Canon 28mm 1.8, Sigma 30mm 1.4, or Samyang 35mm 1.4

twoshadows wrote in post #12775720
For me it's because of shooting candids and how quickly the moment passes. The last thing i want to worry about is if my AF will be quick enough and accurate enough for the task when trying to compose on fly is already tough enough.

If I do candids, I'll prefocus at something nearby and stop it down to f5.6 or smaller - all will be in focus without pressing focus button.

kf095 wrote in post #12775814
If I do candids, I'll prefocus at something nearby and stop it down to f5.6 or smaller - all will be in focus without pressing focus button.

Sounds like a good technique for when there's a little bit of time. Also good for when I'm trying to include the bg. But if I'm trying to isolate the subject more with an aperture of f/2 or wider, I rely on AF. (I'm an old fart with suspect eyes, so AF is my compensator )

kf095, that sure doesn't sound like candid to me. There is no way that I would have time to prefocus on something nearby and then stop down... The person would be long gone by then. Not to mention that candid people move so prefocusing doesn't actually work.

As for stopping down to f5.6... You contradict yourself because if you will be shooting at 5.6, I assume you are outside during the day because any time of indoor shooting or low light shooting would need to be shot using f 2.2 or faster... So... if you are outside there would be no reason to focus using f1.8 to then stop it down because there would already be enough light if you are using f5.6 in the first place.

Not sure if you read the thread about candids at this forum. It was in winter.
Good read to learn about candids. So, it is not my technique.

Also seconds for selecting of AF on shallow aperture will kill the moment more likely, compare to AF on wide lens without USM.
If I want candids with big aperture, I'll use camera with big VF and AF switch turned to off and I'm not the young one as well.

Candids are candids at day or night. I'm not into late night shooting. But with cameras I have ISO1600 or higher works well for 5.6 in low light.

This guy was running way ahead of me. I prefocused at 28mm and f5.6 at something near by me and once he was at the distance I want him to be I pressed shutter release to get another one on the board as well.

I guess where our differences lie is in the definition of candid, lol. Doesn't the technique
of prefocusing contradict the definition of candid?

And, I guess my point I was trying to convey earlier was that when at f5.6, you can't
shoot nighttime photography of any kind.


But, this thread has been thoroughly hijacked, so back to the OP's topic!
I just bought a canon 28 1.8 (about 15 minutes ago, lol), so hopefully i'll be happy
with it because I too was thinking of buying the sigma 30 f1.4 instead.

Here's the link to the Street Photography thread last January:

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=959710

I just reread the whole thing - there's some pretty inspiring stuff in there!

@ewheeler20 - here's a wide open shot from my 28mm f/1.8 on my 7d that I took earlier today:

I really like my 28/1.8. I got my 85 to shoot HS and youth basketball, then my 28 to shoot buildings and groups of people. I usually trade my 85 to my 28 toward the end of a game to be ready to shoot the awards and parent groups, so I've even shot some late action with my 28 at the end of a game - it works good... just have to crop to blow-up the action.

Oh yeah, it crops nicely too.

I got the sigma. I struggled with focus in low light shooting (nightclub), but that was probably user error because it was really my first time out with it. Plus shooting wide open at 1.4 doesn't give much room for error. F1.8 to 2 is probably more forgiving.

Besides that, IQ was great!

IQ is great! AF in low-light might get a little tricky though...

Im really up in the air in regards to which lens I would want to add, and after using the cheapo 50 for over a year, I feel like I wanna splurge and reward myself (and sensor) with a nice L prime (24 or 35).