Canon 50mm f1.4 vs 1.8 vs 85mm f1.8 for indoor event photos

[yakim_peled1]

<p>Another f/2.8 you say?<br>

:-)</p><div></div>

[yakim_peled1]

<p>And if it's not enough, just ask. I have plenty of those....<br>

:-)</p>

<p>Happy shooting,<br>

Yakim. </p>

[edwardchen]

<p>85/1.8 USM<br>

100/2.0 USM<br>

135/2.0L (The best)</p>

 

[sarah_fox]

<blockquote>

<p>135/2.0L (The best)</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Sort of long for interior portraiture on a crop camera, don't you think?</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>If you buy a plastic fantastic EF 50mm f/1.8 you get a very good fast lens, especially on an APS-C body. Since it is so cheap, you might be able to stretch to another of Canon's gifts to the faithful:<br>

The EF 35mm f/2.<br>

It's a superb "normal" lens on the smaller format, and also very good for low light. </p>

<p>I agree that the 85mm is a bit long for normal rooms. If indoors includes arenas, then the 85mm f/1.8 is very good indoors. A nice IS version of a f/2.8 zoom telephoto would be even more super, perhaps, but the cost is waaay more than you are talking about.</p>

[ilonkameyer]

<p>Thank you for all the responses. I've decided on the Canon 50mm f1.8 and to buy a Canon 430 EX-II flash with it. I will have a look at the setup when I am on holiday in South Africa in a couple of weeks (I live in Melbourne, Australia) and have a look myself at the different venues where she has to take photos at. I'll have my Nikon 24 - 70mm f2.8 and 70 - 200mm f2.8 there so I think we'll be able to work out what lens to add to the 50mm f1.8 (specifically what focal range/ prime) before buying something that will be obsolete. Cheers, Ilonka.</p>

[sarah_fox]

<p>Those two items should do quite a lot! For an additional cost of AUS$0.00, your mom can also avail herself of a wonderful tutorial on small flash lighting here:</p>

<p><a href="http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html">http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html</a></p>

<p>This blog has a lot to teach even professionals. Prior to working through this tutorial, I had already developed many of the author's techniques, but I still learned quite a lot more. I don't completely agree with all of his approaches and methods, but that's the nature of any creative endeavor, isn't it?</p>

 

[Marcus Ian]

<p>Hopefully (despite our bickering ;-) ) we were able to help you weigh out your decision somewhat, I expect she'll enjoy the added capability those will bring to her kit - but as Sarah points out, the education is as important as the tools - and the 430 + 50/1.8 certainly gives her a much more powerful set of tools than the kit lens and popup flash!</p>

[model mayhem gallery]

<p>If you are going to get a prime for indoors events on a crop sensor camera I would get "as I did" the canon 28 1.8. This is a great compliment to the kit lens giving lighter weight and more speed for when her flash batteries dies or wants to do some low light video. Also, you need both zooms and primes. Zooms are more special situations but event or weddings need zooms.</p>

[jeff_sudduth]

<blockquote>

<p>You ask about the 17-40. I own this lens and like it very much, but I would tend to look to other recommendations for low-light event photography with a crop camera...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I agree. The 17-40mm L f/4 is not a fast lens. It is a nice walking around and landscape lens on a cropped sensor and a marvelous wide angle on a full frame but it is NOT a low light portrait lens. Even in decent lighting conditions you aren't going to get decent bokeh with that... compared to the $100 50mm 1.8. Frankly I would get both the 17-40mm L for walking around and the $100 50mm 1.8 as a portrait lens. You can shoot nice shots of couples with that.</p>

[Spearhead]

<blockquote>

<p>but it is NOT a low light portrait lens</p>

</blockquote>

<p> <br>

Low light <em>event</em> photography is almost always done with flash, assuming that the events are club, company, or political events. So far the OP has failed to state what type of events these are. I pointed out above that there is no way to really answer the question without some clarification. Given that the 17-40 is excellent for indoor events with flash, it's a reasonable answer. In fact, there was no mention by the OP of low life portrait photography.<br>

</p>

<blockquote>

<p>you aren't going to get decent bokeh with that</p>

</blockquote>

<p> <br>

Most reviews say the bokeh is excellent with the lens.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>compared to the $100 50mm 1.8</p>

</blockquote>

<p> <br>

Most reviews say the bokeh is terrible with the 50.</p>