So with a new arrival on the way I am looking to pick up one of the above (I have a Sony A230) What would everyone's preference be for some portrait style photo's ? I have read that the 50mm can be a bit soft at 1.8 but is pin sharp at 2.0. I can pick up a new 50mm for £91.00 with the 35mm available for £120.00. My other option would be to pick up something like a Helios 44 but the lack of auto focus is giving me second thoughts? Any recommendations would be gratefully received
Personally I would prefer the 35mm but both good choices. With the 35mm you can still take the wider stuff and crop in for closer portraits (or just walk in closer!) I use the 50mm on my crop body and I do find that I wish I was using the 35mm quite often. Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
Generally I'd steer towards the 35mm option. I love my 50mm, but on a crop sensor it's not quite wide enough for regular use. Although with a baby you're taking photos of a much smaller subject so..... 35mm for general flexibility. Baby won't mind that you're photographing from half a meter away lol
I honestly never use my 50mm on my d7000. Its not wide enough in side and for me its not long enough for portraits. it doesn't help that I mostly use a 18-50mm f/2.8 lens and the 1 and 1/3 stops difference never made much difference to me compared to the much closer focus the 18-50 came with. I'm now saving for a 35mm 1.4 to complement the 85mm 1.4 I use for portraits. the wife now has the 50mm and to be honest she never uses it either.
