Lens Help

Morgan45

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Hello! I am new here and I am itching to purchase a new lens. Just a little background about me: I am an amateur/hobbyist photographer. I just love being behind the camera but I am certainly not a professional. I have a Canon 70D DSLR.

I am looking for a new lens that is better in low light situations AND could be an everyday/walking around lens. Right now, I either stick 18-55mm on my camera because it can zoom and it is easier for others to use if they take a picture but the quality isn't great OR I stick my 50mm on it which I love but I have issues if I am in a tight space since the frame is so small and I still don't feel like it is the best in low light. (Although it has definitely made me a better photographer, if I want to go on a trip, I don't always want to be "limited" to my 50mm.)

Right now, I am looking at two lenses:
1. Cannon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM L Series Lens: My uncle has this and says it is great in low light but I have read otherwise (as far as moving subjects are concerned.)
2. Canon 35mm f/1.4: I have been itching to work with a 35mm and I heard it is good in low light but I wonder how limiting it is.
They are both at the same price point so I don't have to worry about that. This will be the most expensive lens I have bought so I want to make sure I get it right.

Just a list of what lenses I have right now:
Canon 50mm f/1.8(?)
Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
Tokina 12-24mm wide angle
Canon 55-250mm zoom

Oh and right now, I mostly take pictures of my toddler and food. You can take a look at my instagram to see what I mean: @everythinlist

Any help you could give me would be much appreciated!
 
If you are considering the 24-105 then you should have a look at Canon's 17-55 2.8 IS, its a really good general purpose walk around lens for Canon crop bodies.
 
If you are considering the 24-105 then you should have a look at Canon's 17-55 2.8 IS, its a really good general purpose walk around lens for Canon crop bodies.
Thanks! I will check that out. Do you know how it performs in low light?
 
If you are considering the 24-105 then you should have a look at Canon's 17-55 2.8 IS, its a really good general purpose walk around lens for Canon crop bodies.
Thanks! I will check that out. Do you know how it performs in low light?

Should be decent, it's a constant f/2.8 and has IS.

It's not faster than prime lens, but it will be a HUGE upgrade over your 18-55 kit lens. Instead of shooting f/5.6 @ 55mm, you'll be shooting f/2.8 which I think is 2 stops brighter which is pretty good, with IS, you probably can get an additional 2 stops of light and still get sharp image if the subject is fixed and not moving.
 
You may want to post some photo examples here.
We tend not to look at Instagram.
 
Sorry for coming in so late. Hopefully it's still relevant, or at least helpful to anyone who stumbles upon this thread in a search.

When shopping for a lens, I think there's a pretty well defined path/process to go in.

The first thing to decide, before you even find what lenses fit your camera, is the focal length or range of focal lengths you want the lens to cover. This is what gives a certain field of view, and it's the property of lenses that has the most influence on your photography.

Since you already have a camera and lenses covering a wide variety of focal lengths, it's really easy to find what focal length(s) you want. Simply use what you have, and learn about your habits and preferences. You say you basically want a lens to fit the role currently occupied by your 18-55mm—i.e. the lens you have on most of the time—but one that gives you better flexibility / capabilities in low light.

Once you know what sort of focal length(s) you want in the new lens, it's time to think about what you really need out of this lens, or what's not working well for you in what you have. Most of the time, as in this case, it's related to the maximum aperture.

You're looking for better low light capabilities. This has everything to do with the aperture you use. As you probably have learned already, opening the aperture up from f/4 to f/2.8 doubles the amount of light that's let in through the lens and onto the sensor. This is why you love that 50mm f/1.8 so much for low light; if you use the 18-55mm lens at roughly the 50mm mark, and use it wide open (i.e. the widest aperture possible), you let in up to ~8Ă— less light! That's the difference between using ISO 400 and ISO 3200, or a shutter speed of 1/250 s. (freezing motion of a walking person) and 1/30 s. (even a person standing still could be slightly blurred).

Based on this, no, buying a 24-105mm f/4 won't help you with low light shots at all. You're limited to a maximum aperture of f/4, which is very close to what you already have at that range. Besides, do you really want the 24-105mm range? If you're looking for a replacement to the 18-55mm, I would think something in that range is what you'd be looking at.

After you've established those two things, feel free to look at what's available and compare the lenses based on other traits: weight, optical quality, autofocus speed, image stabilization, etc. I strongly advise against reading/watching lens reviews to learn about optical quality; view full-resolution sample images instead.

Image stabilization can help with low light shots, as it lets you use slower shutter speeds than you otherwise could without blur from camera shake (when you shoot handheld). But if there are any movements of subjects or other elements in the frame, they will be blurred due to the slower shutter speed even with image stabilization.

Some options you can consider for lenses in the 18-55mm range but with a wider aperture are the Canon 17-55mm f/2.8, Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 and Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8.
 
Hello! I am new here and I am itching to purchase a new lens. Just a little background about me: I am an amateur/hobbyist photographer. I just love being behind the camera but I am certainly not a professional. I have a Canon 70D DSLR.

I am looking for a new lens that is better in low light situations AND could be an everyday/walking around lens. Right now, I either stick 18-55mm on my camera because it can zoom and it is easier for others to use if they take a picture but the quality isn't great OR I stick my 50mm on it which I love but I have issues if I am in a tight space since the frame is so small and I still don't feel like it is the best in low light. (Although it has definitely made me a better photographer, if I want to go on a trip, I don't always want to be "limited" to my 50mm.)

Right now, I am looking at two lenses:
1. Cannon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM L Series Lens: My uncle has this and says it is great in low light but I have read otherwise (as far as moving subjects are concerned.)
2. Canon 35mm f/1.4: I have been itching to work with a 35mm and I heard it is good in low light but I wonder how limiting it is.
They are both at the same price point so I don't have to worry about that. This will be the most expensive lens I have bought so I want to make sure I get it right.

Just a list of what lenses I have right now:
Canon 50mm f/1.8(?)
Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
Tokina 12-24mm wide angle
Canon 55-250mm zoom

Oh and right now, I mostly take pictures of my toddler and food. You can take a look at my instagram to see what I mean: @everythinlist

Any help you could give me would be much appreciated!

for a "walk around" look at the Canon 15-85 IS or Canon 18-135 STM, Sigma 17-50 2.8 OS HSM
For food it depends how far you are from the food and the available light

Canon 35 1.4, 28mm 1.8, or Sigma 30 1.4 would work
or even the cheap 50mm 1.8 STM

Untitled by c w, on Flickr
 
18-135 is a good walk around but you OP mentioned low light. Not so good.

Get a flash!

50mm upgrade to 1.2. Is where Id spend my money. We have similar kits, and its probably what I'll put on for real low light. I like 50mm. Havent tried a 1.2 just thinking iut loud here.
 
When you start talking "low light" you start talking expensive, and large. You may want to direct your attention to Canons EF 24-70mm f2.8L USM, or the second version of the same lens. All the others are f4 or f3.5. Depending on what, and where you will be shooting, a change in the ISO may make the f2.8 not that necessary. Also, keep in mind your camera crop factor. Primes are not out of the question either. A EF-S 24mm f2.8 pancake lens can be had for much less than a f2.8 zoom. Canon also makes a EF 24mm f1.4L USM, but the cost of this lens is really over the hill for a amateur.
 

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