lens for ...........

Well as the girls get older (now preteen), I'm going to probably be taking alot of recital type pics. From dance to school to piano, ect...... This year I used my 50mm 1.8 for dance recital dress rehersal which worked great since I could move around in front of the stage. Where I am going to be sitting for school auditorium type events I may not have control over. So I was thinking about the 85mm 1.8 which I heard is a fantastic lens and would be great for the no flash situation and would probably have the reach at least get me alot closer than the 50mm. The other lens I had in mind was the Tamron 28-75 2.8. Anybody have a preference in these type of circumstances?

TIA

i was at a performance at the ford ampitheatre last friday, and i shot w/ the 85mm mostly at 1.8~2.2 the entire night. i was shooting at a distance ranging from 30~60 feet, but if you're planning on shooting just your daughter, you wont necessarily need to foot-zoom so much. also, with the 50mm you have, you can switch lenses to zoom out and get a better overall shot if needed. (and you dont need to adjust as much as i did!!)

it's a great lens, and if you could rent it first, i would recommend it, just to get a feel for the focal length and verify it's the right length for you. optics and speed are superb for such recitals/performances (IMO). the build is great and the USM motor has spoiled me a bit. it makes me want to upgrade my 50/1.8 to the 50/1.4 for just the USM!

Honestly, I personally can't seem to get enough length for these sorts of school events. You may want to look at the EF 200mm f/2.8L. It's a great value. It should be fast enough. And it'll give you some much appreciated length. If 200mm is too much on a 1.6x crop body I'd look at the EF 100mm f/2.0.

My experiences with events like this say stick with the fast primes. I have had marginal success in auditoriums with stage lighting using the 24-70 f2.8L and pushing the ISO up, but when you mention recitals - I have been to them when they were held in the multi-purpose room of a retirement community, and they didn't have the lights set up so good - so lens speed is your friend. The 85 f1.8 is an outstanding lens, and right behind it is the EF 100 f2.0. I'm not suggesting you need them both, but either one is a good value - check which focal length best suits your need.

Have Fun,