Good lens for baby photography

[don_holloway]

First and foremost, thanks to all involved for providing such an informative

site. With that said, I still need a little advice.

I recently purchased a 30d with the 28-135mm kit lens. My first child is due

next month, so I wanted to step up from my point and shoot to a higher quality

camera. The 30d fit nicely in my budget.

I will primarily be using the camera for pictures of my baby in the hospital

after birth, followed by countless photographs of her primarily taken indoors.

I need a lens suggestion specific for these conditions (low, available light,

indoors, close sharp shots). I would prefer not to use a flash. From what I

have read, the 28-135mm probably isn't the best lens for this purpose.

I'm torn between one or two fast primes (50mm/f1.4, 85mm/f1.8), possibly a fast

zoom (17-55mm/f2.8, 24-70/f2.8, 24-105mm/f4, 17-40mm/f4), or any combination.

My main concern is the indoor shooting in the hospital, since I won't be able to

try out the lenses prior to the birth. I'm not opposed to selling the 28-135mm

in exchange for other lens(es) if that would be the best option. Any and all

suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Wish me luck.

 

Thanks in advance,

Don

[vivek]

I think you need something like 35 f/2. The issue is that hospitals (at least here in CA) have small rooms without much space for movement. If you want to capture mom and baby, then for a 1.6X crop body like yours, the 35/2 is a pretty good choice. It is reasonably sharp wide open and has good perspective (angle of view) on the 30D/20D bodies. This can be had for around 200 USD used and a tad higher new. It is a GREAT lens for the money, though it has no USM and is _relatively_ loud and slow focusing compared to the L's.

 

Other options are 50/1.8 and 28/1.8. From my experience the 50/1.4 which I do have is not sharp wide open and is almost 5X the cost of 50/1.8 if not more. It also has no USM like the 50/1.8 but is built a little bit better. I think if I had to do it again, I would get the 50/1.8 since all I am losing is 1/2 stop of light.

 

Congratulations on the baby

 

-- V

[michael_ziegler2]

50mm f/1.4 is in fact a USM lens. My copy is quite sharp wide open.

[davyjo]

If money isn't an obstacle then I'd go for the 17-55mm. Nice and sharp, reasonably fast and very flexible focal length.

[robert_turner]

Likely you won't get this recommendation from many, but I think the 28mm/1.8 is a great

choice. Very unobtrusive, super low light performance and great quality - I find edges very

good and center sharpness is tack on. I use it often with my 10 month old and can get very

close for interesting perspectives.

[lou_miller]

I get great baby shots from a working distance of beween 3-8 feet with the 50 1.8. I find quality to be fair wide open until about f2.8 when it becomes very sharp. In a dim hospital room set at 400 or 800 speed (or maybe 200 with a sleeping baby), it is a good no-flash option and you can't beat the price. I also have the 24-105 L which at F4 can work without a flash in a normal well-lit room, but might struggle in a hospital room like the ones that my 4 kids have been born in in IN.

[phule]

I used my 50mm f/1.8 with my Canon XT for my baby from birth to about 8 or 9 months with tremendous results. Then I switched to my 35mm f/2. The 50mm is perfect for this application, IMHO.

[t_n1]

I'd get the 50mm 1.4. It's sharp and can shoot in low light. I'm against the other suggestions of getting the 28mm and 35mm since they don't give you much advantage over the zoom you already have. Even though those two lenses can open up wider, your zoom has IS so the difference is negligible (I can't imagine a newborn running around).

 

The 50mm 1.4 will allow tight shots on the child, esp with 1.5 ft minimum focusing distance.

[JDMvW]

You've got good quality high ISO on the Canon. There is a bit of noise, but if you shoot raw, especially, you can clean it up in post processing. However, the 'noise' is quite acceptable to old hi-speed film users like myself who sort of like the grainy effect. This increases the flexibility you have in regard to lens aperture.

