Which zoom lens for candid portraits?

[coccinellesetpapillons]

Hi,

I have just acquired a EOS 350D and need some help in choosing a zoom lens for candid portraits. I have a baby and would like to take candid portraits of her mainly indoors. I am going to a wedding and would like to take candid portraits, indoors and outdoors. Which zoom lens do you suggest I buy? what do I need to take into account?

Many thanks for your help.

[Pekka]

Much depends on your budget. My favourite zoom is 70-200/2.8L (expensive) but that might not be balanced well with 350D weight. One option is 135/2L (also expensive). Then there is 100/2 or 100/2.8 macro (about same price but macro is more versatile) and 200/2.8. 70-200/4L is a very good and light lens, but it may not be fast enough for indoors (depends lot on how your typical indoors is lit and if you are happy to use ISO 1600), if you can use flash then go for that (and e.g. 420EX flash).

[Pelao]

My 70-200 F4/L is fine indoors for me - I have lots of natural light. However, my favourite for this stuff is the Tamron 28-75/2.8. It's small, light and fast. I have a lot of fun using this lens to grab kid shots.

[coccinellesetpapillons]

Hi,

I have just acquired a EOS 350D and need some help in choosing a zoom lens for candid portraits. I have a baby and would like to take candid portraits of her mainly indoors. I am going to a wedding and would like to take candid portraits, indoors and outdoors. Which zoom lens do you suggest I buy? what do I need to take into account?

Many thanks for your help.
thanks a lot for the tips:-)

[coccinellesetpapillons]

Do you need a tripod with the 70-200/2.8L IS?

[SkipD]

Do you need a tripod with the 70-200/2.8L IS?The decision as to whether or not you need a tripod really depends on how much light you have to work with. More light translates to being able to use faster shutter speeds, and thus less need for a solid platform for the camera.

In my opinion, if you can afford only one big fat (fast) lens, you would be much better off with the 24-70mm f2.8 lens for your stated purpose. The 70-200 is a bit long for a lot of the work you describe. However, if you can afford both, you wouldn't be sorry.

If you have experience with 35mm cameras, the 24-70MM is equivalent to 38mm to 112mm - a VERY useful range for people pictures.

[coccinellesetpapillons]

Thanks, it's very helpful! How is it that this lense 24-70MM can be equivalent to the 38mm to 112mm?

[Gerdav43]

Ahhhh!! one of the greatest questions of all time. Numerous threads on crop factor if you do a search. But the short scientific answer is (since you have the 350D), multiply the specs of the lens, (ie. 24-70mm) by 1.6. This will provide your actual zoom range. It has to do with the sensor in the camera.

[SkipD]

Your camera has a sensor that is smaller than a 35mm film frame. The image that is captured is like cropping a full-sized 35mm image. Thus, in terms of what a particular lens does on 35mm cameras, lenses have "effectively" a 1.6 multiplier to their focal length when used with your 350D.

For those using a 35mm camera (or digital cameras with a 24x36mm sensor), a "normal" lens is 50mm. For those of us with the smaller sensor like your camera, a "normal" lens would be in the range of 31mm. Judging other lenses for wide angle or telephoto effect should consider these numbers as the base. Anything shorter than 31mm would be considered wide angle, and anything longer would be telephoto. A 200mm lens, for example would be about like a 6.5X telescope.

[robertwgross]

Do you need a tripod with the 70-200/2.8L IS?

Most of the whole point of Image Stabilization is so that you can shoot it handheld without a tripod and still get good results. And then, the lens has a switch so you can shut it off when it is on a tripod.

---Bob Gross---