New lens suggestion! Help!

Hi Everyone,

I have a Rebel T1i, kit lens (18-55), and 50mm 1.4. I have been loving my 50mm 1.4 lens for taking portraits of my 1 year old daughter and friends' newborns for its sharpness. However, I am noticing that for indoor pictures, I can never seem to have enough space to get everything in the picture! I know that is a con of a crop frame camera however I am not ready to upgrade the whole body yet.

I really want a nice versatile lens that will give me a wider view indoors and when it gets nice out will allow me to take some great outdoor shots and have been looking at the 24-70L 2.8. I read great things about it but know it is heavier and expensive. Is this a ridiculous idea for a crop frame camera like my T1i? Does anyone have any better suggestions of a nice lens that will give me a good range?

I'm pretty new to all of this and am loving every minute of this new hobby so any help/advice/suggestion​s would be great!
Thanks!!

I'd get something prime in the 28-35mm range myself. I love my Sigma 30mm 1.4 for indoors. Or possibly a Tamron 17-50 2.8 if you really need the zoom and sell your kit lens.

For indoor ambient light shots I would recommend the Sigma 30 1.4. I personally don't own one, but a good friend of mine who is starting in photography has one and is very pleased with it. I got to play around with his T2i and Sigma 30, and for the price I was pretty impressed. It's definitely not as good as a 5Dii with 50L, but for the price range I'd be more the willing to recommend it.

The 24-70L you are looking at is a great lens, but I don't know if 2.8 will be fast enough indoors. Maybe invest in an external speedlite and use your 18-55?

-tyler

for prime lens, i would say canon ef 28mm f1.8 and for zoom i would prefer efs 17-55mm f2.8 IS on your T1i.

sigma 30 1.4 all the way

keep your sigma 50 1.4 and buy a 5D Classic? I have that set up and I absolutely love it for indoor portraits. but yeah, the 24-70 would be amazing too. I just always thought my 24 was too tight for landscape/city when I had a crop body.

Before you buy a wider lens so you can work close you need to make sure you understand the implications of doing so. If you work closer, with a wider lens you run a higher risk of perspective distortion.

Thank you for your input everyone! I wavered between a bunch of different lenses and talked with a few friends as well and decided on the 17-55 2.8! Since I have the crop body, it gives me that 24-70 range that I was looking for. I definitely won't be using it wide for anything close-up, but the 50mm length of it still gives me a great crisp portrait shot. And the wider end will be great for interiors and outdoors once I want to catch some scenery. It definitely is super sharp and crisp and it worked really well for a 3 month old I took pictures of over the weekend. So far, I am pretty happy!

I was in the exact same boat as you. I got the 17-55IS and it is a HUGE improvement over the kit lens. You will not believe the quality improvement. Plus, with f/2.8 you will get may more shots without resorting to flash. Enjoy!

alfman wrote in post #12259316
I was in the exact same boat as you. I got the 17-55IS and it is a HUGE improvement over the kit lens. You will not believe the quality improvement. Plus, with f/2.8 you will get may more shots without resorting to flash. Enjoy!

It is such an improvement from the kit lens!! I am really enjoying it so far...aside from the difference in weight from the 50 that I was used to! My neck was definitely feeling it after the shoot I did on Saturday But loving the quality so far.

becky330 wrote in post #12259378
It is such an improvement from the kit lens!! I am really enjoying it so far...aside from the difference in weight from the 50 that I was used to! My neck was definitely feeling it after the shoot I did on Saturday But loving the quality so far.

Pick up one of the neoprene straps like the OPtech or tamarac, lots of different brands available. They have the benefit of cushioning and flex so that there is a lot less strain on the neck.