Focal Length Question

[SCRAPPYGIRL]

DH and I are considering moving up to a DSLR and he would really like to know the answer to the following.

50mm is normal perspective on an SLR film camera.
Can someone tell me what is normal perspective on a DSLR?

I've been a digital point and shoot user for quite sometime, he has never used anything but a film camera.

[MikeH]

Carol,

It depends on the camera, for most it will be close to 35mm.

Mike

[PaulH]

DH and I are considering moving up to a DSLR and he would really like to know the answer to the following.

50mm is normal perspective on an SLR film camera.
Can someone tell me what is normal perspective on a DSLR?

I've been a digital point and shoot user for quite sometime, he has never used anything but a film camera.

If it is a "full size" sensor it is the same - most Cannons (I think )

If it is what is commonly called APS size about .50 - All Nikons.

This only affects perspective or angle of view NOT magnification.

at .5 - 35 or so is about like a 50.

Most Dslr std. lens are zooms from 28-35 to 70-80.


if "he" has a current film SLR the lens may fit.

[SCRAPPYGIRL]

Paul and Mike,
Thanks for your help. We're actually looking at the Canon Rebel XT and the Nikon. "He" sold his camera a few years ago and we've just been using my little Kodak EasyShare4530, however, he's talking me into moving up!! Any advice on what to look for.

[SCRAPPYGIRL]

oops, that's the Nikon D50

[BADSQUIRREL]

Hey Scrappy. I asked a very similar question the other day at this thread:

http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8177

I decided to go with the Nikon because I found that there lens are hardier and felt better made than the canon XT. But you may find some helpful info in that thread.

[Carbone]

On my 10D, I recently bought a Sigma 30mm which is very, very close to 50mm on my old SLR (48mm to be precise).

I just love this lens!

Ray

[jkeenan0407]

Greetings..

If you went with the NikonD50, and you have the buck$, I strongly recommend the Nikon 18-200 VR lens. It'll probably be the one lens you need unless you want some really serious bokeh from 2.8 lenses.

[ME100FINN]

With my Canon 20D I have read a zillion posts, which are now a blur, but realized I can use Canon lenses, Tamron, Sigma,etc. I dont know if this is true with the Nikon. The lens does matter, but keep this in mind when making a choice. Take a good look at the body options of the camera and see if that is what you want. Also, to make the difference in digital focal length, multiple by 1.6 - so as Ray's example he got 30mm is close to film 50mm (30*1.6=48). If I am off here, please correct me!
That's my little two cents :)

[Carbone]

Most third party manufacturers will make their lenses available for both Nikon and Canon (Sigma, Tamron).

Ray

[MikeH]

One consideration when buying lenses for Canon models is whether to get EF-S or not. These are made specifically for models using 1.6 factor APS-C sensors, (300D, 350D, 10D, 20D, 30D). EF-S lenses will only fit these models. So, if and when Canon replace the 350D or 30D with a full frame camera you won't be able to use EF-S lenses with it.

Mike

[Foxhound]

I've always heard that a NORMAL lens is 50mm. If you ever think about it for a moment or two then that idea will seem silly. Look through your lens and then remove the camera and view the same scene with your NORMAL eyes. Our eye's probably see more wide angle than anything else.

So NORMAL to me is more like 18mm or so :)

[MikeH]

Here's what Wikipedia has to say on the subject:

"In still photography (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photography), a normal lens is a lens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photographic_lens) whose focal length (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focal_length) is roughly equivalent to the diagonal of the image projected within the camera. This roughly approximates the perspective perceived by the human vision.

For a 35 mm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/135_film)camera (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camera) with a diagonal of 43 mm, the most commonly used normal lens is 50 mm, but focal lengths between about 40 and 58 mm are also considered normal.

The 50 mm focal length was chosen by Oscar Barnack (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oscar_Barnack&action=edit), the creator of the Leica (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leica) camera, as a compromise between the theoretical value and good sharpness (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sharpness_%28visual%29&action=edit), as lens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lens_%28optics%29) technology at the time was such that slightly longer focal lengths were able to achieve optimum sharpness."

Mike

[ME100FINN]

Carol, I just saw this article -
Factoring in the Digital Crop Factor
Back in the good old days of film, everything seemed so simple. Focal length was focal length and lenses produced the field of view we were accustomed to. But digital changed things. The printed pictures still come out the same size, but there's something sized differently in how they get shot. We call it the "crop factor" or "focal length multiplier," and it's the topic of this week's PhotoTip article.
read more here...
http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototips/digital-crop-factor.html

[SCRAPPYGIRL]

Beatrice,
Thanks for the info. I've printed it out and am taking it to work with me today to read during my lunch time.

[Tom K]

Hi Carol..
Both Canon and Nikon offer very good cameras. Both offer a default set
of body and lens which 'could' be considered normal.
I think the most imporant thing to consider is the commitment to
a system eg: Canon or Nikon because the dollar amounts can add up
and the parts are not interchangeable.....
Good luck with your choice.......... Tom:D

[bwolford]

First, the kit lenses of any manufacturer are "cheap" so the statement about the canon lenses being inferior is kind of funny. The Nikon kit lens isn't much better. Canon wouldn't have the majority of market share if it didn't have a good product. Having said that, you won't go wrong with Nikon or Canon.

The "digital crop" as some of you have been calling it is a factor of 1.5-1.6 (generally) for most Canon and Nikon digital cameras. They have a couple of cameras with full frame sensors, but the majority are "APS" sized. So a normal Nikon 50MM lens will behave like a 75-80mm lens on a Nikon digital camera. The EF-S lenses that Canon makes are special lenses so a 50MM reading of a EF-S lens on a compatible digital camera behaves like a EF lens on a non-digital or full frame digital camera. EF-S lenses also won't work on a non-digital camera or a full frame digital camera. That's why I don't buy digital lenses. I buy only lenses that will be portable if I change cameras within the brand. Haven't seen one lens compatible with multiple brands yet...

Brice

[Antonio]

DH and I are considering moving up to a DSLR and he would really like to know the answer to the following.

50mm is normal perspective on an SLR film camera.
Can someone tell me what is normal perspective on a DSLR?

"Normal" Focal length is an arbitrary:confused: definition generally described as the diagonal of the "film" in the camera. For a 35mm format camera the diagonal is about 50mm. This "Normal" was chosen because lenses shorter than 50mm tended to show "Barrel" distortion (more noticeable below 35mm) and lenses longer than 50mm tend to "flatten" the image (most noticeable with lenses above 115mm).

For a any digital camera the "normal" lens would have a focal length equal to the diagonal (in mm) of the image sensor.

Be aware that, for most digital cameras, the focal lengths in the specifications are given as 35mm (film) equivalents. A camera listed as "having a 35 - 105mm lens" may actually have a 7 - 21mm lens:eek:--or something similar. That's why digicam lenses can be so compact.

[bwolford]

Nice explaination Tony.

Brice