 

The recommendations for the 28mm f2.8 (the most expensive and slowest choice), the 35mm f2 and the plastic mount 50mm f1.8 are for the greatest bargains in Canon's line up. These are cheap (important for new fathers, just wait and see), really optically nice prime lenses. You should be able to take hand-held pictures easily with either the f2 or f1.8 lens, with a high ISO and no flash. The 35mm will be the equivalent of a 56mm 'normal' lens on full-frame 35mm.

 

Of course, if money is no object, the fast (f2.8 to f1.4) L lenses are superb, and even the slower 17-85mm image-stabilized EF-S lens would be a good choice--in this case the IS will allow considerable latitude equivalent to having a much faster lens. The 17-85 is a terrific one-lens solution giving the range on a APS sensor of about 28mm to 135mm on full frame cameras, and you won't want to change lenses all the time once the kid gets moving! Best of luck to you in your new life.

[anders_carlsson]

In my experience speed is a lot more important than IS in most photographic situatuations involving babies and toddlers. A fast 50mm prime is likely to be one of your most used lenses for the next few years -- and probably the only one you need in the delivery room -- along with a normal zoom. The wide end is fun to use when crawling around on the floor (with your child). So how about a 17-40 and 50/1.4 combo? Your need for a longer lens, maybe a nice and fast 100/2 or another zoom, will occur only later. Good luck! It's great fun.

[vivek]

Yes it is USM but the motor is AF-D motor and not quite as nice as the newer RING USM motors. Therefore it is slow to focus but allows manual focus even in AF mode. Sorry I should have been more clear.

 

<< Quoted Text>>

Michael Zieglerphoto.net patron, May 11, 2007; 12:54 p.m.

50mm f/1.4 is in fact a USM lens. My copy is quite sharp wide open.

[m_barbu1]

The 50mm f/1.4 is indeed a fast and sharp lens, but I think you'll find it to be too long on a 30D (akin to 80mm on a full frame camera). The 35mm f/2 is pretty much your only inexpensive option at that focal length. However, it's not that sharp wide open. You may find yourself using it at f/2.5 or so. So, you might want to consider the 28mm f/1.8 USM for about US$ 400.

[jacob_brown]

Canon 50mm f/1.8

 

and

 

Sigma 24mm f/1.8 or Sigma 28mm f/1.8

[William Michael]

> I'm torn between one or two fast primes (50mm/f1.4, 85mm/f1.8), possibly a fast zoom (17-55mm/f2.8, 24-70/f2.8, 24-105mm/f4, 17-40mm/f4), or any combination. <

 

I have both the primes you mention and I use them both on a 20D, mainly to capture candid portraits and I use both almost exclusively in Available Light.

 

Speed: for Available Light shooting, the fastest zoom you can get is F2.8 and really there is a great difference from F2.8 to F 1.4 or F1.8: if one needs it.

 

Space: for a full shot of Mum and Baby (eg in bed nursing) you will need to be 10 to 11 feet away to capture a portrait at 45 degrees using the 50mm on a 30D. That space might not be available to you.

 

Long Term Thinking: the 50mm makes a really nice portrait lens on a 30D, but IMO the 85mmF1.8 (equiv 136mm field of view) is even better, so if portraits are where you want later, the 50mm might have a limited life.

 

The first step: Over many years, my favourite `street lens` was a snub barrelled 45mmF2 (on a full frame film body) it went everywhere with me, indoors and outside and was unobtrusive and very functional.

 

Without selling anything, I suggest you buy the 28mm F1.8. It will serve yo well as a fast `standard` lens on your 30D, and really for this type of work a `fast standard prime` is really what not only the text book says to get, but what practicality and logic also dictates.

 

If money is not that much of a concern, get the 28mm and another prime, I`d get the 85, for reasons outlined above.

 

WW

[J.W. Wall]

I was tempted to say, "Whatever the baby can operate successfully."

 

A search reveals many threads on this topic, such as http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00KyfS

 

That said, I would probably go with one of the two f2.8 zooms that you mentioned, 17-55 or 24-70. Congratulations and good luck with the pix!

