35mm f2 or 40mm f2.8?

[Nick Gombinsky]

Hey there guys!

I've been using a 7D with a wonderful 24mm f1.4 for traveling and such, and now I'm about to buy a used 5Dc, and want to have the same angle of view. So what do you think? 35mm f2 or 40mm f2.8? is there much of a difference (IQ and aperture aside)?

And what about the other differences? (Build quality, AF, optics)

Cheers

 

[Ewinter]

I've heard the later version lenses when used with the new bodies (if you are thinking about a future upgrade to anything like the 5dIII or 1dX) have a much more consistent autofocus, something to do with the fact it's got a closed loop servo system. There's a link here that's good if you like charts and haven't seen it before: http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/08/01/autofocus-reality-part-3b-canon-cameras

Unless the 35mm f2 is fairly recent I believe the 40mm 2.8 is the only one of the 2 that has that autofocus feature.
Then again, unless you upgrade to a t4i/5dIII/1dx it won't make a difference. So that might be a moot point.

Personally, I like the 40mm for how tiny it is

 

[Nick Gombinsky]

Yeah, the 40mm is cute and sharp... it'd be my first choice if it was up to that... but the angle of view/field of view/whateveryoucallit is the most important right now, as it's not a setup for working, but for fun and travel.

As for the upgrading cameras, I'm earn my living as a photographer and a DP, and although I have a 20D, 7D, and 5D mkII, when I need higher quality or better AF or whatever, I just rent the equipment... so I'm not thinking about how the lens will perform later down the road. (Besides, I usually do manual focusing all the time... so any kind of AF will probably suit me, as I can't compare it to anything else)

Thanks for your reply!

 

[Ewinter]

There's also the fact people have been having issues with the 40mm, but it's apparently fixed by the firmware update. Maybe a month or two wait would be prudent in that case so your lens would ship updated?