50mm on DSLR, too much zoom?

[Tnerb]

I know this isn't the ideal place to ask the question, but there are plenty of quality photographers here, so...

Getting more into photography, I figured I needed an upgrade to the Pentax K200's kit lens.

A 50mm f/1.4 sounds nice for the price (zoom dosen't bother me). But, I am aware of the zoom factor on DSLRs that would turn this into a 76mm 35 equivalent.

So, is this too far for general shooting as a dedicated lens?

 

[boiltheocean]

Nope, your confusing the crop factor (Don't worry I did until I sat down for half a day and looked into it). The 76mm means you need a 76mm lens on a 35mm (Full Frame) to have the same field of view as the 50mm on your 1.5/6x crop factor body. If you were to buy a full frame (35mm) DSLR then your 50mm lens would have the same field of view as a 35mm lens on a cropped sensor.

I have a 50mm on my Alpha 200 and I haven't taken it off so far, it's a brilliant lens I insist any DSLR owner should have.

 

[Tnerb]

Hmm, this is doing my head in.

So what is the difference between say my DSLR with a 50mm lens vs a 35mm/ full frame camera with the same lens?

I was under the presumption that a 76mm on the full frame will give the same result as a 50mm on my camera. So I would need a 33mm lens to achieve the classic 50mm SLR field of vision? Correct me if this is wrong.

 

[TB]

Since you said you already have the kit lens (18-55) you should really be able to answer this yourself.

That said, I have an 18-55 (on a Canon 500D), also purchased a 50mm f/1.8 and love it.

FYI - I don't know what kind of prices you can get a Pentax 50mm f/1.4 for but Adorama will ship one to Australia for $412.15 - presumably USD.

 

[boiltheocean]

Hmm, this is doing my head in.

So what is the difference between say my DSLR with a 50mm lens vs a 35mm/ full frame camera with the same lens?

I was under the presumption that a 76mm on the full frame will give the same result as a 50mm on my camera.

I wasn't quite sure how you worded that in the first post but you are correct. I found this helps understand.

Take the entire circle as a 50mm lens.

For the Crop Sensor to have the same field of vision as the Full Frame you would need a 35mm lens on the Crop Sensor.

For the Full Frame to have the same field of vision as the Crop Sensor you would need a 75mm lens on the Full Frame.

 

[F1GTR]

Hmm, this is doing my head in.

So what is the difference between say my DSLR with a 50mm lens vs a 35mm/ full frame camera with the same lens?

I was under the presumption that a 76mm on the full frame will give the same result as a 50mm on my camera. So I would need a 33mm lens to achieve the classic 50mm SLR field of vision? Correct me if this is wrong.

For all extents and purposes, your presumption is correct, yes.

However, a 50mm lens is a 50mm lens no matter what it's mounted on - all that changes is how much of what the lens projects onto the sensor (or film) is captured (i.e the field of view). For example, a 50mm lens is a medium telephoto on a crop sensor, a 'normal' lens on full frame (36x24mm) and a wide angle on a medium format camera (6x6cm). The 50mm simply refers to how far the lens is from the film plane/sensor.

EDIT: To answer your original question, I find that the field of view you get from a 50mm on a crop sensor a bit too tight save for headshots. However it really is dependent on your style and what you want to do, I tend to use my 35mm much more extensively.

 

[Azuremen]

While the crop factor is a hassle at times, the wide open nature just makes it wonderful for working indoors and using DoF effectively. I'd go insane if I didn't have the 50mm f/1.8 for my 400D.

 

[NLxAROSA]

I love my 50mm f/1.4 at 1.6x crop for low-light indoor stuff where I'm not too close to the subject. For more up close and personal shots, I use the Sigma 30mm f/1.4, which sits on my camera most of the time. I love the 50, but the 30 is much more usable as a general-purpose lens IMO.

 

[GilesGuthrie]

I used a 50mm f/1.4 a lot on my 1.6 crop Canon 350d. But when I went full frame I didn't like it anymore and sold it. I think it's a perfect FL for 1.6, and that you should definitely get one.

 

[Omnis]

I know this isn't the ideal place to ask the question, but there are plenty of quality photographers here, so...

Getting more into photography, I figured I needed an upgrade to the Pentax K200's kit lens.

A 50mm f/1.4 sounds nice for the price (zoom dosen't bother me). But, I am aware of the zoom factor on DSLRs that would turn this into a 76mm 35 equivalent.

So, is this too far for general shooting as a dedicated lens?

I have a 28-75 and most of my pics are taken between 35 and 60. If I get a high-speed prime for my 40D, it'll be the Sigma 50 1.4. If I were you, I'd look at that lens before considering any Pentax 50s.

If you have to take pictures in really tight quarters a 50 might be a problem, but otherwise it makes a great portrait lens and should give you plenty of good photos.