Canon Wide Angle Primes

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Canon Wide Angle Primes

Peter Kun Frary

Modern zoom lenses are convenient and the best of them rival prime lenses in quality. If you get the equivalent of three or four primes in one zoom, why do people still use prime lenses? There are still a few things primes do better than zooms.

Sharpness and Contrast • All things being equal, primes will always have an edge over zooms in sharpness and contrast. However, most zooms are good enough that this is a moot point for most people, especially if they don't enlarge past 8 x 10.

Distortion • Primes are favored by architectural and macro photographers because they have much less distortion than zooms. For example, the EF 28-135 3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom has nearly 3% barrel distortion at 28 mm. In comparison, the EF 28 2.8 has less than 1%. Buildings look bad with curved walls unless they are supposed to be curved.

Large Apertures • Available light photographers (sports, nature, etc.), especially those using telephotos, favor primes because they have larger apertures than zooms. A stop or two extra makes a big difference when shooting in twilight or stadium lights. Plus, you get a brighter viewfinder and better autofocus in low light. Portrait photographers favor primes because they like large apertures--F1.4 to 2.8--to throw the background out of focus and make the subject "pop." Most zooms in the portrait range of 85 to 135 mm are too slow to get decent background blur. For example, the EF 28-135 3.5-5.6 IS USM's largest aperture at 135 mm is only 5.6. Canon's primes in the portrait range are relatively fast: EF 85 1.2 USM, EF 85 1.8 USM, EF 100 2.0 USM, EF 135 2.8 SF and EF 135 2.0 USM.

Flare Resistance • Primes have simpler optical formulas and, hence, fewer lens elements. Fewer elements means less reflective surfaces to cause flare, ghosting and loss of light. Moreover, because designers are dealing with only one focal length, they can design the largest possible lens shade to block glare.

Development of the Inner Eye • For a beginner, the perspective of a single focal length is easier to remember and bond with than a zoom. If you keep it simple, you will soon begin pre-visualizing images in the perspective of your focal length. With a zoom, beginners spend too much time zooming back and forth trying to find a pleasing image.

Here are the primes in my camera bag.

Canon Wide Angle Primes

Canon EF 24 2.8

My widest prime is the EF 24 2.8. There are a lot of things to like about this lens: small (48.5 mm L), light (270 g), close focusing (25 cm), well corrected for distortion, extremely sharp (Photodo 3.9 MTF), contrasty and very flare resistant. Because it employs a rear focusing group, the front element does not rotate nor does the lens change in length when focusing. This lens would complement a travel kit nicely with its 58 mm filter size and diminutive statue.

Slopes of Diamond Head • Canon EOS 630, EF 24 2.8 & Kodachrome 64

Although it uses the Arc Form Drive (AFD), the EF 24 2.8 focuses fast due to its internal focus (IF) design. AFD designs aren't silent like USM, but are quieter than the AF motors of most other lens makers. However, this lens and the EF 135 2.8 SF are unusually quiet during AF. Unfortunately, AFD designs lack the FT-M feature of ring-type USM lenses. I don't miss FT-M much on wide angle zooms (telephotos are another story).

The EF 24 2.8 uses the EW-60 lens hood, a twist-on cutout design. It turn less than a quarter turn to lock and is easily twisted back and knocked off. Oddly the Canon logo doesn't align with the top side of the lens on my copy--design or manufacturing defect?

The manual focusing ring is tiny but smooth turning for an AF lens, but not as silky and dampened as the manual lenses of yesteryear.

EF 24 2.8 & EW-60 • The widest easy to use prime

Using full frame film or digital, 24 mm is the widest lens I'm able to easily take pictures with (wider lenses take in too much). If you like an exaggerated, ultra-close foreground object set against a sharp but distance background, this lens can do it. For maximum depth of focus, switch off AF, dial in F11 to 22, set the hyperfocal distance on the distance window and everything from 2 feet to infinity will be in focus (the distance window has DOF markings for only F11 and 22). If candid street photography is your bag, wade in a crowd and start shooting with AF off and the lens set for maximum hyperfocal distance. With 84 degrees of coverage, you can shoot off-center subjects and they won't realize you took their picture because the camera isn't pointed at them. This is also a great architectural lens due to its virtually distortion free design.

