Let’s Talk Lenses! | What Lens Should I Get?

I still remember when talking lenses was, like, a totally different language.

I’ve always been bad at foreign languages. At my first Spanish oral exam, I responded to all of the questions in English. In high school, the only part of French class I liked was picking out my French name for the year (Esperanza! Which, come to think of it, how is that even French?!). In college, I failed a French class while pregnant with Max. I mean, foreign languages and I do not get along and, when I blasted into the photography world and read things like “F Stop” and “focal length”, I may as well have been reading hieroglyphics.

But! Eventually! I learned a lot about lenses and, nowadays, can totally talk about lenses in my sleep. I am a total lens girl and, while my overworked 35L is by far my favorite lens, it is definitely not my only lens. And when someone asks me for lens advice? I start talking so fast that not even Andrew could understand me – and that means I am talking ca-razy fast.

So! Because it is one of the questions that I am most often asked, I thought it would be fun to write a blog post on this simple-yet-complicated question: Which lens should I get?

Here’s my top two suggestions! Also, I shoot primarily with a Canon 5d Mark III and that is totally reflected in the options below.

Option One: 35mm Lens.

Budget Option: Canon 35 2.0 | Sigma Version: Sigma 35 Art | My Version: Canon 35 1.4L

The 35mm focal length is, hands down my favorite focal length.

The reason for that is simple: The 35mm focal length is very, very vulnerable. When I shoot with my 35L, I am so close to my subjects that I can hear them breathe (at least I can if they breathe loudly!). I realize this sounds kind of weird but, honestly, it isn’t – the 35mm focal length (on a full frame camera) will place you right in front of your subjects in the same way you would if you were standing together and having a conversation. Photography is personal – there’s no better way to describe it – and, because I talk to my clients like crazy, I prefer to be close to them as I photograph them (I don’t want to shout at them from eight feet away). Another bonus? Since this lens is wide, it’s easy to shoot with it indoors and it’s the best lens for environmental portraits. And a third bonus? Every version of the 35mm lens listed above opens at a wide aperture. As an avid 1.8 or lower shooter, I think that it’s so important to have lenses that create awesome bokeh and I absolutely love the bokeh created by my 35L. I use this lens for nearly everything – engagements and weddings and seniors and personal work and travel and families and newborns. It’s my favorite.

On a crop body camera, this lens will shoot like a 50mm lens. Also, while the 35mm focal length is my favorite, I never, ever use it for head shots and close up portraits on brides and seniors. While I love the distortion the 35mm gives its images, the distortion isn’t cute on grown ups. I love my 35L and it is the only lens that I will sometimes shoot full sessions (and weddings!) with. It’s basically my lens soulmate and has been since Andrew snuck it in my easter basket in April 2011. I love it!

Here’s some photos taken with my 35L! (And here’s a post I wrote about it in 2013, too!)

Henry: Aperture: 1.4 | ISO: 5000 | Shutter Speed: 1/320

Hope: Aperture: 1.4 | ISO: 400 | Shutter Speed: 1/160

Natasha and Lloyd: Aperture: 1.4 | ISO: 2000 | Shutter Speed: 1/500

Charlcee: Aperture: 1.8 | ISO: 250 | Shutter Speed: 1/160

Chandler Family: Aperture: 1.8 | ISO: 160 | Shutter Speed: 1/320

Jasmin: Aperture: 1.4 | ISO: 250 | Shutter Speed: 1/320

Gina and Daniel: Aperture:  1.4  |   ISO:  100  |   Shutter Speed: 1/1250

Option Two: 50mm Lens.

Budget Option: Canon 50 1.8 Lens | Canon 1.4 Versions: Canon 50 1.4 + Canon 50 1.2L | My Version: Sigma 50 Art

The 50mm 1.8 by Canon is one of the most popular starter lenses for new photographers. I had one, most of my friends had one, and, when people ask for lens advice, “50 1.8” is almost always the response they receive for their first prime lens. The 50 1.8 is an awesome lens to learn on and, if you are shooting on a full frame camera, it’s easy to use it indoors and outdoors.

When I first popped my Canon 50 1.8 on my refurbished Canon 40d, I was really surprised by the focal length because I expected it to be much shorter. Since I was shooting on a crop body, the focal length was closer to an 85mm lens and, because of this, it was really difficult to shoot indoors since Andrew and I lived in a tiny one bedroom apartment. I think that it is so important to learn photography everywhere – indoors and outdoors and all over the place – and, due to this, I did find the 50mm focal length a bit restrictive when learning photography indoors. On my full frame camera, though, I love the 50mm focal length and it is totally in my top three favorite lenses (the third is my 85L)!

Another plus for the 50mm? While there is slight distortion, the distortion is nowhere near the distortion on the 35L and, because of this, you’re still able to take traditional portraits while standing near your subjects. Since I love to carry on conversations with people as I photography them, this makes the 50mm focal length invaluable to me in the times that I need a classic portrait but do not want any distortion (something the 35L cannot give me). The 50mm is such an awesome all purpose lens and, while I personally love the 35mm focal length more, lots of photographs claim 50mm lenses as their favorite – it works for everything!

Here’s some 50mm photographs! These were taken with both the Canon 50 1.4 and the Sigma 50 Art. (Sidenote: You can read all about my Sigma 50 Art here.)

Jamie: Aperture: 1.8 | ISO:  500 | Shutter Speed: 1/320

Bridget: Aperture: 1.4 | ISO:  125 | Shutter Speed: 1/125

Hope: Aperture: 1.4 | ISO: 400 | Shutter Speed: 1/640

Tanj: Aperture: 1.4 | ISO: 250 | Shutter Speed: 1/500

Aarti: Aperture: 1.4 | ISO:  100 | Shutter Speed: 1/640

Zahara: Aperture: 1.4 | ISO: 100 | Shutter Speed: 1/8000

Madison: Aperture: 1.4 | ISO: 250 | Shutter Speed: 1/400

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* Lissa Chandler is a creative portrait and wedding photographer in Northwest Arkansas who specializes in lifestyle family, senior portrait and wedding photography. Lissa is known for creative and emotive photography in Northwest Arkansas and currently lives in Fayetteville with her family: a husband who is currently reading off a list of the most searched celebrities on IMDB, a four year old who made the cutest dish ever in his preschool class and a two year old who really just hung out all day. Lissa is currently booking 2015 Seniors, 2015 Weddings, and 2015 Lifestyle Newborn and Family Sessions in Fayetteville, Bentonville, Siloam Springs, Rogers, Springdale, and all of NWA. She is available for wedding work nationwide. *