PhillipA
Veteran Member
I think that the only "fast" Canon lens with IS is the 200L f2 IS - any others ?
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Low light candids - Stabilization or Speed?
- Thread starter rjmarthaller
- Start date
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biochemiker
Leading Member
I think you want the Sigma 30mm f/1.4. It is fast and by many accounts, sharp. It is also less than $500.
I have used the EF-S 17-55mm IS USM and I really love it but I have to agree with others that for low light candids, especially when you don't want to use flash, you have to go with a lens faster than f/2.8. The IS is nice when the subject isn't moving but people never stop moving and as soon as they pose, goodbye candid. Also, it is a bit more expensive than your $500 limit.
Good luck!
I have used the EF-S 17-55mm IS USM and I really love it but I have to agree with others that for low light candids, especially when you don't want to use flash, you have to go with a lens faster than f/2.8. The IS is nice when the subject isn't moving but people never stop moving and as soon as they pose, goodbye candid. Also, it is a bit more expensive than your $500 limit.
Good luck!
Joe Photo Lover
Senior Member
Quite true, it does depend on definition and context.
A 50mm f2.8 prime lens is slow by today's standards but a zoom like the Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS or the Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS are relatively fast since I know of no other zooms for a Canon DSLR that begin at f2. They are among the best combination of lens speed and IS in their class.
rjmarthaller
Member
Thanks I really appreciate your thoughts.
I'm still debating but it's getting clearer
rjmarthaller
Member
More great advice, thank you.
I had not thought about kids being distracted by me being in the room taking pictures.
rjmarthaller
Member
biochemiker
Leading Member
As others have said, also check out the Canon 85mm f/1.8. I have also used the Canon 85 f/1.8 and I really liked it as well. It is pretty sharp and would be a good focal length for a baby. I was able to get very good shutter speeds with it when I was shooting hockey in low light, even stopped down a bit. It also comes in under $500.
Go for the fastest lenses you can get, each extra f stop will help with both your shaking and subjet movement.
The ultimate would be some of the f1.4 lenses (ok, F1.2 and 1.0 too).
IS is great especially for longer lenses, but dosen't help in any way with a moving subject. It only reduces your hand shaking factor.
The ultimate would be some of the f1.4 lenses (ok, F1.2 and 1.0 too).
IS is great especially for longer lenses, but dosen't help in any way with a moving subject. It only reduces your hand shaking factor.
have a need for speed, and primes. your little girl will be dancing soon and IS doesn't stop action. indoors for sure need fast lenses, my friend used the 24-70 2.8 L and couldn't get any good shots. my 85 1.8 did the trick and it works great for hoops too. switching is tough though so i am headed to 2 bodies and 4 primes i think.
good luck and don't forget quality time without a camera.
kevin
20D 17-55 2.8, 70-200 4 non-IS, 85 1.8 and a G10
good luck and don't forget quality time without a camera.
kevin
20D 17-55 2.8, 70-200 4 non-IS, 85 1.8 and a G10
Joe Photo Lover
Senior Member
F1.4 is not the ultimate for fast moving subjects because they move into and out of DOF so quickly, sometimes the only way to deal with stopping some motion is electronic flash, when you are able to use it. I never saw great image quality from an f1.0 lens. They were mainly a novelty.
As you wrote IS especially great on long lenses but many do not appreciate that IS helps for shorter lenses too. You can get some benefit out of any IS lens for static subjects. Sometimes even one stop makes a difference.
Have the same exact lens which I use on a 400d and a 500d. Very nice.
bronxbombers
Forum Pro
speed
tkbslc
Forum Pro
kschultz wrote:
indoors for sure need fast lenses, my friend used the 24-70 2.8 L and couldn't get any good shots.
indoors for sure need fast lenses, my friend used the 24-70 2.8 L and couldn't get any good shots.
This was at 1/500, f8 and ISO 800. Seems like F2.8 at ISO 1600 and 1/400 would have been just as good. More DOF, for easier focusing, but a touch more noise.
Zeppo_marx
Active member
OK, the best news is that - right now while you are coughing up a ton of cash for cribs, change tables, diapers, clothes, car seats, etc - you get to wait for a lot of your decisions on this.
Why?
Because your baby just isn't going to go anywhere for a while! So rather than trying to sell an argument that you need to spend a ton on yourself right now, you can just focus on getting ready for the big day with your wife.
The 50 1.8 you have is great for an infant. Upgrading to a 50 1.4 would be nice, but so would adding an 85 f1.8 to let you shoot from a bit further off to catch baby and mommy in candids. Yep, a couple of hundred on the 851.8 is all you need this month. It will be next year that the costs mount up, but for now focus on getting the nursery in order!
Because in about 9 months when baby starts crawling around a bit, a short fast zoom is optimal. A 17-55F2.8 IS is great. A 5D and 24-70F2.8 is better (as long as Ièm spending YOUR money
! But long zooms are wasted at this point. You just don't let baby get that far away from you yet. This is when you'll also discover strobist.blogspot.com and rig up the playground with strobes because you're bored stiff of playing peek-a-boo.
Then, at about 18 months, when baby discovers running and the play structure at the park, you will be spending a lot of time on a bench next to other parents while your angel discovers socialization, sharing, and the awful taste of sand.
This is when you get your longer zoom. The 70-200F4IS is the ultimate playground stalker lens. The 2.8 is even nicer, but as these shots are outdoors you don't really need the extra stop.
Or you can add the 135F2 to your 50 and the 85 at this point, but then you're spending a lot of time zooming with your feet - which cuts into the time spent discussing diaper rash, food preferences, and - if you're lucky - something actually interesting and NOT baby-related with the other parents. But at this point, you have a nice full camera bag.
There - all nicely budgetted out to grow your camera bag at the same speed as your little darling, thus sparing the cost of explaining to your wife why you need another $3K in camera equipment right now. It's far easier to sell the budget incrementally.... trust me
Why?
Because your baby just isn't going to go anywhere for a while! So rather than trying to sell an argument that you need to spend a ton on yourself right now, you can just focus on getting ready for the big day with your wife.
The 50 1.8 you have is great for an infant. Upgrading to a 50 1.4 would be nice, but so would adding an 85 f1.8 to let you shoot from a bit further off to catch baby and mommy in candids. Yep, a couple of hundred on the 851.8 is all you need this month. It will be next year that the costs mount up, but for now focus on getting the nursery in order!
Because in about 9 months when baby starts crawling around a bit, a short fast zoom is optimal. A 17-55F2.8 IS is great. A 5D and 24-70F2.8 is better (as long as Ièm spending YOUR money
! But long zooms are wasted at this point. You just don't let baby get that far away from you yet. This is when you'll also discover strobist.blogspot.com and rig up the playground with strobes because you're bored stiff of playing peek-a-boo.Then, at about 18 months, when baby discovers running and the play structure at the park, you will be spending a lot of time on a bench next to other parents while your angel discovers socialization, sharing, and the awful taste of sand.
This is when you get your longer zoom. The 70-200F4IS is the ultimate playground stalker lens. The 2.8 is even nicer, but as these shots are outdoors you don't really need the extra stop.
Or you can add the 135F2 to your 50 and the 85 at this point, but then you're spending a lot of time zooming with your feet - which cuts into the time spent discussing diaper rash, food preferences, and - if you're lucky - something actually interesting and NOT baby-related with the other parents. But at this point, you have a nice full camera bag.
There - all nicely budgetted out to grow your camera bag at the same speed as your little darling, thus sparing the cost of explaining to your wife why you need another $3K in camera equipment right now. It's far easier to sell the budget incrementally.... trust me
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