Fast glass lust, please help!!

andy_fozzy

andy_fozzy

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Guys and gals, I really need your help here.

I've been in a few situations lately where I really need some fast lenses.
I have the 24-105mm F4 L IS USM, which I really love, very much.
It has almost everything, built like a rock, IS, sharp as HELL, but doesn't have the low light capabilities which I feel I can gain from if I had a F2.8 lens, if you know what I mean?
A few days ago for example, I was trying to shoot in the Blue Reef aquarium. Light was pants, I was on ISO1600, F4 and still getting low shutter seeds :bang:

I put my nifty on, set at 2.8 and saw a big difference.
But I don't want to get a 2.8 lens that is only sharp at F4-F5, it has to be sharp wide open!!

So am I asking too much :D

What should I do :shrug:
 
YOu could give me your 24-105 L and I will give you my 24-70 f2.8 Siggy, straight swap Mate :D
 
Most L prime lenses are fully useable wide open and get even better stoppeddown a touch but they are expensive. The 85 f1.8 and 50 f1.4 are good cheaper alternatives (especially the 85 f1.8)

Zoom wise you would be limited to either the EFs 17-55 IS or the 24-70L both useable wide open and the 70-200L f2.8 zooms either the IS or non-IS versions.

Cheapest option is probably the 85 f1.8.
 
EdBray said:
Most L prime lenses are fully useable wide open and get even better stoppeddown a touch but they are expensive. The 85 f1.8 and 50 f1.4 are good cheaper alternatives (especially the 85 f1.8)

Zoom wise you would be limited to either the EFs 17-55 IS or the 24-70L both useable wide open and the 70-200L f2.8 zooms either the IS or non-IS versions.

Cheapest option is probably the 85 f1.8.
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Cheers Ed.
I did have a think about the 85mm, but maybe a bit long for my needs on a cropped body.......
Still worth a think though.

Do you mean the 17-55 IS F2.8?
Also thought about that, but not sure of prices. (Camera Price Buster here I come :D )

Not going down the telephoto zoom road, just yet!!
Just a standard zoom for now, around the 17-50 or 24-70 mark.

Cheers.
 
andy_fozzy said:
Guys and gals, I really need your help here.
What should I do :shrug:
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Maybe you are asking too much of the 40D Andy, have you considered upgrading your body to a 5DII instead of glass? I have also seen that the 7D is good at ISO 6400 - see here AP Forums
 
Bawbee said:
Maybe you are asking too much of the 40D Andy, have you considered upgrading your body to a 5DII instead of glass? I have also seen that the 7D is good at ISO 6400 - see here AP Forums
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:eek:

Way out of my price league, sadly :'(

Unless I win the lottery, or sell some of my shots for mega bucks!
Neither very likely I think........
 
Andy

I know where you are comming from. I used a 24-105 last weekend at a christening, and found that shooting at F4 did not allow me to keep the shutter speed up, even at ISO 1600. I've got a 35mm lens which I should have taken, but though that the zoom lens would cover all my options. An F2.8 lens would have helped, but I would still have had the ISO around the 1000 mark, which is OK for small prints, but gets pretty grainy on a 40d when either blown up or cropped.

I think the rule of thumb is to always have a handy prime handy when you know the light conditions are not optimum.

Nick
 
This may be too short, and no zoom. but when I was looking for something similar I also looked at the Sigma 30mm 1.4. I've not purchased yet but left it between that and the Tamron 17-50 2.8 (non VC)
 
EdBray said:
Most L prime lenses are fully useable wide open and get even better stoppeddown a touch but they are expensive. The 85 f1.8 and 50 f1.4 are good cheaper alternatives (especially the 85 f1.8)

Zoom wise you would be limited to either the EFs 17-55 IS or the 24-70L both useable wide open and the 70-200L f2.8 zooms either the IS or non-IS versions.

Cheapest option is probably the 85 f1.8.
Click to expand...

Would have to agree with Ed....f2.8 is the minimum you would need, and a faster prime like the 135mm f2 or 85mm f1.8 or 100mm f2 would be a better options
 
Cheers guys.
An option is to get a decent medium zoom, like the Tammy 17-50 2.8 and a good prime.

I had a Sigma 30mm F1.4 when I had my Nikon, so that could well be a possibility.....

Thanks for the replies :thumbs:
 
Go for the 70-200 F2.8L IS Andy. Most of my gig shots are done with it. Welcome to have a go with mine. Or, a bit cheaper the non IS version. I dont think you're asking too much from the 40D at all.
 
If you want "fast" Andy, you really are going to have to consider primes. Honestly f/2.8 isn't that fast at all. I know they're not as versatile or as convenient, but in low light they really do have the edge.

cheers
 
This is an easy one.

It is a question of getting a decent Nikon body (FX) and glass. The 24-70 f2.8 as a standard lens is stunning. Longer go with the 70-200 f2.8. 20 f2, 35 f2 and an 85 1.4, 105 f2 are good primes to have in the bag.

