Kitty
My camera is about 2yrs. old and I mostly take pictures of kids but I do both indoors and outdoors.......I have read numerous reviews and even called Canon to ask their recommendation
24-105mm f/4
24-70mm f/2.8
I don't understand the difference between f/2 or 4 and all reviews seem to say something different!!! I know what end result I am looking for---sharp crisp images without hours of editing which I haven't totally learned yet either!
One more thing.....my daughter is very sensitive to light and squints before the flash if she is expecting it!!
Please HELP!!!
I do thank everyone for their wisdom and time! We live in a VERY small rural area so really internet classes are my only option, our local library is very small as well so not much to pick from! I do agree that I need to learn all I can on my own to totally understand.......I'm trying!
Answer
Let me first say that L-series lenses do not take inherently better photographs and most people can't tell the difference between images shot with L verus non-L lenses. These are great lenses but, it may not be necessary to spend so much money to get the results you want. FWIW; between the two, the 24-105L is significantly lighter and easier to walk around with. It also covers a wider range of focal lengths than the 24-70L and is image stabilized. Having said that, the 24-70L shows less distortion at its wide end and is one stop faster. You've already mentioned you don't understand this key difference so I'll cover that.
The difference between f/2.8 and f/4 is one stop of light. In practical terms, this can mean the difference between a blurry shot at 1/30th of a second and a relatively sharp shot at 1/60th of a second. It might also means the difference between a realtive clean shot at ISO 800 (@f/2.8) or a noisy shot at ISO 1600 (@f/4). Those are the simplest examples to illustrate what 1-stop means but the bottom line is that if you don't already fully understand this, you are about to spend a great deal of money on a lens that by itself, will not improve your images.
Another note, your 50D is a 1.6x crop body. In simple terms this means your field of view with either of the lenses you've asked about will be fairly narrow and not necessarily ideal as a walk around lens but, they'll be just fine for portraits. The 50D and similar Canon cameras are typically sold with with 18-55mm or 17-85mm lenses that are nearly perfect as walk around/portrait lenses for 1.6x crop bodies. Alternately, the 50D was sometimes sold with a 28-135mm lens which was designed for 35mm film and full-frame digital cameras. Most people find the 28--135mm lens really isn't wide enough when they are out, walking around and may opt to replace it with an 18-200mm super zoom for that allows them to do almost everything with just one lens.
If you are seriously considering spending the money to buy a 24-70L or 24-105L for your 50D but don't plan to upgrade to a full-frame camera like a 5D/5DmkII, two additional lenses you should also consider are the EF-s 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM and EF-s 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM. These are not "L" lenses because that designation is exclusive to full-frame Canon lenses but, they are as good a any L as far as optical quality is concerned. The difference is that EF-s lenses are designed specifically for 1.6x crop-bodies like your 50D with smaller sensors. When I shot the 40D (almost identical to the 50D, just a year older), my walk around/portrait lens that said on my camera almost all the time was the EF-s 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM.
One final note, your daughter is likely blinking because of the pre-flash that tells her to expect the main flash. Consider half-pressing the shutter to focus/meter and then waiting a second or two before you actually take the picture. If you don't already have one, also consider a shoe-mount flash like the 430EXII.
Let me first say that L-series lenses do not take inherently better photographs and most people can't tell the difference between images shot with L verus non-L lenses. These are great lenses but, it may not be necessary to spend so much money to get the results you want. FWIW; between the two, the 24-105L is significantly lighter and easier to walk around with. It also covers a wider range of focal lengths than the 24-70L and is image stabilized. Having said that, the 24-70L shows less distortion at its wide end and is one stop faster. You've already mentioned you don't understand this key difference so I'll cover that.
The difference between f/2.8 and f/4 is one stop of light. In practical terms, this can mean the difference between a blurry shot at 1/30th of a second and a relatively sharp shot at 1/60th of a second. It might also means the difference between a realtive clean shot at ISO 800 (@f/2.8) or a noisy shot at ISO 1600 (@f/4). Those are the simplest examples to illustrate what 1-stop means but the bottom line is that if you don't already fully understand this, you are about to spend a great deal of money on a lens that by itself, will not improve your images.
