70-200 2.8IS or 135 2.0

Thank you, and the sig. has been changed now, next time i will be sure to write the correct statement, and you are sure helpful people.

amarasme wrote in post #2152830
I would say the primes will perform slightly better (although probably negligible unless you pixel peep) at common f-stops. But you will loose the versatility of the zoom.

From the OP messages I think he does not like the idea of getting rid of the zoom, hence our suggestion of keeping the zoom and adding a relatively inexpensive 85 f1.8 (135mm on his 30D) for such situations.

By the way, for the OP, those lighting conditions seem pretty bad. Are you using evaluative metering or spot metering to measure available light?

im not sure which metering this is...but its the one with the dark circle with two semi circle lines on the top and bottom...what difference would it make?

flipm3 wrote in post #2153293
im not sure which metering this is...but its the one with the dark circle with two semi circle lines on the top and bottom...what difference would it make?

Well, it can make a big difference. If you use evaluative metering (as I thought you might have been doing) then your metering system will try to give you an AVERAGE reading for all the frame.

I do not know about your case, but in many performances subjects are reasonably well lit, while the backgrounds are not, so you could get a higher shutter speed if your metering system concentrates on the subjects.

You need to set up your camera for spot metering with that purpose in mind. (Only one spot, without the two semi circle lines.)

You will then get a good exposure for your subjects, and darker backgrounds, but the shutter speeds may be fast enough to handhold your camera.

I hope it helps...

flipm3 wrote in post #2148741
so i take many indoor staged events (ie. piano recitals, dance performances, etc). i currently have have the 2.8 non-IS. im debating should i sell that and get the IS with a price difference of 600-800 dollars or just buy a 135 2.0L for around 900? will the IS make up for that speed? i really like having the versatality of the zoom. i hear it is just as good as most primes. i already feel that with my non-IS, its tack sharp and razor fast, but im wondering if that IS will give me the edge...your opinions please.

f/2.8 IS is only 'somewhat equivalent' to f/2 lens...if the subject is not moving, they are 'the same'. If the subject is moving, the f/2 lens will help you freeze the motion better because you can use higher shutter speed. Personally I think a faster aperture cannot be replaced by IS for a few reasons:

motion freezing; shallower DOF; improved ability to focus in low light

On the other hand, IS helps you hold the camera steadier at lower speeds, which is great when you don't have the steadiness of a rifle sharpshooter!

amarasme wrote in post #2153364
Well, it can make a big difference. If you use evaluative metering (as I thought you might have been doing) then your metering system will try to give you an AVERAGE reading for all the frame.

I do not know in your case, but in many performances subjects are reasonably well lit, while the backgrounds are not, so you could get a higher shutter speed if your metering system concentrates on the subjects.

You need to set up your camera for spot metering with that purpose in mind. (Only one spot, without the two semi circle lines.)

You will then get a good exposure for your subjects, and darker backgrounds, but the shutter speeds may be fast enough to handhold your camera.

I hope it helps...

oh wow...that i was not aware of. i would definitely rather have a better focus on the subject and have a darker background. thanks for the advise.

flipm3 wrote in post #2153393
oh wow...that i was not aware of. i would definitely rather have a better focus on the subject and have a darker background. thanks for the advise.

Well, there you have something to try...

In any case it may not be enough, depending on lighting conditions. In my experience I still think that a 85 f1.8 lens will be of help for your purposes. Great image quality, relatively inexpensive, small, light, black (not to get attention), fast AF, etc.

It will fit nicely in your kit, together with your 35L, for situations in which you may not want to carry the big and heavy zooms, or where your zooms will not give you enough shutter speeds.