I've just bought this camera and the lens, and I feel so silly; I don't know how to zoom. Do you know how? When I turn it on it seems to be zoomed and I would like to zoom out.
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6Welcome to the world of photography! With your newly-discovered "limitation", now you'll be able to explore other ways to bring creativity to your photography. A prime lens doesn't mean it is a "one-trick pony". – osullic Jul 05 '18 at 17:49
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4See also What is focal length and how does it affect my photos? and What is “angle of view” in photography? – osullic Jul 05 '18 at 17:55
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7Related: Should I postpone buying a zoom lens until I've learned to zoom with my feet? and What is the meaning of single focal length? and What's a nifty-fifty? and How do I compose photos with prime lenses? – Michael C Jul 05 '18 at 18:17
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The lens that you have bought will be good for, for example, portraits. It is not an all purpose lens. – Carsten S Jul 06 '18 at 06:56
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How to zoom with Canon 77D with Canon 50mm 1.4 lens
- To zoom in, step forward.
- To zoom out, step back.
It's often called zooming with your feet.
Michael C
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Since this question is likely to be most useful to someone new to some of these concepts, I think it would be at least worth noting that "zooming with your feet" gives different results from standing in one place and zooming by changing focal length or by cropping. – mattdm Jun 20 '19 at 20:35
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@mattdm Have you looked at the accepted answer to the question at the singular link in this answer? – Michael C Jun 21 '19 at 04:17
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Yes. That one takes a while to get to it too, for that matter. :) But I also think that it would be better to briefly mention it directly here. Let's not perpetuate problems! – mattdm Jun 21 '19 at 04:46
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@mattdm Such an addition would diminish the impact of the sole point of this answer which is primarily due to the included image. An answer which, for what it is worth, has garnered more upvotes than any other answer to this question and also more upvotes than a very high percentage of all answers here at PhotoSE. You're always free to write another answer to this question and include whatever information you feel is so vital. I think putting such info one suggested click away in another answer that was both accepted by the OP and upvoted more than any other is more appropriate. – Michael C Jun 21 '19 at 20:25
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You can’t. The 50mm f/1.4 is a prime lens, which means it has a fixed focal length, or fixed field of view. This is what some people call a “sneaker zoom” lens, where you as the photographer have to physically move to change what you see in the viewfinder. See mattdm’s great response in this question.
NoahL
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Thank You. what about with the camera, is there any build-in digital/optical zoom? – Tommaso Bendinelli Jul 05 '18 at 17:01
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@TommasoBendinelli Optical zoom is the zoom you get from the lens; DSLRs tend not to have digital zoom. – David Richerby Jul 05 '18 at 21:54
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@TommasoBendinelli, even if the camera had an electronic zoom, you could only use it to zoom further in, not out. – Carsten S Jul 06 '18 at 06:58
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2@TommasoBendinelli, I think it's better starting out in photography with a fixed focal length lens like this. It makes you think more about composition. It's a nice lens anyway, so I hope the answers don't make you feel like you've made the wrong choice :) – laurencemadill Jul 06 '18 at 11:17
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@laurencemadill thank you for your help. Tomorrow I will replace the lens with a new one which is canon EF 24-70 f4. Do you think it is versatile lens? – Tommaso Bendinelli Jul 06 '18 at 18:19
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@TommasoBendinelli, it depends on what you want to do. Every lens has its own strengths and limitations (and cost!). Most people will find 24-70mm to be pretty versatile, but may not be what you are looking for yourself. I like to shoot with a 18-55mm, because 24mm just isn't wide enough me quite a bit of the time, but that's just me. The f4 on that lens also isn't going to be as good in low light or for portraits as the f1.4 you have, but maybe you aren't planning to any of that. The best thing to do is start shooting and figure out what works and what doesn't for you. – Seth R Jul 06 '18 at 18:43
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3@TommasoBendinelli, before you buy something make sure that you understand the difference between Canon EF and EF-S lenses. – Carsten S Jul 06 '18 at 19:25
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3@TommasoBendinelli Since you are shooting with an APS-C 77D, you might also consider the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS. That would give you what most people consider a more usable range with a cropped sensor camera. The angles of view possible with a 17-55mm lens on an APS-C body are about equivalent to a 27-88mm lens on a full frame camera. It's a quality lens that costs a little less than the EF 24-70mm f/4 L IS, which gives an equivalent 38-112 AoV on your camera. The 17-55/2.8 would give you one stop wider aperture in low light or for blurring backgrounds than the 24-70/4 would. – Michael C Jul 06 '18 at 21:12