Help to find a good indoor lens for a Canon EOS 700D

Hi,

I don't shot Canon myself but a friend has a Canon EOS 700D with a EFS 18-55 mm lens. He now would like to expand his photography from beginner level and learn more of different settings and take his compositions to the next level etc. That part I can help him with.

He also wants to be able to shot indoor portraits and buy a faster prime lens than the zoom. I looked at what I think is the correct Canon APS-C lens types, but I couldn't really find any 50 or 85 mm equivalent lenses (around f1.8 or so), so with this message I hope someone can help in finding what works the best with his 700D body?

Thanks and best regards from Sweden!
/Anders
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42 Megapixels is the answer to life, the universe and everything.
You don't have to like my pictures, but it would help: http://www.lattermann.com/gallery

lattesweden wrote:

Hi,

I don't shot Canon myself but a friend has a Canon EOS 700D with a EFS 18-55 mm lens. He now would like to expand his photography from beginner level and learn more of different settings and take his compositions to the next level etc. That part I can help him with.

He also wants to be able to shot indoor portraits and buy a faster prime lens than the zoom. I looked at what I think is the correct Canon APS-C lens types, but I couldn't really find any 50 or 85 mm equivalent lenses (around f1.8 or so), so with this message I hope someone can help in finding what works the best with his 700D body?

Thanks and best regards from Sweden!
/Anders
----------------------------------------------------
42 Megapixels is the answer to life, the universe and everything.
You don't have to like my pictures, but it would help: http://www.lattermann.com/gallery

The lenses that immediately come to mind are the EF 35mm f/2 IS USM (56mm equiv), the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM (80mm equiv), and the EF 85mm f/1.8 USM (135mm equiv).

Good reviews can be found here...

TDP

R2

ps. There is the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM also, but carefully read reviews.

lattesweden wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

lattesweden wrote:

Hi,

I don't shot Canon myself but a friend has a Canon EOS 700D with a EFS 18-55 mm lens. He now would like to expand his photography from beginner level and learn more of different settings and take his compositions to the next level etc. That part I can help him with.

He also wants to be able to shot indoor portraits and buy a faster prime lens than the zoom. I looked at what I think is the correct Canon APS-C lens types, but I couldn't really find any 50 or 85 mm equivalent lenses (around f1.8 or so), so with this message I hope someone can help in finding what works the best with his 700D body?

Thanks and best regards from Sweden!
/Anders
----------------------------------------------------
42 Megapixels is the answer to life, the universe and everything.
You don't have to like my pictures, but it would help: http://www.lattermann.com/gallery

The lenses that immediately come to mind are the EF 35mm f/2 IS USM (56mm equiv), the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM (80mm equiv), and the EF 85mm f/1.8 USM (135mm equiv).

Good reviews can be found here...

TDP

R2

ps. There is the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM also, but carefully read reviews.

Thanks!

All of those are FF lenses if I understand correctly? That would be the reason I couldn't find any, I filtered on APS-C.

That is both good and bad, maybe more good. They shouldn't be much heavier and bigger at these focal lengths than if there was APS-C versions and if he ever wants to go over to FF, then he already has a compatible lens.

Yeah, none of them are either really big or heavy.

I haven't shot with the new 35mm, but it gets a lot of praise.  The image stabilization can help indoors.

The 50 STM is the lightest and cheapest, and needs to be stopped down for greatest sharpness, but the autofocus is very well-behaved.  It's a no-brainer for the price.

The 85 is my favorite (formal) portrait lens, but I wouldn't go any longer indoors.  AF is very fast and it's fairly sharp even close to wide open.  Stopped down to "portrait" apertures it's excellent.

This is a 50% crop (from a vertical), Canon 70D + 85/1.8 @ f/5.6, ISO 800 (no noise reduction or retouching)...

Click on "original size"

Here's a full-size image (same setup, no NR or post processing of any kind)...

Click on "original size"

Canon doesn't specifically build APS-C (EF-S) prime lenses faster than f/2.8, though there are definitely some nice f/2.8 lenses that your friend might consider if he doesn't need as much DOF control.  I also have the EF 40mm f/2.8 STM and the EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro that are in that F/L range.  None are very expensive.

Happy shopping!

R2

you friends camera will accept EF (FF) and EF-S (crop) lenses just fine.

plenty of good offerings from 3rd party vendors as well.

lattesweden wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

Thanks, I'll show him your answer with the nice images.

He is in the state where he has had his camera and the kit lens for some time but never really gotten to use it other than as a point and shot.

Now he wants to try to learn more and also shot portraits of his girlfriend indoors which the kitlens doesn't do well.

My experience with people in that state is that they often are so nicely "undamaged" and still "pure" and thinks that a lens for 125 USD is really expensive, while we who have been in this "sport" for some longer time more think that sum is what a good polarizer filter costs .

I have promised him to sit down with him in the week that comes and go through what he has and what he might benefit from getting, except from just more knowledge.
--
Best regards
/Anders
----------------------------------------------------
42 Megapixels is the answer to life, the universe and everything.
You don't have to like my pictures, but it would help: http://www.lattermann.com/gallery

Thanks.  Very nice what you're doing for him.  I'd think that he'd get a lot of mileage out of that 50 STM for very little outlay.

R2