50mm vs 85mm--- which should I get??

PinkPoodle · Sep 30, 2015

Hello!

I'm pretty new to all of this and have a question as to which lens I should get. I'm currently shooting with an Olympus OMD EM5 and an old Canon Rebel from 7 years ago, or so. I'm really wanting to get into portrait photography as well as newborn photography.

Here's what I'm working with on the Olympus OMD EM5- the kit lens as well as a 17mm 1.8 which is equivalent to the 35mm. For the Canon I have the 50mm 1.8

I keep going back and forth between the 45mm for the micro 3/4 that is equivalent to 90mm in 35mm format and the 25mm which is equivalent to the 50mm.

I would like to move away from my Canon for the time being until I'm able to invest in a more modern and fancy camera but I could always use it for the newborn photos I'm doing. So one part of me is saying get the 45mm because worst case I could always use my 50mm on the Canon, but the other part of me loves that 50mm on the Canon so much I would like to think I would love it for the Olympus.

How much different are these two lenses when doing a family photoshoot?? I like the idea of using the 25mm for both newborn photos and family photos.

Sorry if I'm scatterbrained....

HELP!

jaomul · Sep 30, 2015

The 45mm on m43 is a nice portrait lens. 25 (50equiv) is a little short in my opinion. It is (25) useful if you're caught for space but the 45mm one had better more flattering focal length

goooner · Sep 30, 2015

So what lens(es) do you have on your OMD? If you have the 14-140 (or what ever) just set it to 25 and or 45 and take a bunch of photos at both focal lengths. I personally will go for the 45 as a portrait lens, but if you are working indoors a 90mm fov might be too tight.

tirediron · Sep 30, 2015

Don't get too caught up in the whole "equivalent focal length" thing. The focal length is the focal length is the focal length. What changes is the field of view. The correct is expression is actually more like, "The 45mm lens has an equivalent field of view to that of a 100mm lens on a full-frame camera".

The reason portrait photographers tend to shoot with short to medium telephoto lenses is because shorter focal lengths introduce distortion. If you have a fish-eye, or UWA, take a shot of someone up close and look at it carefully; notice how much larger their nose and near features appear? This is a result of the focal length. I'm not up on the lenses available for the M4/3 systems, but if you have one that gets out to 80 or 100mm, you're golden.

Ido · Sep 30, 2015

I assume your Canon Rebel is a digital one, so it has an APS-C sensor. That means, the 50mm on it should give fairly similar angle of view as 45mm on the OM-D, the Canon will be only very slightly wider.

Derrel · Sep 30, 2015

I think in one way, you might like the deeper DOF that the Olympus camera gives, with its m4/3 sized sensor and its high-quality lens options. Olympus, Panasonic, and Leica all make some dynamite m4/3 lenses, as does Sigma. The smaller sensor size of m4/3 gives a little bit of a depth of field cushion for things like closer-range shots of people, and groups of people. I read Kirk Tuck's excellent blog, The Visual Science Lab, and he's had some wonderful posts in the past where he details how great the 25mm and 45mm primes are. He does mostly "people pictures" for commercial clients, and he has been doing this for 30-some-odd years; he has a real love for the panasonic GH4 body, and the lenses for it.

I think having a little bit MORE in-focus on closer-range shots (those inside of 15 feet) is an advantage much of the time. The m4/3 sensor provides that in both still images, and in video images.

MichaelHenson · Sep 30, 2015

I have the EM5 with the 45mm/1.8 and it works great for portraits. The DoF is really nice.

Solarflare · Sep 30, 2015

PinkPoodle said:
Sorry if I'm scatterbrained....

Indeed.

A 50mm on an APS-C sensor is a full frame equivalent of 75mm, at 3:2 aspect ratio.
A 45mm on a MFT sensor is a full frame equivalent of 90mm, at 4:3 aspect ratio.

Thats a small enough difference in focal length that it starts to get hard to tell which focal length was used in a given photo. Basically cut the borders of the 75mm and you'll be at the 90mm picture.

Derrel said:
Olympus, Panasonic, and Leica all make some dynamite m4/3 lenses, as does Sigma.

AFAICS Leica makes no MFT lenses whatsoever; they just help Panasonic with designing their MFT lenses ? As well as other lenses.

PropilotBW · Sep 30, 2015

The M.Zuiko 45mm 1.8 is absolutely fantastic. I tested one out recently on my EM5ii. It's one of the sharpest lenses in the micro four thirds system. It's also very affordable. You can get one used at KEH.com for around $250.

To be honest, what you have already is perfect for newborn photography. The 17mm and 50mm can do it all.

I'm confused with your title, though, 50 vs 85 is you're wanting to veer away from the Canon system... There's a 45mm 1.8 or there's a 75mm 1.8 in the Olympus system.?. The 75mm is by far much better, but also $800. You would be very happy with the 45mm.
Also, your 50mm on your canon is actually 75 equivalent, and isn't the same as the 25mm on the Olympus....that would be the Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7 (equivalent to 75mm=or your 50mm APS-C canon lens)

Derrel · Sep 30, 2015

Solarflare said:
AFAICS Leica makes no MFT lenses whatsoever; they just help Panasonic with designing their MFT lenses ? As well as other lenses.

It's similar to the modern day "Zeiss" lenses...assembled not in Germany, but in Japan, but with Zeiss QC people on-site ensuring that Zeiss's own Quality Control standards are met, on lenses being built in Cosina factories, with Cosina employees.

I was thinking mostly about two of the well-proven "Leica" lenses, specifically the Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 ASPH prime...that is a Leica design, and has the Leica's brand "ASPH" and the Leica-like orange focal length marking and typeface on it. Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 ASPH Prime Lens (Black)

I was also thinking about the Leica DG Macro-Elmarit 45mm f/2.8 ASPH Panasonic Leica DG Macro-Elmarit 45mm f/2.8 ASPH. MEGA H-ES045.

I see now that there's also a 42.5mm Lumix lens branded LEICA, and selling for $1,599, the very fast f/1.2 Nocticron, and there's also the LEICA-branded 15mm f/1.7 DG Summilux ASPH for $599.

PinkPoodle · Oct 1, 2015

Yeah, thats my dilemma. Doing newborn shoots I don't always have a lot

PropilotBW said:
The M.Zuiko 45mm 1.8 is absolutely fantastic. I tested one out recently on my EM5ii. It's one of the sharpest lenses in the micro four thirds system. It's also very affordable. You can get one used at KEH.com for around $250.

To be honest, what you have already is perfect for newborn photography. The 17mm and 50mm can do it all.

I'm confused with your title, though, 50 vs 85 is you're wanting to veer away from the Canon system... There's a 45mm 1.8 or there's a 75mm 1.8 in the Olympus system.?. The 75mm is by far much better, but also $800. You would be very happy with the 45mm.
Also, your 50mm on your canon is actually 75 equivalent, and isn't the same as the 25mm on the Olympus....that would be the Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7 (equivalent to 75mm=or your 50mm APS-C canon lens)

Thanks so much for the advice! I titled my subject line in the 35mm equivalent because I figured not a lot of people use micro 4/3 lenses. I definitely can do some great photos with the 17mm on my MFT and the 50mm on the Canon but I am going to take some pictures of my friend and her family. I wanted another lens for the MFT and just debating the two. I love the 50mm on the Canon so much, but after reading some articles and blogs people seem to really love the 85mm.