I don't know what to buy!

So, I currently have a Canon 100D and the 'Nifty Fifty' 50mm 1.8 II. I've been looking around for a new lens but now i'm confused on what to do.

I've bumped into samples and reviews of the Canon 85mm 1.8. I love the quality i've seen, so i'm tempted to buy this.

I'm also tempted to buy the new Canon 24mm f2.8.

If I was to do this, I would need to sell my 50mm 1.8.

Is the 85mm too long for indoor portraits?

Is 85mm & 24mm a too large gap that will need filling with something else?

I will be using my set-up to shoot a friends wedding in August. Would 85mm and 24mm cover me? (Baring in mind my other half is shooting with me with a selection of other lenses).

Any help would be appreciated!

Heya,

This entirely depends on you.

50mm on APS-C is pretty long for indoors.
And 85mm on APS-C is really long indoors, unless you're talking the auditorium size room or a cathedral, etc.

24mm on APS-C is slightly wide, so good for groups and really close range stuff without becoming distorted.

But the way I see it, do you really want to be changing lenses?

If I were getting ready to shoot a wedding, I'd be worried about having two camera bodies, and two setups (one close to mid range; one telephoto). And if I were doing it on APS-C, I'd probably want a 17-50 F2.8 of some flavor, and an 85mm or 100mm prime (or a 70-200 zoom).

If you're a 2nd shooter, and you want to hang back and capture candid stuff, an 85mm on APS-C will let you do that nicely.

Two SL1's with a 24mm and 85mm prime would be decent.

Personally though, the F2.8 of the 24mm is too slow for my taste, I'd want a 30 F1.4 instead.

Very best,

MalVeauX wrote in post #17519344
Heya,

This entirely depends on you.

50mm on APS-C is pretty long for indoors.
And 85mm on APS-C is really long indoors, unless you're talking the auditorium size room or a cathedral, etc.

24mm on APS-C is slightly wide, so good for groups and really close range stuff without becoming distorted.

But the way I see it, do you really want to be changing lenses?

If I were getting ready to shoot a wedding, I'd be worried about having two camera bodies, and two setups (one close to mid range; one telephoto). And if I were doing it on APS-C, I'd probably want a 17-50 F2.8 of some flavor, and an 85mm or 100mm prime (or a 70-200 zoom).

If you're a 2nd shooter, and you want to hang back and capture candid stuff, an 85mm on APS-C will let you do that nicely.

Two SL1's with a 24mm and 85mm prime would be decent.

Personally though, the F2.8 of the 24mm is too slow for my taste, I'd want a 30 F1.4 instead.

Very best,

Thanks for the reply! Yeah this isn't a paid wedding shoot, and like I say it isn't just me shooting.

I do have a 18-55 STM IS lens aswell if that changes anything (i was tempted to sell).

I use to have a Sigma 30 1.4 which was excellent, and only cost around £160.

The 17-50 2.8 is that the Tamron? See that's similar price to what I can get the 85mm 1.8 for...tempting.

Is buying the 85mm abit pointless at the minute? I already have a 50mm 1.8 and a 18-55 STM, would i be better off leaving my portraits down to the nifty fifty and expanding my lens collection in a different direction?

I love the look of the 85mm...im trying to tempt myself out of it haha

Is the Tamron 90mm macro anygood foe portraits?

Please tell me you're not planning on shooting somebody's one and only wedding with a 100D and a nifty fifty.

bboysmax wrote in post #17520233
Is buying the 85mm abit pointless at the minute? I already have a 50mm 1.8 and a 18-55 STM, would i be better off leaving my portraits down to the nifty fifty and expanding my lens collection in a different direction?

I love the look of the 85mm...im trying to tempt myself out of it haha

Is the Tamron 90mm macro anygood foe portraits?

The 85 is a great portrait lens - for a full frame camera. As already mentioned, it is too long for most indoor portrait work on a crop.

You can calculate the distance you will be from the subject. The ratio of focal length to sensor size equals the ratio of shooting distance to subject size. The first ratio is 85/22 if the camera is held vertically. That evaluates to approx 4. For a fairly tight head-and-shoulder portrait, your imaginary frame at the subject, allowing a small amount of play room, might be 2.5 ft vertically. So the shooting distance is 2.5 x 4 = 10 ft.

If you do half length figures, the math is approx 4 ft x 4 = 16 ft.

Normally you would want to leave a fair bit of distance behind the subject too, the better to deal with shadows and blur out distractions.

Those are some rough shooting distances that you would have to deal with.

