50mm prime vs 85mm f1.8

[johnnyroc]

bought a canon 85mm f1.8 for $400 a year ago.
just bought a canon 50mm f1.8 for $80 on ebay.

?? is the quality identical? why the price difference? or is it a marketing thing?

 

[Dubious Drewski]

Well first of all, who makes the lenses? And second of all, welcome to the wonders of Ebay. Just beware the shady sellers.

 

[MarcusM]

If it's the Canon 50mm f/1.8, you can get that brand new for $90 from B&H. It is really cheap because of the build I believe - a lot of plastic. But from what I hear it is a great lens for the price, you just have to be gentle with it.

With the 85, for one thing you have a longer focal thing which I believe requires more glass, therefore raising the price, and also the build is better.

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable about glass will be able to explain better.

 

[DeadEye]

bought a canon 85mm f1.8 for $400 a year ago.
just bought a canon 50mm f1.8 for $80 on ebay.

?? is the quality identical? why the price difference? or is it a marketing thing?

Cant say about the 85 as I have never used one. The 50 is an excellent lens . Fast ,Sharp , High in optic Quality ~ but cheep of build. Mine has got canon overhauled once in 3 years. Best bang for the Buck IMHO.

 

[Socrates]

If it's the Canon 50mm f/1.8, you can get that brand new for $90 from B&H. It is really cheap because of the build I believe - a lot of plastic. But from what I hear it is a great lens for the price, you just have to be gentle with it.

With the 85, for one thing you have a longer focal thing which I believe requires more glass, therefore raising the price, and also the build is better.

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable about glass will be able to explain better.

Nothing wrong with that explanation.

 

[johnnyroc]

i guess what i was trying to ask:

at f1.8 both lenses should give me an identical image composition aside, correct? if i were to crop a shot taken with the 50mm it would be IDENTICAL to the one captured using the 85mm lens. true or false? both lenses made by canon.

i've been shooting with the 85mm for a while and don't want to go down in quality.

 

[Helen B]

i guess what i was trying to ask:

at f1.8 both lenses should give me an identical image composition aside, correct? if i were to crop a shot taken with the 50mm it would be IDENTICAL to the one captured using the 85mm lens. true or false?

If you cropped the 50 mm shot, then enlarged it until it was the same size as one captured using the 85 mm lens (taken from the same place at the same aperture and same point of focus) then the two images would not be identical. Apart from any resolution or other image quality issues that would probably favour the 85 mm, the one taken with the 50 mm would have greater depth of field. In terms of composition and perspective, the two images would be identical.

Best,
Helen