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Affordable low light portrait lens recommendation?

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h00ligan

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Sharp is good, IS is necessary. Going on an old rebel xt, I don't need top of the line, but I would like sharp. Candid portraits not studio, subjects will not be holding still long.

Have and was planning on using the nifty fifty, wondering if there are some reasonably priced alternatives?

Thanks for the input!
 
h00ligan said:
Sharp is good, IS is necessary. Going on an old rebel xt, I don't need top of the line, but I would like sharp. Candid portraits not studio, subjects will not be holding still long.

Have and was planning on using the nifty fifty, wondering if there are some reasonably priced alternatives?

Thanks for the input!
Click to expand...
indoors: EF 50 1.4
outdoors: EF 85 f1.8
--
Eckhard Aland
http://www.flickr.com/photos/proud-elk/collections/
 
A 24-105L fits the bill nicely and will also work on FF.Not cheap,but used ones are plentiful around $800.The "IS" narrows the field a lot.
 
sparkling elk said:
h00ligan said:
Sharp is good, IS is necessary. Going on an old rebel xt, I don't need top of the line, but I would like sharp. Candid portraits not studio, subjects will not be holding still long.

Have and was planning on using the nifty fifty, wondering if there are some reasonably priced alternatives?

Thanks for the input!
Click to expand...
indoors: EF 50 1.4
outdoors: EF 85 f1.8
--
Eckhard Aland
http://www.flickr.com/photos/proud-elk/collections/
Click to expand...
I would second that and also consider the 28 1.8 if you want wider environmental type portraits.
 
aVolanche said:
A 24-105L fits the bill nicely and will also work on FF.Not cheap,but used ones are plentiful around $800.The "IS" narrows the field a lot.
Click to expand...
This would only work if the subjects are quite still because f/4 will not give very high SS in available light.
 
Thanks all, I doubt I'll replace the nifty with the 1.4 - based on the qualities I've seen wide open, i would have to stop it down a bit anyway - soft and dreamy wouldn't be appropriate for this venue (charity awards).
 
Sorry I should have said for longer focal ranges, IS is necessary.. I should be able to keep to 1/50, but I doubt much faster and these need to be sharp.
 
h00ligan said:
Sharp is good, IS is necessary. Going on an old rebel xt, I don't need top of the line, but I would like sharp. Candid portraits not studio, subjects will not be holding still long.

Have and was planning on using the nifty fifty, wondering if there are some reasonably priced alternatives?

Thanks for the input!
Click to expand...
Sometimes it is best to leave the camera in the bag and just have another beer. "Low light" is often just "bad light" and no amount of gear will make a shot look interesting. Sometimes, though, you can capture a gem. You need to observe the scene to determine which will be the most likely outcome.

If your subjects will not be holding still, then IS is not going to help. IS lenses are too slow, anyway. You are going to need a very wide aperture and that means a very shallow depth of field. Even if you can get a fast enough shutter speed, you'll struggle to keep the focus locked.

It sounds like you haven't tried to take low light candid shots before. The "nifty fifty" is the cheapest way to learn the ropes--stick with it for now. It will give you a good feel for what is, and what is not, practical to attempt. The only caveat is that its AF will probably be a bit more erratic than the expensive lenses, so take lots of shots and be prepared to throw away 90%+ of them instead of just 80%+ of them!

When you are finished experimenting, buy a flashgun next. Most useful thing in the bag, if you ask me.

--
Damo
 
Candids generally require shutter speeds that negate IS, so I don't think you should worry about that. Besides, that limits you solely to f2.8 lenses.
 
I use my 24-105 in low light all the time when I shoot weddings. 1/50 sec at ISO 3200 tolerates some pretty bad lighting.
--
Jim
http://www.pbase.com/jcassatt
 
Alright, I should have been more clear.

A) it's not that they won't be moving, it's award acceptance. I need to step in, fire off a couple shots and step out. What i meant by not staying still is, while they will pose it will be at a brisker pace than say, a model in a studio. I can't skip the shots and have a beer, they need shots of this for the charity organization.

B) I've taken plenty of lower light stuff, but not with this gear - and it hasn't mattered before now, this is my first gig doing anything for anyone, it's a volunteer thing because frankly, I know I can do better than the guy last year and they just don't have anyone in their animal loving kingdom that can do it - they'd be stuck with a PAS in the hands of someone with less knowledge

C) I can't use a bounce flash because the ceilings are 30 ft. It's in a banquet hall - while it will be lower light, it won't be jet black.

D) maybe I'll stick with the nifty and buy a flash.. I just need to practice with it a bit and make sure it's diffused enough not to blast people with harsh light. Addon lighting IS something new to me.... so to that end..

Flash recommendations?

Good thoughts everyone, thanks for the guidance.
 
Unfortunately the xt is limited to 1600 - unless there's an expanded iso setting I've never seen - but based on 1600, 3200 wouldn't be viable for this particular event.

It looks like I should probably pick up a flash w/diffuser, and start practicing now.
 
I posted this in 2 responses but for the help of others and to avoid anyone having to plow thru all the responses.. it seems the right way to go is get a flash with diffuser - so adjusted request - affordable flash recommendations? I'll have to practice with it, to make sure I'm not blasting harsh light at people. Diffuser?
 
h00ligan said:
C) I can't use a bounce flash because the ceilings are 30 ft. It's in a banquet hall - while it will be lower light, it won't be jet black.
Click to expand...
Get a flash bracket $40, short ettl cord OC-E3 ($70) and a 430EX ($250) or 580EX ($400) instead
 
h00ligan said:
I posted this in 2 responses but for the help of others and to avoid anyone having to plow thru all the responses.. it seems the right way to go is get a flash with diffuser - so adjusted request - affordable flash recommendations? I'll have to practice with it, to make sure I'm not blasting harsh light at people. Diffuser?
Click to expand...
A used 420EX is probably as good as anything. A diffuser will only benefit you for shooting people if it's fairly large. "Large" and "candid" don't go together.

--
http://jackandkelly.zenfolio.com/
 
The only good portrait lenses I know of with IS is both of the 70-200's and the new 100mm Macro with IS. None is very affordable, but all three are excellent.

When we take IS out of the equation, there's a world of great and affordable portraitlenses, I'll mention my top choices:

Primes:
Sigma 70mm Macro
Sigma 50mm F/1.4
Sigma 50mm Macro (The best bang for the buck)
Canon 50/1.8

Zooms:
Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 (My most used lens)
Tamron 17-50/2.8
Sigma 18-50/2.8 Macro
 
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