[frolickingbits]

Congratulations! I've photographed my friend's baby, now over 2 years old almost exclusively with a 28-70 on my old Pentax *ist D. I then switched to a Canon 30D, and got some interesting perspectives of him playing with a Sigma 20mm f1.8-great for getting down at floor level and getting wide shots of the chaos of a house that has a baby running around :) I've also gotten some great shots with a 50mm f1.8-good for more close, intimate portrait-like shots.<div></div>

[chrisjb]

This turned up in my mailboz this week, my choice would be 17 5x f2.8 & 85mm 1.8

 

http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tips/baby.html

 

HTH

[chrisjb]

BTW congratulations, my reason for choice, if you don`t know the size of the room you can depend on the zoom.

[don_holloway]

Wow! I had no idea I would get such a great response in such a short time; very much appreciated. After taking in all the recommendations, I'm leaning toward the 17-55mm/f2.8 and at least one fast prime (most likely the 50mm/f1.4). Sound good?

Also, for all around use down the road, should I hang on to the 28-135mm, or possibly upgrade to the 70-200mm/f4 L IS USM? I know you're probably tired of being asked, but keeping my original requirements in mind, what makes your best 3 to 4 piece lens set?

Any links to other similar topics on this forum would also be appreciated, and suggestions which might help me explain to my wife why I am suddenly spending so much time on the computer.

Thanks again, Don

[William Michael]

> Also, for all around use down the road, should I hang on to the 28-135mm, or possibly upgrade to the 70-200mm/f4 L IS USM? <

 

As you are > `leaning toward the 17-55mm/f2.8 and at least one fast prime (most likely the 50mm/f1.4).`< then I suggest you take that step first.

 

After some use, this will confirm whether F4 will be fast enough for your needs, in the longer zoom.

 

 

(I don`t notice the fact point out previously): the 17 to 55 is an EF-S lens, and can not be used with all EOS bodies, this may or may not be relevant.

 

 

WW

[iain_bain]

Good Luck with the immentant arrival.

We had our second wee one in February.

Here is a gallery of Pics taken on day 1 - taken with a combo of 1dmk2 and 1Dsmk2 and

24-70,50 f1.4 and some with the 70-200 2.8. I could have taken them all with the 24-70

or 50 if I only had the choice of one. All at 1600iso with no flash.

 

http://www.banffphoto.co.uk/anna/

 

Have fun and enjoy the whole thing..

 

Iain

[russell v]

I used a 20d with a 28-135 3.5 - 5.6 IS. and natural Light ISO 400. TO take photo of my oldest and youngest 1 day old in hospital room. Hope this helps.<div></div>

[arun_m]

Congratulations Don. I just had mine last week. It's a blast :)

 

I had with me a 28-135 3.5-5.6IS and a 50 1.8, both canon. Here are some of my observations. I loved the 50mm for speed, fast is the way to go. Crisp shots with excellent bokeh are great to hide hospital equipment. I found the 50mm a bit short for some closeup pics of the newborn when I wanted to fill his face/body in the frame. There were a few times I wish I had something like a 70 or 85mm prime or a fast zoom, but just a few times. The lack of focus speed of the 1.8 really annoyed me. I'm going to upgrade to the USM.

I used my 28-135 mostly for shots of people with baby, I needed the width of 28. It's slower and I had to use a flash. I like using that lens outdoors, more than indoors. It's too slow and soft for me indoors and I don't like using a flash.

For just baby pics, I didn't find myself needing the wide end, 50mm worked great.

If I had to pick for myself from your list (for baby pics) I'd pick the 2 primes, and the 24-70 f/2.8)

[Ian Taylor]

50mm/1.4

[otto_haring]

<p>Canon 50mm 1.2L on full frame body, maybe Canon 85mm and the 70-200mm 2.8.<br>

I know they are super expensive. BUT they deliver quality!<br>

You can see samples in the kids section here: www.haringphotography.com<br>

I hope it helps.</p>