Another note, your 50D is a 1.6x crop body. In simple terms this means your field of view with either of the lenses you've asked about will be fairly narrow and not necessarily ideal as a walk around lens but, they'll be just fine for portraits. The 50D and similar Canon cameras are typically sold with with 18-55mm or 17-85mm lenses that are nearly perfect as walk around/portrait lenses for 1.6x crop bodies. Alternately, the 50D was sometimes sold with a 28-135mm lens which was designed for 35mm film and full-frame digital cameras. Most people find the 28--135mm lens really isn't wide enough when they are out, walking around and may opt to replace it with an 18-200mm super zoom for that allows them to do almost everything with just one lens.
If you are seriously considering spending the money to buy a 24-70L or 24-105L for your 50D but don't plan to upgrade to a full-frame camera like a 5D/5DmkII, two additional lenses you should also consider are the EF-s 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM and EF-s 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM. These are not "L" lenses because that designation is exclusive to full-frame Canon lenses but, they are as good a any L as far as optical quality is concerned. The difference is that EF-s lenses are designed specifically for 1.6x crop-bodies like your 50D with smaller sensors. When I shot the 40D (almost identical to the 50D, just a year older), my walk around/portrait lens that said on my camera almost all the time was the EF-s 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM.
One final note, your daughter is likely blinking because of the pre-flash that tells her to expect the main flash. Consider half-pressing the shutter to focus/meter and then waiting a second or two before you actually take the picture. If you don't already have one, also consider a shoe-mount flash like the 430EXII.
Canon lens for wedding?
Missy C
I got a canon xsi with the kit lens for christmas and I am getting married this summer. I have a friend that takes really great pictures and she is going to take my wedding pictures (we are on a budget). I like the kit lens, but it doesn't zoom in very far, and I know she will probably need a lens that will zoom more... do I need another lens and if so, which one.
Also, I was reading something about a wide angle lens... what is this and why would you need one? I just dont see how you would carry all of this stuff around with you...
Please dont talk down to me because of my choice not to hire a professional, or my ignorance on this topic. Please only reply if you want to help me.. Thanks in advance
Answer
What lens you need depends a great deal on the venue and where she will be allowed to be. Also how much light you have. A 200mm at f/5.6 (as most consumer lenses are) is not going to be of much use if you need f/2.8 @ 1/10 and ISO800 just to get the exposure. If you need a fast lens, I would buy the Canon 50mm f/1.8. Nice portrait lens on a crop sensor. Fast enough for dark conditions. Sharp. Relatively cheap. Easily available. *But* wide open or near maximum aperture will leave no room for focus error.
Why wide angle? WA is where about 80% of my wedding coverage lands. I use a 50mm f/1.4 and a 17-50 f/2.8 a lot in digital wedding coverage. (For film, I prefer a 24-85 and the 50mm.) The 70-200 not as much. Most of the getting ready, formals, groups and reception shots will probably require wide angle. Your kit lens (is it 18-55 or so?) will cover the that end adequately if you have enough light, either ambient or by using flash or off camera lighting. If you don't have a flash, get one. Yeah, a flash and a 50mm lens will be the most bang for your buck. The 580EX is what the Canonites use frequently for weddings, I believe. (Sorry I am not sure, I use Nikon, so not positive on the model number.) Get a diffuser of some sort and practice using it. The Fong Lightsphere, Demb, Stofen and Bounce card are commonly used and not that difficult to learn. If you are familiar with manual flash output you will do fine after a few weeks practice. You will have to modify your flash output for the light loss, but your flash photos will be vastly improved. If the surroundings are fairly dark, you will want to drag the shutter to avoid the deer in headlights look.
Don't forget to have a backup camera of some sort. I have three, sometimes four camera bodies with lenses and flashes at every wedding. As an amateur of course you probably won't have access to or need that much. But do get a second camera of some kind, film or digital, and have it primed and ready to go with fresh batteries and memory or film.. When I am shooting, I usually have two setups around my neck, one with WA lens and one tele, or sometimes one film and one digi. Things can and do break, balk or fail so be prepared.
