Which prime for cruise to pair with a zoom?

So after much internal debate, I think I've settled on taking a 70D, 18-135 STM, and a single prime in a 4 million dollar home for a cruise to the Caribbean. I'm trying to figure out what I want the prime to be. Now I've chosen the bag as it's on the upper limit of what I want to carry. I chose the 18-135 for the wide focal length, STM motor for video, and I already own it.

The real lacking part of the kit is it's obviously quite slow. So I'd like to pair a reasonably sized prime with it for low light situations. I own the 40mm pancake and the canon 50 f/1.4, however I'm thinking the 50 would be too long for most things indoors on the cruise ship, and I'd like something faster than the 40. I keep thinking about the 35 f/2 IS. It is 3 stops faster in IS situations and only 1 stop slower than all the 1.4 options. I could really see this being useful for taking night shots of ports and such given I won't be taking a tripod.

The 35 f/2 IS is a 67mm filter which would let me share a CPL with the 18-135. I don't plan on taking my ND filers (though I love them), without the tripod, I don't think it makes much sense to take them.

One of the other obvious lenses would be the S 18-35 f/1.8, however it doesn't share a filter with the 18-135, it's twice as heavy, twice as big, and doesn't have IS for night time hand held shots.

Are there any other options I'm not considering or things I'm putting too high a priority on?

If 35mm is not wide enough, if you want to stay Canon, you could look at the 28mm f/1.8.

Heya,

The 40 F2.8 is fine, if you have it. Don't worry about the speed of aperture here. You're on a cruise. Enjoy the cruise. You can make up for the light gathering via ISO. That 70D can take photos at ISO 1600 just fine and they are clean enough, and even cleaner after some processing, if you're shooting RAW. F2.8 and ISO 1600 is fast enough for a dark room to take a sharp photo. So dining halls in a cruise should be no problem.

Personally I prefer my 35 F2 IS to my 40 F2.8 in every way. But on a cruise? I'd probably want something small and light. I'd probably just take the EOS-M with 22 F2 on a cruise for on the boat. I'd take my dSLR off the boat.

If price is not a big deal, the 35 F2 IS is an amazing lens for any kit. You can take a photo of someone across the table just fine, it's wide enough, yet long enough, so to speak, for everything. Very sharp wide open. Handles low light like a dream. 4 stop IS is very useful in low light for static images like portraits. But if price is a concern, take a 40 F2.8. And use ISO! ISO is your friend.

Very best,

Just came off a Mediterranean cruise 3 days ago.

Brought my 70d, 15-85, 55-250, sigma 30 and canon 40 pancake.
I used the 55-250 from the boat several times but never carried onshore.

For excursions I always brought the 15-85 and pancake. Perfect combo and light...
Indoors on the ship the 15-85 did ok and when I needed better the 30 was good.

At dinner and at night I carried my smartphone to take pictures, wanted to have fun and not carry a dslr.

Enjoy the cruise and activities!

vengence wrote in post #16928890
So after much internal debate, I think I've settled on taking a 70D, 18-135 STM, and a single prime in a 4 million dollar home for a cruise to the Caribbean. I'm trying to figure out what I want the prime to be. Now I've chosen the bag as it's on the upper limit of what I want to carry. I chose the 18-135 for the wide focal length, STM motor for video, and I already own it.

The real lacking part of the kit is it's obviously quite slow. So I'd like to pair a reasonably sized prime with it for low light situations. I own the 40mm pancake and the canon 50 f/1.4, however I'm thinking the 50 would be too long for most things indoors on the cruise ship, and I'd like something faster than the 40. I keep thinking about the 35 f/2 IS. It is 3 stops faster in IS situations and only 1 stop slower than all the 1.4 options. I could really see this being useful for taking night shots of ports and such given I won't be taking a tripod.

The 35 f/2 IS is a 67mm filter which would let me share a CPL with the 18-135. I don't plan on taking my ND filers (though I love them), without the tripod, I don't think it makes much sense to take them.

One of the other obvious lenses would be the S 18?

Take the Sigma 30mm f/1.4. Got it myself and it is always on my SL-1.
It is like having a real camera with you. Canon 28 f/1.8 you will not be happy with the crispness. The 20mm Canon f/2.8 is ok. But the Sigma you will really like. It is not "an amazing lense you will love" but you will be taking some seriously good ambient light shots with it. The 40mm pancake is too long for all around use. Wish Canon would make an ef-s 20mm f/2. That would give the mirrorless people something to worry about...SL-1 with an useful pancake lense! Pocket size dslr.

I don't think I have ever saw 50mm and long mentioned together.

This August we will be on our eighth cruise.
I use the 50 1.4 everywhere on board ship. I'm shooting FF but crop wouldn't bother me.

The 50 1.4 takes a 58mm filter but around ship you won't need a CPL.

Your 18-135 will be more than enough off ship in ports of call and excursions.

Take rain gear for your camera. It does rain in the islands.

Have fun.

Denny G wrote in post #16931075
I don't think I have ever saw 50mm and long mentioned together.

This August we will be on our eighth cruise.
I use the 50 1.4 everywhere on board ship. I'm shooting FF but crop wouldn't bother me.

The 50 1.4 takes a 58mm filter but around ship you won't need a CPL.

Your 18-135 will be more than enough off ship in ports of call and excursions.

Take rain gear for your camera. It does rain in the islands.

Have fun.

Your saying 50 on FF is perfect for around the ship makes me think a 35 on my crop would be perfect.

35 or 28 will accompany a crop body nicely. It really depends on personal preference.

vengence wrote in post #16931219
Your saying 50 on FF is perfect for around the ship makes me think a 35 on my crop would be perfect.

No no no. I'm not saying anything is perfect.

First, I would not assign a high priority to lens speed. Your 70D is quite usable up to ISO 12800, given serious noise-reduction software. Your 18-135 should be fast enough, even at the long end. On a recent cruise onboard a ship with an ice skating rink, I got some good shots with my 60D and 15-85 at 85mm and f/5.6, using ISO 12800. My noise reduction software is DXO v9, with its "Prime" noise reduction option.

I suggest something ultra-wide for ship interiors, such as 14mm/2.8. The Canon L lens is quite expensive; the Rokinon manual focus lens is much cheaper, and by all accounts, quite good. If you are willing to consider a zoom, Canon's 10-22 (or Sigma, etc.) or new 10-18STM-IS might be the thing.

These two sample images, taken at that ice show on Mariner of the Seas in 2012, show what can be done with high ISO and noise reduction. The first is the full image resized to fit to fit the size limits of this forum. The second is a 100% crop to show detail. In it you can see some evidence of ISO noise and noise-reduction effects, especially in the skin tones. But I don't notice these effects even when I view the entire image in full-screen mode.

I think 50 on a crop is a bit tight indoors (and I am assuming cruise ships will be tight quarters, esp low light i.e. indoors pics). 35 (effectively 56mm in crop) is about as long as I'd go if it was my one and only low light prime lens going. Take the 35mm.