My first prime

[John_SD]

I just ordered my first prime lens from B&H. The Canon EF-S (I know, I know) 24mm f/2.8 STM. 

I did this for a couple of reasons. First, was the fact that I've been getting a little more into street photography, and while I had been using my 18-55mm kit lens, I was finding it bulky at not so well suited for my needs. The 24mm prime, with an effective focal length of 38mm, would be ideal for me. I prefer it over a 50mm for street work. And I can use it in the field, in deserts and so forth. Then there was the cost of the lens itself. At $129 brand new, it seemed quite inexpensive. No, it is not for a mirrorless rig, but it didn't cost $2000 either. So until such time as I make the inevitable move into mirrorless, I think I got a good deal on a lens that I will be using plenty. Have any of you used the 24? What are your thoughts? 

[coachboz68]

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@John_SD wrote:

I just ordered my first prime lens from B&H. The Canon EF-S (I know, I know) 24mm f/2.8 STM. 

So until such time as I make the inevitable move into mirrorless, I think I got a good deal on a lens that I will be using plenty. Have any of you used the 24? What are your thoughts? 

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Years ago I used it on my 7D, which has a crop sensor.  Peronally, it enjoyed that length as the 50mm on a crop was too tight for many of the walk-around shots I wanted.  Eventually, I moved to the 24-70 L and that was one of the best choices I made as it took me into the world of better lenses.  But, as you allude to above, that comes with a $ and we have to use what we can afford at any given time.  So to answer your question, I found the 24 an enjoyable length on a crop sensor.  YMMV of course. 

[shadowsports]

Hi John_SD,
The lens is fine - A "pancaker", but I don't know if it will give you the FOV you may want for street photography on a APS-C body. Certainly wider than you'll get with 50, so if it meets your needs, great.

[ebiggs1]

Personally I don't care for the 24mm f/2.8 STM.  I hope you like your new toy.

[RobertTheFat]

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@John_SD wrote:

I just ordered my first prime lens from B&H. The Canon EF-S (I know, I know) 24mm f/2.8 STM. 

I did this for a couple of reasons. First, was the fact that I've been getting a little more into street photography, and while I had been using my 18-55mm kit lens, I was finding it bulky at not so well suited for my needs. The 24mm prime, with an effective focal length of 38mm, would be ideal for me. I prefer it over a 50mm for street work. And I can use it in the field, in deserts and so forth. Then there was the cost of the lens itself. At $129 brand new, it seemed quite inexpensive. No, it is not for a mirrorless rig, but it didn't cost $2000 either. So until such time as I make the inevitable move into mirrorless, I think I got a good deal on a lens that I will be using plenty. Have any of you used the 24? What are your thoughts? 

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At that price, what have you got to lose? And if you turn out to really like the 24mm FL for street photography on your APS-C camera, the obvious next step would be the EF 24-105mm f/4L (either version). For a fact, the 24-105 is a fine street photography lens on a full-frame camera; so you'd be all set if you were to go FF. Bottom line: it would seem that you're on the right track for what you want from your photography.

[John_SD]

Thank you, gents. While I haven't shot with the 24mm prime myself, I've seen plenty of street work that came from this lens, and I believe I'll be quite pleased with it. On an APS-C camera, a 50mm would have given me an effective focal length of 80mm, far too tight for my purposes. If I had a full-frame rig, that would be different, but I'd likely still prefer a 35 there regardless. I like to have a bit more background in my street photos, hence the 24 on my T6. 

The thing about ordering from B&H, though, is that the Orthodox ownership and staff observe many a Jewish holiday, and the store is closed from 9/23 to 10/3. Thus, my lens won't arrive until around 10/8. But I like B&H and as it is in NYC, I won't pay sales tax as I would if I bought from Canon USA. But if I needed it quickly, I would not be able to purchase from B&H. 

[ebiggs1]

"... the obvious next step would be the EF 24-105mm f/4L (either version)."

I like this idea.    Perhaps even as a first step!

[RobertTheFat]

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@John_SD wrote:

Thank you, gents. While I haven't shot with the 24mm prime myself, I've seen plenty of street work that came from this lens, and I believe I'll be quite pleased with it. On an APS-C camera, a 50mm would have given me an effective focal length of 80mm, far too tight for my purposes. If I had a full-frame rig, that would be different, but I'd likely still prefer a 35 there regardless. I like to have a bit more background in my street photos, hence the 24 on my T6. 

The thing about ordering from B&H, though, is that the Orthodox ownership and staff observe many a Jewish holiday, and the store is closed from 9/23 to 10/3. Thus, my lens won't arrive until around 10/8. But I like B&H and as it is in NYC, I won't pay sales tax as I would if I bought from Canon USA. But if I needed it quickly, I would not be able to purchase from B&H. 

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The good side of B&H's Orthodox ownership is that there's an obscure Jewish law that requires all business dealings to be conducted with scrupulous honesty. B&H appear to take that requirement seriously, which tends to offset the inconvenience of their shutdown for every conceivable Jewish holiday.

[Waddizzle]

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@John_SD wrote:

Thank you, gents. While I haven't shot with the 24mm prime myself, I've seen plenty of street work that came from this lens, and I believe I'll be quite pleased with it. On an APS-C camera, a 50mm would have given me an effective focal length of 80mm, far too tight for my purposes. If I had a full-frame rig, that would be different, but I'd likely still prefer a 35 there regardless. I like to have a bit more background in my street photos, hence the 24 on my T6. 

The thing about ordering from B&H, though, is that the Orthodox ownership and staff observe many a Jewish holiday, and the store is closed from 9/23 to 10/3. Thus, my lens won't arrive until around 10/8. But I like B&H and as it is in NYC, I won't pay sales tax as I would if I bought from Canon USA. But if I needed it quickly, I would not be able to purchase from B&H. 

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Yeah, this is the time of the year when B&H takes a break from conducting business for about 3 weeks.

As for the lens, I bought one for my T5 so I would not look like Joe “The Pro” Photographer in NYC.  I use an M3 with the EF-M 22mm f/2 prime, which is even more compact.

I also use a Rokinon 14mm T3.1 Cinema lens on my T5, too, which is what was used for the above shot.  

I can focus the lens at the hyperfocal distance, and every thing beyond a few feet is in sharp focus.  Note, I am using the Cinema versions of the lens, which seems to have better quality control that the still photography version of the same lens.

[John_SD]

Excellent shot, and you bring up an interesting point about setting up the lens to hyperfocal distance.Is that kind of like setting it to infinity so that you are ready to shoot at a moments notice and everything is in focus? 

I am finding that this is crucial in street photography. After umpteen missed and lousy shots, I believe that I need to be in manual mode as much as possible. I don't wander around aimlessly when I'm out shooting in the street. I pick a spot or location that I know will have a lot of activity and I just hang around. Thus I try to "pre-frame" the shot, if you will, and wait for something interesting to step into the frame. This means having everything preset--focus, aperture, and shutter speed. And I can't let the camera go into an extended sleep mode, which is how I've missed some cool shots in the past. Street photography presents some interesting challenges.