Canon 24mm Pancake Lens

Hi all,

I have just joined this forum and this is my first post.

I already own Canon 550d along with 18-55 and 50 mm 1.8 prime lenses. I also bought recently 40mm prime which is more sharper than 50 mm, IMHO.

My main interests are portraits and street photography.

My query is: should I buy 24mm for portraits? Will it complement my existing prime lenses? Or should I explore some other alternatives such as 85mm for portraits?

thanks in advance

Most people consider 24mm to be too wide for portraits. Why would you want to use 24mm for portraits when you already have 40mm and 50mm?

Good question. I have been also battling this question in the back of mind.

I have noticed that you also own this lens along with many others. may I ask you for what purpose you use it specifically?

best

I use it on my SL1 as a very compact, general purpose "normal" lens.

Thanks.

I just visted your flickr page. I am amazed at the quality of photos. Congrats.

Could you provide a link to couple of images on your flickr page which are taken by 24 or 40 mm. Just for my own curiosity.

msowsun wrote in post #17618065
I use it on my SL1 as a very compact, general purpose "normal" lens.

+1
One of my favorite combos!

Welcome btw!
I would suggest buying the 24mm 2.8 stm pancake just to have! It's also pretty decent with macro shots!

Sounds like you may have a case of GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). Be careful on this forum or you will go broke very quickly!
You should be able to get pretty decent portraits with the lenses you already have. Depends on how much money you want to spend and how serious you want to get.

Very rightly said.

Every week I get the itch to buy new lens, without even adequately testing/using out the acquired ones.

This is more the case when when I visit online forums and I get excited after reading comments and reviews. Also sites such as olx spoils me with used gears available at much cheaper prices.

The urge for acquiring sharpest lenses is very much there but at the same time gut feeling says that there is no the sharpest lens in the world. For a good picture, there are many other determinants such as light, other gears and more importantly, the skills to shoot.

I keep fighting myself with such thoughts and counter-thoughts.

I too had the 50 1.8 and 40 pancake. I never used the 40. So i sold it and got the 24 pancake. Now I used the 24 a ton. But not for portraits. Its a fun compact walk around lens.

@BlakeC: any link to photos taken by you from 24mm is welcome.

Kaval wrote in post #17618185
@BlakeC: any link to photos taken by you from 24mm is welcome.

These are the types of things I use mine for >>> http://blakec-photography.smugmug.co​m/24mm-f28-Pancake-Lens/
Here is a link to the 24mm pancake thread this forum >>> https://photography-on-the.net …read.php?t=1407​050&page=1

Thanks. Very impressive images.

Are these taken from cropped or FF camera?

I use a canon SL1 and 70D. Both are crop. 99% of the time, I use the 24mm with my SL1 for a very compact package.

In terms of sharpness, did you find 24mm more sharper than 40mm? Or you were concerned about other factors?

Kaval wrote in post #17618247
In terms of sharpness, did you find 24mm more sharper than 40mm? Or you were concerned about other factors?

The 40 felt flat to me. I also didnt use the 40 because I would rather use the 50.

Kaval wrote in post #17617975
Hi all,

I have just joined this forum and this is my first post.

I already own Canon 550d along with 18-55 and 50 mm 1.8 prime lenses. I also bought recently 40mm prime which is more sharper than 50 mm, IMHO.

My main interests are portraits and street photography.

My query is: should I buy 24mm for portraits? Will it complement my existing prime lenses? Or should I explore some other alternatives such as 85mm for portraits?

thanks in advance

Heya,

Depends. Do you like portraits with environmental context? Or are you more into thin depth of field stuff? Full body? Just faces?

The moment you stop the 24mm F2.8 down to F4 for example, it's not much different from using your 18-55 at F4 or F5.6 in many ways. Sure, the prime is sharper though.

Do you feel you need a pancake lens?

I would suggest you look at a 35 F2 lens instead. If you're not really after the size of a pancake, I would suggest if you're going to spend money on a prime, get one that is actually fast. F2.8 is so painfully slow for a "prime" in these focal lengths. I would be looking at F1.4 and F2 options instead. Sigma 30 F1.4, Canon 35 F2, Yongnuo 35 F2.

Very best,