My copy of this lens is surprisingly sharp wide open. On cropped frame (1.6x) DSLRs it's sharp edge to edge at F2.8 with absolutely no light fall-off. Full frame suffers from a little softness around the edges, slight light fall-off but sharpens up nicely and light fall-off is nominal stopped down to F4. I rarely used it on full frame larger than F8 as sweeping vistas look best with plenty of depth of field.

EOS 5D & EF 24 2.8 • F2.8

Pixel View Crop From Center (F2.8)

A cropped frame shooter may find the EF 24 2.8 a great lightweight walkaround optic and actually use F2.8 while trolling dim city streets and bars. All this quality will cost you about $325 new.

Canon EF 28 2.8

This stubby is tiny (42.5 mm L), light (185 g), focuses close (30 cm) and is well corrected for distortion, making it great for architecture. The front element does not rotate, but the lens changes length during focus. Although it uses AFD, it focuses fast due to the small extension needed to focus (slightly slower than the EF 24 2.8). This lens has 52 mm filter threads and uses the clip-on EW-65 II (or EW-65) lens hood, two features it shares with the EF 35 2.0. The manual focusing ring doesn't turn as smooth as the EF 24 2.8 and has a slightly gritty feel. This lens has one of Canon's best DOF scales: F5.6, 11 and 16 are marked on the distance window.

EF 28 2.8 • This ultra sharp lens is so small you won't know its in your bag

Some people think the 28 mm focal length is a yawn since it's common on point 'n shoots and normal zooms. Nevertheless, this petite lens is easy to handle and take pictures with. Its moderate 75 degree coverage makes it especially suited for group portraits and scenics. Moreover, the EF 28 2.8 is an extremely sharp lens (Photodo 3.8 MTF), sharper than the 28 mm end of Canon's best zooms. Finally, with only 5 elements, there is virtually no flare, ghosting or loss of light.

A modest price of $175 distinguishes the EF 28 2.8, along with the EF 50 1.8 II, as one of two ultra sharp budget lenses in Canon's lens line. I often see used ones going for $95 to $150.

Canon EF 35 2.0

This semi-wide lens (63 degrees) is one of my favorites and is always on one of my cameras or in my bag when I'm shooting. It's great for showing a subject in its natural environment. The EF 35 2.0 is small (42.5 mm L), light (210 g) and focuses close (25 cm). The front element does not rotate, but the lens changes slightly in length when focusing. Although it uses AFD, it focuses fast due to the small extension needed for a 35 mm lens. This lens has 52 mm filter threads and uses the clip-on EW-65 II (or EW-65) lens hood, two features it shares with the EF 28 2.8. The manual focusing ring is fairly smooth turning, but a little coarse for fine adjustments. Like the EF 24 2.8, this lens only has DOF markings for F11 and 16.

Agashi at Diamond Head • Canon EOS A2, EF 35 2.0 & Kodachrome 64

This lens is easy to take pictures with due to its natural perspective and ease of handling. These qualities make it an ideal "walk around" lens. I tend to "see" images most often at the 35 mm perspective. Moreover, the EF 35 2.0 is an extremely sharp lens (Photodo 3.9 MTF), sharper than the 35 mm end of Canon's best zooms. With only 7 elements, there is virtually no flare, ghosting or loss of light. With its ultra fast F2.0 aperture, you can take a picture in nearly any available light situation. Finally, the fast aperture makes for bright viewfinders, a nice feature if you shoot in dark interiors or twilight.

EF 35 2.0 • The natural perspective and fast aperture make this an ideal "walk around" lens

This wonderful lens goes for $250 new and about $150 to $200 used.

6/17/2001 • Updated 9/29/2007

©Copyright 2001-2007 by Peter Kun Frary • All Rights Reserved

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. Home • Photography Index • Normal Zooms • Telezooms • Wide Angle • Normal • Telephoto .

