50mm prime lenses are quite popular - and this is apparently because a 50mm lens provides a similar focal length to the human eye. Most lens manufacturers sell a cheap and fast 50mm lens, and I have previously reviewed the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 lens, which retails for just USD$100.

My primary camera is a Canon 50D DSLR, and due to the size of its APS-C sensor, it has a 1.6x crop factor. This means a 50mm lens on an APS-C camera body has the same field-of-view as an 80mm lens on a full-frame camera body (ie, 50mm * 1.6 = 80mm).

While I like the Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens, I've found a 50mm lens on an APS-C camera body just a little too long, and started looking at slightly wider alternatives.

To achieve the equivalent field-of-view with an APS-C camera body that a 50mm lens has on a full-frame camera body, a lens with a focal length of around 31mm is required.
In the Canon lens range, there are a few options near this focal length, including various lenses at 24mm, 28mm and 35mm.

After keeping an eye on second-hand lenses on eBay, I managed to win a Canon EF 35mm f/2 lens at a pretty good price.
A 35mm lens on an APS-C camera body results in almost same field-of-view as a 50mm lens on a full-frame body - giving the same field-of-view as a 56mm lens on a full-frame body.

Canon EF 35mm f/2 and Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lenses

In the few weeks since buying the 35mm lens, it been the primary lens on my camera! I've been enjoying the focal length, and find it to provide a more natural field-of-view on my 50D than the 50mm lens.

I have already posted a few photos taken with the 35mm lens, and I'm intending to write a more comprehensive review of the 35mm f/2 lens in the near future.


Update (November 2010): I have now published a review of the Canon EF 35mm f/2 lens.