Quick advice please

P

photopaul

Suspended / Banned
Messages
135
Name
Paul
Edit My Images
No
Hi, I am new to the forum and need a bit of advice regarding lens selection.

My friends have a christening this coming weekend and although i'm not expected to take any snaps of the day, i feel I should take the camera and would like to take some no pressure shots of the day.

The problem is that I only bought my camera a few months ago and I don't think I have a lens that is suitable for non-flash indoor work? I currently own a 17-85 EF-S F/3.5-56mm & a EF 17-40mm F/4 L. I have been debating getting a 'Nifty Fifty' before the weekend, maybe a EF 1.8 50mm.

If someone could advise, it would be appreciated. I have a Canon 40D btw.

Thanks, and a great site!
 
Hi Paul and welcome to TP.

I always thing the best lens for this sort of job is the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS. It's got a useful focal length range for portraits and small groups, and the combination of wide angle, fast aperture and IS means that you can virtually take pictures handheld in the dark.

But it is expensive.

A nifty fifty wouldn't be bad, but 50mm is almost certainly too long; you'd probably need to stand further away than the space would permit. Something like a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 might be a better budget option.
 
Stewart, thanks for the quick response.

So it looks like the 17-40 F/4 is a bit slow for the indoor then yes?
 
photopaul said:
So it looks like the 17-40 F/4 is a bit slow for the indoor then yes?
Click to expand...
Probably. But it has two big advantages: it's the right foal length, and you already own it.

If you can visit the venue in advance of the christening, you could try it out - see what shutter speed you get at f/4 with the ISO as high as you feel comfortable with. That will give you your answer.
 
Thanks for the advice.

Oh, and I fancy hiring a lens from you in a few weeks to see if I want one. A 70-200mm F/2.8 IS.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top