.	Home • Photography Index • Normal Zooms • Telezooms • Wide Angle • Normal • Telephoto	.
.	. Canon Wide Angle Primes Peter Kun Frary Modern zoom lenses are convenient and the best of them rival prime lenses in quality. If you get the equivalent of three or four primes in one zoom, why do people still use prime lenses? There are still a few things primes do better than zooms. Sharpness and Contrast • All things being equal, primes will always have an edge over zooms in sharpness and contrast. However, most zooms are good enough that this is a moot point for most people, especially if they don't enlarge past 8 x 10. Distortion • Primes are favored by architectural and macro photographers because they have much less distortion than zooms. For example, the EF 28-135 3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom has nearly 3% barrel distortion at 28 mm. In comparison, the EF 28 2.8 has less than 1%. Buildings look bad with curved walls unless they are supposed to be curved. Large Apertures • Available light photographers (sports, nature, etc.), especially those using telephotos, favor primes because they have larger apertures than zooms. A stop or two extra makes a big difference when shooting in twilight or stadium lights. Plus, you get a brighter viewfinder and better autofocus in low light. Portrait photographers favor primes because they like large apertures--F1.4 to 2.8--to throw the background out of focus and make the subject "pop." Most zooms in the portrait range of 85 to 135 mm are too slow to get decent background blur. For example, the EF 28-135 3.5-5.6 IS USM's largest aperture at 135 mm is only 5.6. Canon's primes in the portrait range are relatively fast: EF 85 1.2 USM, EF 85 1.8 USM, EF 100 2.0 USM, EF 135 2.8 SF and EF 135 2.0 USM. Flare Resistance • Primes have simpler optical formulas and, hence, fewer lens elements. Fewer elements means less reflective surfaces to cause flare, ghosting and loss of light. Moreover, because designers are dealing with only one focal length, they can design the largest possible lens shade to block glare. Development of the Inner Eye • For a beginner, the perspective of a single focal length is easier to remember and bond with than a zoom. If you keep it simple, you will soon begin pre-visualizing images in the perspective of your focal length. With a zoom, beginners spend too much time zooming back and forth trying to find a pleasing image. Here are the primes in my camera bag. Canon Wide Angle Primes Canon EF 24 2.8 My widest prime is the EF 24 2.8. There are a lot of things to like about this lens: small (48.5 mm L), light (270 g), close focusing (25 cm), well corrected for distortion, extremely sharp (Photodo 3.9 MTF), contrasty and very flare resistant. Because it employs a rear focusing group, the front element does not rotate nor does the lens change in length when focusing. This lens would complement a travel kit nicely with its 58 mm filter size and diminutive statue. Slopes of Diamond Head • Canon EOS 630, EF 24 2.8 & Kodachrome 64 Although it uses the Arc Form Drive (AFD), the EF 24 2.8 focuses fast due to its internal focus (IF) design. AFD designs aren't silent like USM, but are quieter than the AF motors of most other lens makers. However, this lens and the EF 135 2.8 SF are unusually quiet during AF. Unfortunately, AFD designs lack the FT-M feature of ring-type USM lenses. I don't miss FT-M much on wide angle zooms (telephotos are another story). The EF 24 2.8 uses the EW-60 lens hood, a twist-on cutout design. It turn less than a quarter turn to lock and is easily twisted back and knocked off. Oddly the Canon logo doesn't align with the top side of the lens on my copy--design or manufacturing defect? The manual focusing ring is tiny but smooth turning for an AF lens, but not as silky and dampened as the manual lenses of yesteryear. EF 24 2.8 & EW-60 • The widest easy to use prime Using full frame film or digital, 24 mm is the widest lens I'm able to easily take pictures with (wider lenses take in too much). If you like an exaggerated, ultra-close foreground object set against a sharp but distance background, this lens can do it. For maximum depth of focus, switch off AF, dial in F11 to 22, set the hyperfocal distance on the distance window and everything