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Canon 100mm f/2 -- should I buy? (considering I have a 50mm f1.4)

Started May 30, 2014 | Questions
DanielT5 New Member • Posts: 1
Canon 100mm f/2 -- should I buy? (considering I have a 50mm f1.4)

Hello,

Quick question, would love your opinion. I love taking portraits (not as a professional, just as a hobby); I have the Canon 50mm f/1.4, and am considering buying the 100mm f/2.0. Do you think I'm wasting my money? Keep in mind I'm currently using an EOS 30D (which I LOVE, and with some Photoshop work it meets all my needs) so I'm not really getting 50mm, but rather ~80mm equivalent.)

Thanks!

ANSWER:
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Canon EF 100mm f/2.0 USM Canon EF 50mm F1.4 USM Canon EOS 30D
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twadger
twadger Forum Member • Posts: 67
Re: Canon 100mm f/2 -- should I buy? (considering I have a 50mm f1.4)

DanielT5 wrote:

Hello,

Quick question, would love your opinion. I love taking portraits (not as a professional, just as a hobby); I have the Canon 50mm f/1.4, and am considering buying the 100mm f/2.0. Do you think I'm wasting my money? Keep in mind I'm currently using an EOS 30D (which I LOVE, and with some Photoshop work it meets all my needs) so I'm not really getting 50mm, but rather ~80mm equivalent.)

Thanks!

I use it on a 6D and it is an excellent portrait lens. Might be a bit long on a 30D though?

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Abu Mahendra Veteran Member • Posts: 5,312
Re: Canon 100mm f/2 -- should I buy? (considering I have a 50mm f1.4)

May be a bit long on APS-C. You may wish to look into the Sigma 85F1.4.

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Canon EF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8L IS II USM Canon EF 70-200mm F4L IS USM Canon EF 24-70mm F2.8L II USM Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM +5 more
diness Veteran Member • Posts: 3,758
Re: Canon 100mm f/2 -- should I buy? (considering I have a 50mm f1.4)

I had this lens and it is a fantastic lens and great for portraits!  If you are using it mostly outside it will be great on your crop, but if you want to use it indoors at all, it will be too long.  That said, you have your 50mm for indoors, so as an outdoor lens it's a great one!  You could also look at the 85mm 1.8 if you dont' want it to be quite as long.

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William DIllard Senior Member • Posts: 2,492
Re: Canon 100mm f/2 -- should I buy? (considering I have a 50mm f1.4)

DanielT5 wrote:

Hello,

Quick question, would love your opinion. I love taking portraits (not as a professional, just as a hobby); I have the Canon 50mm f/1.4, and am considering buying the 100mm f/2.0. Do you think I'm wasting my money? Keep in mind I'm currently using an EOS 30D (which I LOVE, and with some Photoshop work it meets all my needs) so I'm not really getting 50mm, but rather ~80mm equivalent.)

Thanks!

I think it might come in handy.

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Tokina AF-X Pro 16-50mm f/2.8 DX
biza43 Forum Pro • Posts: 15,074
Re: Canon 100mm f/2 -- should I buy? (considering I have a 50mm f1.4)

You need to decide which type of portrait and framing you want to do. Full body? Waist up? Head and shoulders? How far away you can, or need to be, from your subject?

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www.paulobizarro.com

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arty H Senior Member • Posts: 1,546
Re: Canon 100mm f/2 -- should I buy? (considering I have a 50mm f1.4)

I have the 85F 1.8  and it is a great lens on a crop. However, it is long on a crop indoors, and the 100 is way too long. If you want a longer lems for head shots, the 85 will be much better than the 100 on a crop. It will give you the view of a 135 when on a crop body. This is long inside, but more useful than the 100.

l_d_allan
l_d_allan Veteran Member • Posts: 5,093
Re: Canon 100mm f/2 -- should I buy? (considering I have a 50mm f1.4)

DanielT5 wrote:
Quick question, would love your opinion. I love taking portraits (not as a professional, just as a hobby); I have the Canon 50mm f/1.4, and am considering buying the 100mm f/2.0. Do you think I'm wasting my money? Keep in mind I'm currently using an EOS 30D (which I LOVE, and with some Photoshop work it meets all my needs) so I'm not really getting 50mm, but rather ~80mm equivalent.)

Do you find the 50mm f1.4 to be unsatisfactory?  On a 1.6 crop camera like your 30D, it is considered to be pretty much an ideal focal length.

An advantage of a longer focal length is that you can be somewhat less "in their face".

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richiemccaw Senior Member • Posts: 1,026
Re: Canon 100mm f/2 -- should I buy? (considering I have a 50mm f1.4)

I have the 50mm f1.4 and 135mm f2L which I use on my 5D and 1D3 regularly. I can still use the 135+1D3 combo indoors but it does get a little ridiculous at times, i.e. I'm in the hallway shooting my baby girl who's being carried by my mother in law, seated in the living room.

My sense is that 100mm on a 1.6x crop camera is going to be a little too long. 85mm, as some others have mentioned here, would be as far as you can go on a 1.6x crop.

Or you can consider getting a 5D + 135mm f2L!

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Jay A Senior Member • Posts: 2,576
Re: Canon 100mm f/2 -- should I buy? (considering I have a 50mm f1.4)

If you had a full frame camera, I would say definitely a good choice. On an APS-C camera though I would say it's a bit long and you might want to consider an 85mm instead.

Rexgig0
Rexgig0 Veteran Member • Posts: 7,399
100mm likely a bit long indoors.

With an APS-C camera, 100mm is going to be a bit long indoors, much of the time, unless you are shooting in a quite large room.

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I wear a badge and pistol, and, primarily with 7D cameras, with an EF-S 10-22mm and 100mm Macro L, make evidentiary images at night, which incorporates elements of portrait, macro, still life, landscape, architecture, and PJ. During personal time, I enjoy using both Canons and Nikons.

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retrospective Forum Member • Posts: 76
Re: Canon 100mm f/2 -- should I buy? (considering I have a 50mm f1.4)

I'm using this lens on a 30D. It is excellent for shooting candids.

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