Another Delighted New Owner . . . with a Lens Question

Thanks to all of you, I am happily snapping away in the San Francisco-Bay Area with a D-30. This is very exciting! Thank you all for your advice and counsel. (Anyone else around these parts?)

Quick question -- my first lens is the CANON 28-135 IS USM 3.5-5.6. Its fine, but I see some limitations with it for indoor photography. Pekka recommends a prime lens, 50 mm 1.4, in his gear list. Any other recommendations along these lines? Any with a bit of zoom range for indoor action shots, but still a bit affordable?

I'm sure there are plenty of D30 owners in the SF bay area. I'm in the east bay- here are some photos I took last week at a park in Fremont: http://www.bealecorner​.net/D30/120801/LakeE.​html

I used the D30, a tripod and the Canon 100mm f/2 lens, apparently an odd length, since I've yet to hear of anyone else using it! I got it for dance concerts with a 35mm Elan II body, for which it works well. On the D30 it's really too short for wildlife and too long for portraits, but if you look for shots, you can find them (--true with any lens, I think).

I have the Canon 50mm/1.8 and 50mm/1.4. Both are nice portrait lenses, and the f/1.4 focuses very quickly, while the F/1.8 hunts around. I have the older model Tamron 28-200 f/3.8-5.6 (as I recall) and the D30 really showed me how junky this lens is, especially at the long end. Yuck.

Just a few days ago I got the Canon 17-35/2.8L and it's very nice, great autofocus speed, but it is a real pro lens, it is large/heavy for casual use. I hear the equivalent Sigma model is a better value, and even that it is sharper except for the very center. I bought the Canon due to its fast autofocus.

The 50mm 1.4 is a little narrow indoors but is perfect if you have the room to back up. The 28-135 IS has done great with the 420EX and so far the normal room lighting has not hampered the focus ability at all. Once or twice I had to manual focus but it is great practice, anyway. Good luck!

Chris

Ive used my 28-135 inside with room lighting and it focuses well and takes a good shot. Ive used the f1.4 with the light of a candle and got a good shot. Flash on both of course but just the built in one in the camera

A prime that would literally expand your world is the Canon 20 2.8

It is sharper, has better contrast, less distortion, and less chromatic aberation than any other Eos mount lens in its focal lenght or wider (Sigma 20 1.8 and "L" zooms included).

I'd add a 50 1.4 eventually, but for now, this lens will mean more to you.

All the best...