Keep 40mm or get a 35mm?

I want to shoot more lifestyle sessions indoors at client home. Room sizes can be really small with a crop camera and the wider the better. I also sometimes do studio type portraits with young kids in clients home. Should I get rid of my 40mm and pick up a basic 35mm? Will the 5mm difference be a big difference? I also have a 50mm 1.4 which is my widest aperture lens so I don't want to get rid of it.

If you are on crop, I would get a 30/1.4 from sigma. Even the older non art version is really good and can be found for $250 used.

OneDeep wrote in post #17405476
Will the 5mm difference be a big difference?.

not really.

the difference between 15 and 20 is quite significant, as you go longer it becomes less significant.

a 24 or 30 would make a difference.

The switch from 40mm to a 35mm will not be a huge difference as far as FOV goes, but it does give you a couple stops of light, which may matter a lot indoors.

I can second the recommendation for the Sigma 30mm 1.4. Another option would be a 28 1.8, but it doesn't always get rave reviews. I had tried both the Sigma 1.4 Art and 28 1.8, and chose the Sigma 30 Art because bokeh and color were better. Now that I've gone full frame, I'm trying to get rid of the 30 1.4 and may pick up the 28. So if you have plans to go full frame anytime, the 28 1.8 might be better.

Studio type portraits to me sounds like you are adding light. If so, and the max aperture of the 40mm is enough for your needs I would suggest swapping it out for the 24mm pancake. Similar performance (from what I have read) but a more flexible FOV for a crop body indoors. Cost to acquire one may be negligible and perhaps you could even add it to your 40mm instead of trading one for the other.

Alternatively, you could look into one of the f2.8 crop zooms for added flexibility.

Food for thought...

The difference from 40mm to 35mm will be marginal.

Since you did not mention anything about f2.8 being kiting at all I'll assume you're happy with it. If that's the case I'm with blubayou, the EF-s 24mm f2.8 is a better choose.

If you need wider then that, and money is not a limiting factor, then I'd even suggest the sigma 18-35mm f1.8. It's a lot bigger then the 40 and 24 pancaka lenses but it's possible the best crop camera lens.

True story on the sigma 18-35; it's hard to beat in the crop arena, IMO. Unfortunately I sold mine recently since I am doing more with FF.

OneDeep wrote in post #17405476
I want to shoot more lifestyle sessions indoors at client home. Room sizes can be really small with a crop camera and the wider the better. I also sometimes do studio type portraits with young kids in clients home. Should I get rid of my 40mm and pick up a basic 35mm? Will the 5mm difference be a big difference? I also have a 50mm 1.4 which is my widest aperture lens so I don't want to get rid of it.

Heya,

40mm on APS-C is telephoto field of view.
35mm on APS-C is slightly closer to normal field of view.
30mm on APS-C is normal field of view.
22mm on APS-C is wide field of view.

If you want wider for indoors, I would look for the Sigma 30 F1.4 (old non-ART, save money, it still works fine). Or maybe the Canon 28 F1.8 as it's close, albeit a third of a stop slower. Those will give you normal field of views. If you want wider, start looking at a 20mm or 24mm. Wider than that, and you might as well start looking at zooms or manual glass.

Very best,

I love my Sigma Art 30mm, but would you consider the new 24mm pancake?