Night Photography - question on wide angle lenses......

[Tired but willin]

Hi all,

I've been really getting into my night photography recently and using my Canon 17-85mm f4.0-5.6 IS USM zoom lens. Have recently read that the wide angle prime lens are the better option when taking pics at night so am possible looking to purchase something around the 28 mm mark - can anyone else who takes regular night shots add a little more information to this before i splash out....

As always any info will be greatly received....

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

28mm isn't all that wide when you adjust for the crop factor of your camera. If you can afford it, you might be better off going for Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 ( about $600 ) The only benefit a fast prime will have for you, is that you will be able to see a little better to manual focus or the camera may be able to AF better, assuming it can at all. "Night Photography" is a pretty general term though. Be more specific about the types of things you shoot at night.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

I don't know why anyone suggest a wide angle lens to be a better option for night shots? That all depends on what subjects you shoot and your eye for imagery. I regularly use a 100-400mm f/4 for night shots.

But the suggestion of a prime lens leads me to believe they were suggesting a fast lens, which again depends on your subject. That's needed if you want to stop action or take pics of people at night. But then if it's people a night, Use a flash.

As with any lens "need", I suggest using what you have and pay close attention to what you feel you are missing because of the lens you are using. A lens won't make better photos if your composition is lacking to begin with.

 

[Iris van Lens]

I agree, there isn't a magic focal-length for night (or day) photography. If it's actually dark, you'd be using a tripod so why the need for very fast optics? If you can't see so well then stop-down.
A 28mm is wide. The crop factor doesn't change the physical characteristic of the lens. It's still a 28mm optic. The camera industry have convinced people to think in this silly "35mm equivalent" way. Then they encourage the criticism that for example, an 18mm "suffers from barrel distortion". Of course it does - it's super-wide.

I don't know why anyone suggest a wide angle lens to be a better option for night shots? That all depends on what subjects you shoot and your eye for imagery. I regularly use a 100-400mm f/4 for night shots.

But the suggestion of a prime lens leads me to believe they were suggesting a fast lens, which again depends on your subject. That's needed if you want to stop action or take pics of people at night. But then if it's people a night, Use a flash.

As with any lens "need", I suggest using what you have and pay close attention to what you feel you are missing because of the lens you are using. A lens won't make better photos if your composition is lacking to begin with.

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

The crop factor doesn't change the physical characteristic of the lens. .

Spare me the rhetoric. Put a 28mm on a 5D and put one on a 7D and take me the same exact picture standing at the same exact spot of the same exact subject framed the same exact way. Call it whatever you want, but its not the same. To get the same field of view as a 35mm full frame sensor, you would need an 18mm lens on a crop factor ( roughly ). Yes, the lens itself, does not shapeshift into another lens when you put it on a crop sensor camera, but you are not utilizing the whole lens, so there for its so-called "physical characteristics" don't change, they are just not completely utilized. Next you are going to say "it doesn't matter what lens you buy, because its the photographer that makes the pictures, not the equipment" :gah:

 

[Tired but willin]

Thanks guys. The book im reading is by a guy called Lance Keimig and he's basically recommending that prime lenses are the best for taking night shots, with the 28mm being mentioned as very good. Recently i've been really enjoying being out, exploring and taking night shots, so was looking for anything that could improve them. Totally agree that composition is key, and even with the best lens' in the world if your composition is rubbish then so will be your picture! My 17-85mm f4.0-5.6 IS USM seems to be serving me well at the moment so i'm gonna stick with her and keep plugging away...

 

[Ron Evers]

Well OP, you got the 28mm covered with your 17-85. You may get better IQ with a prime but not likely noticeable shooting @ night.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Thanks guys. The book im reading is by a guy called Lance Keimig and he's basically recommending that prime lenses are the best for taking night shots, with the 28mm being mentioned as very good.

Does he explain why?
I find this claim interesting. It just doesn't make any sense.