Have no low light issues ever again.
 
I see you're selling the 24-105! I think you will regret it. I think you'll find the times you want to go lower than F4 a few and far between. If the light is that bad there's always falsh.
 
:agree: I was going to say use falsh as well, but instead I'll say use flash! :D

What about the 50mm 1.8 that you had Andy? There's always going to be situations where you need faster glass, but how often does that happen? For the vast majority of your shooting f/4 is fine is it not?

Personally I'd just pick up a cheap faster prime like the 50mm and use that in low light situations.
 
I thought the 24-105 was the driving force behind your change to Canon. I think this may be a regretable move selling it. F2.8 isn't going to make a huge difference. The 40D is more than capable of handling iso 1600 with a small bit of pp ocassionally.
 
davekiddle said:
:agree: I was going to say use falsh as well, but instead I'll say use flash! :D

What about the 50mm 1.8 that you had Andy? There's always going to be situations where you need faster glass, but how often does that happen? For the vast majority of your shooting f/4 is fine is it not?

Personally I'd just pick up a cheap faster prime like the 50mm and use that in low light situations.
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:lol::lol::lol::lol:

PMSL Dave!!!

I still have the 50mm 1.8 and it does the trick nicely actually.
You may have a point there mate.

Re-think time maybe :bonk:
 
Dave Stone said:
I see you're selling the 24-105! I think you will regret it. I think you'll find the times you want to go lower than F4 a few and far between. If the light is that bad there's always falsh.
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Dave Stone said:
I thought the 24-105 was the driving force behind your change to Canon. I think this may be a regretable move selling it. F2.8 isn't going to make a huge difference. The 40D is more than capable of handling iso 1600 with a small bit of pp ocassionally.
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You may be right actually Dave.

I shall have a better think.

Thanks mate. Point taken :)
 
Like others suggested, I'd save some money on this as the situations that really call for it, are kinda rare unless you specialise in something like non-flash Gig photography etc.

the nifty fifties are definitely good, also good and very affordable is the Tamron 17-50 2.8 that someone mentioned if you can live without the length...

What I'm saying is, if I had a 24-105L I wouldn't be looking to replace it. ;) Just fill the gaps with some affordable glass.
 
I put my nifty on, set at 2.8 and saw a big difference.
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sounds like gear lust to me. We all know that a teeny, single solitary more stop of light can seem like the world when we're talking ourselves into a new bit of kit. ;)
 
Let's put it all in context rather than tell someone they need to spend the best part of £3K!

Andy, go and look through everything you have shot in the last year and look at the apertures you are using. If they are all at f5.6-f11 then I'd say you probably don't really "need" to invest in £3K of kit. If you are shooting a lot at f4 and the ISO's are getting up a bit then that's when you know that you would benefit from increased performance.

How you get the extra performance would be the next consideration. Do you go for wide open primes or go for extra ISO in a new body? Well cost can be a major consideration which is why, this year I bought some primes. I had a nifty and I added a 24mm f2, 85mm f1.8 and I had a 100mm f2.8 macro.

That has done me nicely this year and there's only been a couple of times at a wedding where I thought I'd like a little extra in the ISO locker. Once I'm hitting ISO 1600 @f2 and only getting 1/60 then I know I'm really at the limits of what my kit will do. I can push to f1.8 and ISO 3200 and I'm all out of options.

The cost of getting a couple of extra primes has been under £500, the cost of a new body would be nearly £2K. That's quite some consideration. And the primes will still work when I do go for an upgrade to either the 5DII or even the 7D.

Having done it myself, I hope that's of use to you :)
 
Thanks all (especially AliB :clap: )

If I were to ever earn some money out of photography, then things would be very different!!

I've been in a few situations (remember I'm only a hobbyist togger at the mo) where I have been at F4, and ISO3200, still getting poor shutter speeds and lot's of noise obviously!

Here's an example:

4122830818_7c2628b38e_o.jpg

That's Ruby having fun on hols earlier in the year!!

That is shot @ F4.5, ISO3200, 1/20 (didn't have a nifty at the time mind).

Ok like I said, I'm a hobbyist, it's not as though I had money riding on this shot.
BUT, my pics are still important to me, and I am incredibly fussy!!!
I'm not complaining about the noise, just for the record!!
A few of the 'better' shots have been run through Noiseware and they are fine.

So like AliB said, I feel as though I'm at the limit now of what the 24-105 can do.
 
16 - 35 at 2.8 is a crazy type of sharp even when I think i've messed the focus up they're still sharp
 
Well I've now officially decided to keep her. (Thanks to Dave, Alby et all!!)
She's just too damn nice to part with.

:love:

Thanks for all your advice.

Time to start saving for a 5D or faster glass methinks :woot:
 
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