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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6\$\begingroup\$ Welcome 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". \$\endgroup\$– osullicJul 5, 2018 at 17:49
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4\$\begingroup\$ See also What is focal length and how does it affect my photos? and What is “angle of view” in photography? \$\endgroup\$– osullicJul 5, 2018 at 17:55
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7\$\begingroup\$ Related: 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? \$\endgroup\$– Michael CJul 5, 2018 at 18:17
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\$\begingroup\$ The lens that you have bought will be good for, for example, portraits. It is not an all purpose lens. \$\endgroup\$– Carsten SJul 6, 2018 at 6:56
2 Answers
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.
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\$\begingroup\$ Thank You. what about with the camera, is there any build-in digital/optical zoom? \$\endgroup\$ Jul 5, 2018 at 17:01
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7\$\begingroup\$ No, there is not. You can crop after you take the photo, though \$\endgroup\$– NoahLJul 5, 2018 at 17:03
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2\$\begingroup\$ @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 :) \$\endgroup\$ Jul 6, 2018 at 11:17
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3\$\begingroup\$ @TommasoBendinelli, before you buy something make sure that you understand the difference between Canon EF and EF-S lenses. \$\endgroup\$ Jul 6, 2018 at 19:25
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3\$\begingroup\$ @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. \$\endgroup\$ Jul 6, 2018 at 21:12
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.
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\$\begingroup\$ 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. \$\endgroup\$– mattdmJun 20, 2019 at 20:35
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\$\begingroup\$ @mattdm Have you looked at the accepted answer to the question at the singular link in this answer? \$\endgroup\$ Jun 21, 2019 at 4:17
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\$\begingroup\$ 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! \$\endgroup\$– mattdmJun 21, 2019 at 4:46