from 2 feet to infinity will be in focus (the distance window has DOF markings for only F11 and 22). If candid street photography is your bag, wade in a crowd and start shooting with AF off and the lens set for maximum hyperfocal distance. With 84 degrees of coverage, you can shoot off-center subjects and they won't realize you took their picture because the camera isn't pointed at them. This is also a great architectural lens due to its virtually distortion free design. My copy of this lens is surprisingly sharp wide open. On cropped frame (1.6x) DSLRs it's sharp edge to edge at F2.8 with absolutely no light fall-off. Full frame suffers from a little softness around the edges, slight light fall-off but sharpens up nicely and light fall-off is nominal stopped down to F4. I rarely used it on full frame larger than F8 as sweeping vistas look best with plenty of depth of field. EOS 5D & EF 24 2.8 • F2.8 Pixel View Crop From Center (F2.8) A cropped frame shooter may find the EF 24 2.8 a great lightweight walkaround optic and actually use F2.8 while trolling dim city streets and bars. All this quality will cost you about $325 new. Canon EF 28 2.8 This stubby is tiny (42.5 mm L), light (185 g), focuses close (30 cm) and is well corrected for distortion, making it great for architecture. The front element does not rotate, but the lens changes length during focus. Although it uses AFD, it focuses fast due to the small extension needed to focus (slightly slower than the EF 24 2.8). This lens has 52 mm filter threads and uses the clip-on EW-65 II (or EW-65) lens hood, two features it shares with the EF 35 2.0. The manual focusing ring doesn't turn as smooth as the EF 24 2.8 and has a slightly gritty feel. This lens has one of Canon's best DOF scales: F5.6, 11 and 16 are marked on the distance window. EF 28 2.8 • This ultra sharp lens is so small you won't know its in your bag Some people think the 28 mm focal length is a yawn since it's common on point 'n shoots and normal zooms. Nevertheless, this petite lens is easy to handle and take pictures with. Its moderate 75 degree coverage makes it especially suited for group portraits and scenics. Moreover, the EF 28 2.8 is an extremely sharp lens (Photodo 3.8 MTF), sharper than the 28 mm end of Canon's best zooms. Finally, with only 5 elements, there is virtually no flare, ghosting or loss of light. A modest price of $175 distinguishes the EF 28 2.8, along with the EF 50 1.8 II, as one of two ultra sharp budget lenses in Canon's lens line. I often see used ones going for $95 to $150. Canon EF 35 2.0 This semi-wide lens (63 degrees) is one of my favorites and is always on one of my cameras or in my bag when I'm shooting. It's great for showing a subject in its natural environment. The EF 35 2.0 is small (42.5 mm L), light (210 g) and focuses close (25 cm). The front element does not rotate, but the lens changes slightly in length when focusing. Although it uses AFD, it focuses fast due to the small extension needed for a 35 mm lens. This lens has 52 mm filter threads and uses the clip-on EW-65 II (or EW-65) lens hood, two features it shares with the EF 28 2.8. The manual focusing ring is fairly smooth turning, but a little coarse for fine adjustments. Like the EF 24 2.8, this lens only has DOF markings for F11 and 16. Agashi at Diamond Head • Canon EOS A2, EF 35 2.0 & Kodachrome 64 This lens is easy to take pictures with due to its natural perspective and ease of handling. These qualities make it an ideal "walk around" lens. I tend to "see" images most often at the 35 mm perspective. Moreover, the EF 35 2.0 is an extremely sharp lens (Photodo 3.9 MTF), sharper than the 35 mm end of Canon's best zooms. With only 7 elements, there is virtually no flare, ghosting or loss of light. With its ultra fast F2.0 aperture, you can take a picture in nearly any available light situation. Finally, the fast aperture makes for bright viewfinders, a nice feature if you shoot in dark interiors or twilight. EF 35 2.0 • The natural perspective and fast aperture make this an ideal "walk around" lens This wonderful lens goes for $250 new and about $150 to $200 used. 6/17/2001 • Updated 9/29/2007 ©Copyright 2001-2007 by Peter Kun Frary • All Rights Reserved	.
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