Here is the lecture portion of my program. Being "ignorant" of various lenses and camera gear is fine. I am ignorant about a lot of things. If I need to know, I ask, or more likely do some research, just like you are. Here is my caution to you: Be very **very** VERY sure the photos do not matter that much to you. Your friend may be a good photographer of her kids in the park, landscapes, bugs or pets etc etc etc, but has she shot weddings before? She may do a fabulous job, if the photo gods are smiling and the light is perfect and everything goes to plan. But what is her plan using the kit lens from 300 feet away in a dark cave of a sanctuary trying to capture the vows when she needs ISO 4000 at f/5.6 and 2s? (OK, I am exaggerating, but not by much.) Can she cover several different happenings at once? Weddings are sorta like little mini plays with several different stages. It is hard to make all that flow until you have done it quite a bit. If you miss something, it is gone. There are no excuses and very few do-overs. That is why we are always advising new wedding shooters to assist with a pro for some amount of time. Takes the pressure off and allows one to learn, but not at the expense of mucking up a couple's wedding photos. The point is, you don't have an ideal setup equipment wise. Combining that with an in-experienced photographer might mean you get less than good images of your once in a lifetime big day. So be certain it is OK if you end up with a bunch of mediocre snapshots, and be sure your friendship can stand that strain if it does happen. And if the pictures are great, you can be thankful and relieved (and uncannily lucky) and get your friend a nice gift for performing like a champ.
Best wishes on your upcoming nuptials.
What lens you need depends a great deal on the venue and where she will be allowed to be. Also how much light you have. A 200mm at f/5.6 (as most consumer lenses are) is not going to be of much use if you need f/2.8 @ 1/10 and ISO800 just to get the exposure. If you need a fast lens, I would buy the Canon 50mm f/1.8. Nice portrait lens on a crop sensor. Fast enough for dark conditions. Sharp. Relatively cheap. Easily available. *But* wide open or near maximum aperture will leave no room for focus error.
Why wide angle? WA is where about 80% of my wedding coverage lands. I use a 50mm f/1.4 and a 17-50 f/2.8 a lot in digital wedding coverage. (For film, I prefer a 24-85 and the 50mm.) The 70-200 not as much. Most of the getting ready, formals, groups and reception shots will probably require wide angle. Your kit lens (is it 18-55 or so?) will cover the that end adequately if you have enough light, either ambient or by using flash or off camera lighting. If you don't have a flash, get one. Yeah, a flash and a 50mm lens will be the most bang for your buck. The 580EX is what the Canonites use frequently for weddings, I believe. (Sorry I am not sure, I use Nikon, so not positive on the model number.) Get a diffuser of some sort and practice using it. The Fong Lightsphere, Demb, Stofen and Bounce card are commonly used and not that difficult to learn. If you are familiar with manual flash output you will do fine after a few weeks practice. You will have to modify your flash output for the light loss, but your flash photos will be vastly improved. If the surroundings are fairly dark, you will want to drag the shutter to avoid the deer in headlights look.
Don't forget to have a backup camera of some sort. I have three, sometimes four camera bodies with lenses and flashes at every wedding. As an amateur of course you probably won't have access to or need that much. But do get a second camera of some kind, film or digital, and have it primed and ready to go with fresh batteries and memory or film.. When I am shooting, I usually have two setups around my neck, one with WA lens and one tele, or sometimes one film and one digi. Things can and do break, balk or fail so be prepared.
Here is the lecture portion of my program. Being "ignorant" of various lenses and camera gear is fine. I am ignorant about a lot of things. If I need to know, I ask, or more likely do some research, just like you are. Here is my caution to you: Be very **very** VERY sure the photos do not matter that much to you. Your friend may be a good photographer of her kids in the park, landscapes, bugs or pets etc etc etc, but has she shot weddings before? She may do a fabulous job, if the photo gods are smiling and the light is perfect and everything goes to plan. But what is her plan using the kit lens from 300 feet away in a dark cave of a sanctuary trying to capture the vows when she needs ISO 4000 at f/5.6 and 2s? (OK, I am exaggerating, but not by much.) Can she cover several different happenings at once? Weddings are sorta like little mini plays with several different stages. It is hard to make all that flow until you have done it quite a bit. If you miss something, it is gone. There are no excuses and very few do-overs. That is why we are always advising new wedding shooters to assist with a pro for some amount of time. Takes the pressure off and allows one to learn, but not at the expense of mucking up a couple's wedding photos. The point is, you don't have an ideal setup equipment wise. Combining that with an in-experienced photographer might mean you get less than good images of your once in a lifetime big day. So be certain it is OK if you end up with a bunch of mediocre snapshots, and be sure your friendship can stand that strain if it does happen. And if the pictures are great, you can be thankful and relieved (and uncannily lucky) and get your friend a nice gift for performing like a champ.
Best wishes on your upcoming nuptials.
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