attractive in some situations. In really small confined spaces, the 35 may be your only choice though. The 50 will give you less distortion and softer backgrounds...if you like that look. I would suggest buying them both and testing them to see which one gives you what you want. You may find that both of them could be valuable in different scenarios.

Thanks man. The 50mm is nice, but 35mm is really nice and wide. Any issues with distortion? I suppose lens correction in LR is prob. a must for portraits?

Full frame or crop sensor? Crop sensor 50mm may still be too much in some situations. Full Frame 50mm will give your model more breathing room and feel less crowded. Go with the 35mm if you want to get up close to her. Be prepared to move around a lot moving in and out from your model with either.

Those are my thoughts :winkwink:

EDIT** Never mind on the crop sensor I see 5D Mark II

Does lens correction in post help with the distortion?

Somebody didn't pay attention to the thread title and had to edit their post. ;)

:1orglaugh

I don't find any issue with distortion on this lens. No real barrel distortion and yes, LR has the lens in its database so you will be good to go, but I don't ever really notice it has to correct much. I very much like shooting portraits at 35mm. Can't get close because the model's nose turns into a shnoze quickly but I do move around a lot shooting and also crop images to get the traditional portrait framing.

But you can't go wrong having that 50mm in your kit either, or something close to it. I've only got 2 lenses in my bag these days, the sig 35mm and the nikkor 60mm macro.

I'm not sure. I've never corrected any lens distortion in post. I'm not that anal about a little distortion or if the lens is that sharp. In my opinion, lenses are too sharp these days. They're great if your shooting product or landscape photography but for pictures of girls, I don't want it "too" sharp. That's just me....

Good luck to ya :thumbsup

Me too... :thumbsup:thumbsup:thumbsup

Good luck with your choice. I don't have a lot of experience with Sigma lenses. I've always used L series Canon zoom lenses on my 5D Mark II for adult photography. The 24-105 mm is my go to lens for shooting adult. It's wide enough to shoot in small bedrooms, hotel rooms, bathrooms and other tight spaces as well as flexible enough to handle larger rooms, outdoor spaces and zoom in where necessary. And it's more than sharp enough for even the most critical eyes, for print and anywhere quality is going to be a factor, in my experience at least.

Sigma 35mm Art is my recommendation if you insist on the 5D.
Although you have slight distortion, the trade off is necessary because hotel rooms can be tight spaces and unpredictable. I've tried 50mm and it's not wide enough.

It is not better-quality than the L-series, but comparable, and definitely think you are right getting sigma instead of canon because of the huge savings.

Larger rooms, 24-70

Pov / smaller rooms: 16-35


The 16-35 is my favorite as of late. Especially in natural light situations.

Thanks!!

It does sound like the Sigma is better quality...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8qklsQO5qw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9hdG46n37I
...

This..........

Not realty for things like faces or huge noses. The distortion is really caused by the shooting distance rather than the lens width. For the same size head on an image you'll have to shoot closer with the 35, and thus the nose is proportionally closer to the lens than the rest of the face (and thus is larger) than if you shot from further away with the 50 (where the camera to nose and camera to face distances are about the same). As long as you're careful, the 35 is probably the better choice (you can crop in on an image that's too wide, but you can't back up once you hit the hotel room wall).

primes are great - I learned to use primes vs. zoom shooting on film - sharper.. I have heard the sigma is a better lens than canon L lenses and the price makes it even better if so

I use a 35mn and it's perfect for portrait.

Nice, I love the 35mm. I rented the Canon 35mm 1.4L - but the quality is horrible. There is so much chromatic abrasion. Looking forward to shooting with the Sigma to see the difference. 35mm is nice - 50mm would be too tight for hotel rooms or smaller spaces.

+1 for the sigma 35mm 1.4 :thumbsup