For a FF camera, that factor isn't 4 but 85/36, which is about 2.5. That gives much more convenient working distances.

svarley wrote in post #17520635
Please tell me you're not planning on shooting somebody's one and only wedding with a 100D and a nifty fifty.

That, would not be fair on both halves!

Nope, my other half has a 7D with a wide array of lenses, and she will be shooting the wedding with me.
I currently have the nifty fifty, 18-55 and will have maybe a 70-200 before the wedding.

So don't worry, I've done weddings several times, as my other halves 7D use to be mine

Archibald wrote in post #17520654
The 85 is a great portrait lens - for a full frame camera. As already mentioned, it is too long for most indoor portrait work on a crop.

You can calculate the distance you will be from the subject. The ratio of focal length to sensor size equals the ratio of shooting distance to subject size. The first ratio is 85/22 if the camera is held vertically. That evaluates to approx 4. For a fairly tight head-and-shoulder portrait, your imaginary frame at the subject, allowing a small amount of play room, might be 2.5 ft vertically. So the shooting distance is 2.5 x 4 = 10 ft.

If you do half length figures, the math is approx 4 ft x 4 = 16 ft.

Normally you would want to leave a fair bit of distance behind the subject too, the better to deal with shadows and blur out distractions.

Those are some rough shooting distances that you would have to deal with.

For a FF camera, that factor isn't 4 but 85/36, which is about 2.5. That gives much more convenient working distances.

I was thinking the 85mm would better suite a full frame camera, it's abit long on a crop.

I think i'd be beter just getting the 50mm 1.4 with the money, or a 30 1.4...

Do what I do.

Get the 24 STM -for general purpose focal length on crop & indoor lens
Wait for the new 50 f/1.8 STM lens -for portrait/bokeh shots

85 is very long on crop (equals 135 on FF)

bboysmax wrote in post #17520816
....
So don't worry, I've done weddings several times, as my other halves 7D use to be mine

...how many halves do you have?

I don't see the point of less than 50mm f2.8 primes...go for something fast if you're going for a prime, and if f2.8 is fast enough get a zoom...I'd look at the 35f2, or 30f1.4

Hermelin wrote in post #17520974
Do what I do.

Get the 24 STM -for general purpose focal length on crop & indoor lens
Wait for the new 50 f/1.8 STM lens -for portrait/bokeh shots

85 is very long on crop (equals 135 on FF)

And nobody uses 135mm on a FF? Id say it's one of the more commonly used focal lengths

Hermelin wrote in post #17520974
85 is very long on crop (equals 135 on FF)

What it does on the old 35mm format is not relevant!

Archibald wrote in post #17521191
What it does on the old 35mm format is not relevant!

Ofcourse it's relevant. That is how long the focal lenght is on non-crop sensor.

bboysmax wrote in post #17519342
So, I currently have a Canon 100D and the 'Nifty Fifty' 50mm 1.8 II. I've been looking around for a new lens but now i'm confused on what to do.

I've bumped into samples and reviews of the Canon 85mm 1.8. I love the quality i've seen, so i'm tempted to buy this.

I'm also tempted to buy the new Canon 24mm f2.8.

If I was to do this, I would need to sell my 50mm 1.8.

Is the 85mm too long for indoor portraits?

Is 85mm & 24mm a too large gap that will need filling with something else?

I will be using my set-up to shoot a friends wedding in August. Would 85mm and 24mm cover me? (Baring in mind my other half is shooting with me with a selection of other lenses).

Any help would be appreciated!

Sorry, but you don't have anywhere near the right setup for a wedding shoot!

For a lot of it I'd use my 24-70mm on one of my three cameras (two 7D and a 5DII), 70-200/2.8 on the other. Posed portraits I'd shoot with 20/2.8, 28/1.8, 50/1.4, 85/1.8 and 135/2. Some of the wider interiors and exteriors, and the reception I might shoot with 10-22mm or 12-24. I'd use my three 580EX II flashes, too. Except for the posed shots... those I'd do with my location lighting setup incl. 4 or 5 monolights, a couple stands, umbrellas and a light boom, set up with a flash meter. For backup I have thee more cameras (50Ds), several add'l lenses, three extra flashes, an extra monolight, several spare flash tubes for my monolights, and two extra flash meters.

Weddings are one of the most demanding types of photography. If you can't or choose not to get out of shooting it, the best thing you could do is rent a 24-70/2.8, if you can't afford to buy one. Good luck!

Hermelin wrote in post #17521478
Ofcourse it's relevant. That is how long the focal lenght is on non-crop sensor.

OP doesn't have one of those, so it is irrelevant.