Is this a good buy?

[misstwinklytoes]

I know nothing about off brand lenses....

I was looking at B01200 Tamron 24 2.5 Lens W/cs *55 .... Is this better than the 50mm F1.8?

 

[Vinny]

It is a 24mm lens vs a 50mm, which means it's a wide angle lens. I can't speak of it's quality but are you looking for a wide angle? With your camera not being a full frame the focal lengths come out to a higher number but the smaller the focal length the more distortion can be in the photo. Years ago (maybe the same today) 50mm was considered a normal lens equivilent to what a human eye sees.

 

[misstwinklytoes]

Well everyone was suggesting a 50mm for my portrait taking, but this used 24mm is a 36mm on my cropped sensor so I was wondering if it was better for about the same price.

 

[robertwsimpson]

Everyone suggests 50mm for portraits because 85mm is the "ideal" focal length for portraits. If you get a 24mm lens, you're not going to want to get any closer than maybe torso. It would not be very good for head+shoulders, and even worse for just headshots.

Get a 50mm f/1.8 for $80. It's the best $80 you'll spend on camera gear.

 

[misstwinklytoes]

Gotcha!

Now to find it for $80.00...

 

[robertwsimpson]

Also, if you really want to improve your portraits, I'd spend the $80 on flash triggers and some cheap old flashes. I've seen some AMAZING portraits taken with kit lenses. The key to good portraits is light management.

If all you want to do is blur a background, the 50mm f/1.8 is your best bet.

If you want to spend a little more, the 85mm f/1.8 or the 50mm f/1.4 are better.

 

[Vinny]

I know a lot of people say that a 50mm is a good portrait lens but I've read that the focal length should be about 105mm but I never shot portraits and only going on what I've read.

I would think that a 50mm 1.8 Canon lens is a better lens than the Tameron but unfortunately I can't say. Have you googled the 2 lenses? The 50mm will let in more light, it's 1.8 vs 2.5, since it's a "normal" lens it should have less distortion.

By distortion, I am referring to possibly having curved lines because of the focal length. You can test what I mean if you like by setting up different focal lengths on your zoom and see what happens to the image at different focal lengths.

 

[misstwinklytoes]

Canon FD 50mm 1:1.8 S.C. Lens -Japan - eBay (item 310245730624 end time Sep-05-10 11:00:35 PDT)

Buy it now for $25.00 What's wrong with it? lol

 

[robertwsimpson]

Canon FD 50mm 1:1.8 S.C. Lens -Japan - eBay (item 310245730624 end time Sep-05-10 11:00:35 PDT)

Buy it now for $25.00 What's wrong with it? lol

nothing other than it's the wrong mount for your camera.

 

[misstwinklytoes]

well hell! lol

Ugh I need help! I wouldn't mind buying from Ebay or a used place. I want to be able to have it shipped to me by the end of the week though. I'm not having much luck finding a 50mm lens for under 100$

 

[Vinny]

It is a manual focus lens. Do you know if it is compatable with your camera?

May be a great buy. If it is compatable and you want manual focus it may be worth buying. I'm not a big ebay shopper but under $35 it may be worth the chance!

 

[misstwinklytoes]

How do I tell if it's the right mount?

For that price I'd consider getting a manual focus.

 

[robertwsimpson]

you need an EF, not an FD.

here is a brand new one for $100

 

[misstwinklytoes]

So for the 50mm 1.8 what size CPL do I need?

 

[misstwinklytoes]

And do I need a CPL for mostly portrait photography?