I'm back; and with more questions

Schein · Dec 9, 2004

Hey all, I was doing daily posts about a mothi ago when i joined, since then i have became busy and unable to do as much postiing veiwing as i'd like
howerever
I have now invested in a canon rebel t2 to further my interest in photography, at the moment i have a 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, i've been having a great time learning on it.

I now have some money and i want to invest in something else
i am torn between another lens which would be the canon fixed lens at 50mm f/1.8
Or
an external flash which would be a Sigma EF-500 DG ST E-TTL Shoe Mount Flash (Guide No. 165'/50 m at 105mm)

and i can't decide what would work better for me at the moment
I am looking forward to any suggestions you guy's might have
Thanke

motcon · Dec 9, 2004

it all comes down to the subject matter that you like to shoot the most. enlighten us.

Schein · Dec 9, 2004

well one thing that really will come to precedence is what i will need most for weddings and receptions, i have an adult friend from my church that has done weddings for many many years, i htink he said he's accumilated over 500 weddings, anywho, i want what i'd need for that, and i know that the fast lens would work well for low lighting but a flash would work well for good photo's in it too
i will also be minoring in photography in college

hopefully this will help a bit , thanks again

Big Mike · Dec 10, 2004

I think the lens will be more versatile, it will allow you to shoot in lower light situations but probably not something as dark as a wedding reception. The wider aperture is also good for portraits because you can throw the background out of focus to emphasize the subject.

For shooting weddings, you might need a lot more than just the lens or a flash but take your time and acquire equipment when you can.

A flash is almost a must when taking shots in a dark reception hall. With your 28-80 it will be fairly dark when looking though the viewfinder. This will make both automatic & manual focusing hard. The 50 F1.8 will let in much more light so you can see better when focusing...but you may still need the flash to expose the shot.

It's great that you have someone to learn from. Maybe you can become an apprentice for him. That's probably the best way to learn. Good Luck & have fun.

motcon · Dec 10, 2004

well, what you see through the viewfinder in terms of ambient light will always be the same regardless of the lens/aperture opening/shutter speed, unless you have your dof preview button taped down.

i don't know what brand 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 lens you have, so my decision would really depend on that. further, i'd like to know which 50 you are planning to get. my reasoning? despite the fact that folks say, 'a fixed lens is always better than a zoom', it's just not true. have a look:

http://www.photodo.com/nav/prodindex.html

so, that said; if your zoom lens is of good quality, i wouldn't even worry about the fixed focal at this point. i'd be thinking flash OR a higher range zoom (the canon 70-200 is an excellent lens). with weddings, don't count on being able to get close enough to use a fixed 50, let alone the outer end of your zoom at 80.

ksmattfish · Dec 10, 2004

I'd go for the flash, and get a fast 50mm or other lens as soon as you can. With a decent flash you shouldn't need to worry about the extra lens speed just yet.

I would agree with Motcon, and say that a prime isn't better than a zoom (although I do believe that the way most beginners use zoom lenses keeps them from really learning about focal length), but in a low light situation it's very handy to have access to an f/1.8 lens over the f/3.5 to 5.6 lens. It's one or two extra stops, and that's the difference between hand holding at 1/30th and hand holding at 1/15th or 1/8th. The reason I would recommend primes is that they are about 1/10th the cost of a fast zoom lens. If you can afford an f/2 zoom, go for it.

motcon · Dec 10, 2004

as per usual; Matt adds valid, expanded points. a fast, clean (quality) lens would do wonders; especially a zoom in a wedding scenario.

fast lens (fixed or zoom) or flash? either way, you'll defeat the 'low light' situation (not equally, but close).

**edit - if it were me, i would not get a fixed 50 prime. a 105 or so?; yes. 50? no.

Schein · Dec 11, 2004

thank you guy's very much
I think i will get the flash first, then once i get a chance get a faster lens then what i have

Oh btw , i am more or less going ot have an apprintiship under him while he does his weddings so i'm really looking forward to taht