Brand:
Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.8
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If you want a lens to use in different real estate
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Although camera lenses come in varying specifications, the focal length is one of the most important features to consider. The focal length affects the angle of view or how much of a scene the lens can view at a given subject distance. Usually, lenses can have a variable or a fixed focal length.
A fixed focal length means the lens can't vary the angle of view unless you manually vary the subject distance. Lenses are divided into ultra-wide-angle, wide-angle, standard, and telephoto perspectives depending on the angle of view.
Ultra-wide-angle lenses have the largest angle of view, while telephoto lenses have the smallest angle. Regarding fixed or variable focal lengths, 35mm and 50mm are the most common prime lenses.
A 35mm lens has a fixed focal length of 35mm, regardless of the aperture or build quality. Usually, the wide-angle perspective starts at a focal length of 35mm or shorter. That means a Canon EF 35mm is a prime wide-angle lens when paired with a full-frame camera.Â
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Brand:
Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.8
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Brand:
Canon EF 35mm f/2
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Brand:
Sony FE 35mm f/1.8
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Compatible Mountings:
Nikon F
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Compatible Mountings:
Canon EF
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Compatible Mountings:
Sony FE, Sony E
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Lens Type:
Standard
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Lens Type:
Wide Angle
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Lens Type:
Wide Angle
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4.7
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4.7
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4.7
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A 50mm lens has a fixed focal length of 50mm, regardless of other specifications such as the aperture or build quality. Lenses with a focal length of 35mm to around 70mm are considered to give a normal perspective.
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Brand:
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2
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Brand:
Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2
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Brand:
Sony FE 50mm F1.2
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Item Weight :
1.28 pounds
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Item Weight :
2.4 pounds
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Item Weight :
1.72 pounds
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Compatible Mountings:
Canon EF
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Compatible Mountings:
Nikon Z
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Compatible Mountings:
Sony E
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4.7
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4.9
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4.9
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A normal or standard perspective is the angle of view you get when viewing with the naked eye, around 43mm. Since most lenses come with a focal length of 50mm instead of 43mm, the 50mm lens for Sony is also considered true normal lenses or standard lenses.
Although 35mm and 50mm lenses have different perspectives, the angle of view can be close enough depending on the sensor size of the camera you are using. Combining this with their versatile fixed focal lengths, you can expect these lenses to have the following performance similarities and differences.
Even if the angle of view difference between the two lenses affects their suitability in interior photography, they are prime lenses with the following similarities.
Keeping in mind that the 35mm and 50mm lenses have a field of view difference of 15mm that makes one lens has a wide-angle perspective and the other a normal perspective when paired with a full-frame camera, these lenses have the following weight and bokeh quality differences.
Although the lens weight might vary depending on the construction quality, it mainly varies with size. Usually, the lens size varies in two ways, depending on the length and depending on diameter. Lenses designed for full-frame cameras are broader and heavier than those designed for crop-factor cameras.
On the other hand, keeping in mind that focal length is the distance between the center of the camera sensor to the center of the lens, lenses with longer focal lengths are longer than those with shorter focal lengths.
As a result, assuming that the 35mm and 50mm lenses are of the same construction quality and both are designed for full-frame cameras, the 50mm lens is longer and heavier than the 35mm lens. This makes a 50mm lens bulkier to carry around shooting real estate photos.
Bokeh refers to how the camera lens renders the areas that are out-of-focus in a photo. A good bokeh quality is when the main subject is sharp and the areas out-of-focus look blurred.
Although most lenses blur the background of the subject depending on the aperture and distance of the subject from the background, longer focal lengths result in more perspective compression compared to shorter lenses.
This compression makes the blurring effect spread out more. As a result, the 50mm lens tends to shoot photos with a more pleasing bokeh quality than the 35mm lens when using the same aperture settings and subject to background distances.
Distortions in lenses usually result from the curved shape of the lens, which makes the lens slightly magnify the elements at the center of the frame more than the edges. Typically, this is because the subject distance of elements around the edges is larger than the subject distance of the elements at the center of the frame.
For instance, if you are shooting real estate interior photos from the doorway, the subject distance of the room's corners will be bigger than the subject distance from the center of the wall. This causes distortions that make the straight corners appear curved and deformed.
As the focal length reduces and the angle of view increases, the lens is curved to capture a larger scene, increasing the distortions. As a result, the 35mm lens tends to shoot images with more optical distortions compared to the 50mm unit at the same subject distance.
The major distinguishing factor between the 35mm and 50mm lenses is the field of view. The 35mm unit has a horizontal field of view of 54.4 degrees and a vertical field of view of 37.8 degrees when mounted on a full-frame camera.
On the other hand, the 50mm unit has a vertical field of view of 39.6 degrees and a horizontal field of view of 27.0 degrees when mounted on a full-frame camera. The 35mm unit's horizontal field of view reduces to around 37.0 degrees and the vertical field of view to around 25.1 degrees when paired with an APS-C camera with a crop factor of 1.5x.
On the other hand, the 50mm unit's horizontal field drops to around 26.3 degrees and the vertical field of view to around 17.7 degrees when paired with an APS-C camera with a crop factor of 1.5x.
Considering that the 35mm lens has a wider angle of view compared to the 50mm unit, it's the best unit to use in the following situations.
Since the 50mm unit offers a field of view similar to the human's naked eye, it's the best lens to use in the following conditions.
Generally, the 35mm angle of view is better as it's more versatile, depending on the camera you are using. For instance, you can use it to capture wide-angle exterior photos with a full-frame camera or crop-factor camera in portraits.
Whether you want to shoot exterior photos with minimal distortions or interiors in tight spaces, this 35mm vs 50mm guide helps you choose the lens with a field of view that suits your scene. The 35mm lens is more versatile, while the 50mm takes images with a better background blur.
