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I'm looking to buy a prime lens, and not sure which to get, for the price range I'm looking at (about £75) I can find these two:

  • Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Lens
  • Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens

Ikinda want to try my hand a little at street photography, but most pictures I take at the moment are architecture, with some nature and pictures of my friends. I understand the 50mm might be a little too tele for street photography, but I'm not sure..

Any advice that would help me make a better decision?

P.S.: I thought about a 30mm or 35mm but the prices are a little too steep for me.

LeleyX
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1 Answers1

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The focal length difference is not too significant, although you might have a personal preference for one or the other.

Both lenses weigh about the same and are equally good optically.

The STM Lens is

  • more solidly constructed
  • has a stepper motor that works better with Video
  • is slimmer, so makes a small DSLR potentially pocketable

The 50mm f/1.8 is

  • usefully faster
  • usually less costly second-hand

If you really want a 35mm or wider lens then I'd advise you to hold off buying a stop-gap, save your pennies, and keep looking for a second hand bargain. Canon's 35mm f/2 EF (the old non-IS, non-USM version) is an excellent lens, and occasionally appears on eBay at a bargain price.

If you can't wait then obviously the 40mm is closest to what you really want.

mattdm
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KTR
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  • STM shouldn't be relevant for the 600D, since you can't autofocus during video anyway (at least not without letting the aperture open up and living with sudden bright flareups). – ths Mar 31 '15 at 21:42