EF 24-70mm F/2.8L or EF 16-35 F2.8L?

I am beginning my collection of new professional style kit. My main subjects are indoor contemporary (fast paced) dance photography with theatre lights (quite darkish, doesn't always flash well). And portrait/wedding photography.

I have just bought : a 5D and an EF 85mm 1.8 USM to replace my 300D and kit lens (which got me a LOT of work and got me this far! It's just coughing right now on the punch I'm trying to send it.)

I want a walk around lens that's a bit wider than my 85mm. This is my first prime and I'm finding the "have to back up" thing a bit of a different experience to my ex-kit lens...but I know it will come into it's own with the wedding photography. I already love the background blur.

MY question....For a good LOW F-STOP wide angle zoom to compliment the 85mm 1.8USM would you add next:
CANON EF 24-70mm F/2.8L USM
or
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L USM

or return the 85mm 1.8 for something else

A first pic from my 85 1.8 USM yesterday:

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since you have the 5D id go with the 24-70, should be wide enough on the full frame body.

I agree, 24-70.

Another vote for the 24-70

24-70 all the way

no brainer ... definately 24-70mm

i love the focal length of the 24-70 the 16-35 isnt long enough for the type of shooting i like

(i only own the sigma but have played with my cousins 24-70L and its o beautiful it makes me jealous)

Thanks, That's what we were thinking.

I'm just new to the lens game and I saw some good pics and praise to the 16-35.....

i was concerned that maybe my choice of the 85mm was misguided as it is much more of a telephoto than maybe i was expecting. (I love getting right up to things with a lens).

edit: great forum...thanks for your quick comments...really appreciated!

mythymna wrote in post #2173586
I am beginning my collection of new professional style kit. My main subjects are indoor contemporary (fast paced) dance photography with theatre lights (quite darkish, doesn't always flash well). And portrait/wedding photography.

The 24-70 f2.8L is a great lens for a 5D, and for your purposes. I would go for it. However, it is more an "available light" lens than a low light lens. Sometimes f2.8 is not enough indoors, particularly if your subjects are moving.

I would definitely keep the 85 f1.8, as it is a great classic portrait lens, and it will give you more than one extra stop for low light situations. In the same way you may also think of a fast wider lens to complete your low light kit. Something like the 50 f1.4, or ideally the 35 f1.4L.

If you cannot go for both, with the 35 f1.4L and the 85 f1.8 you may already have everything you need for your purposes.

Billginthekeys wrote in post #2173592
since you have the 5D id go with the 24-70, should be wide enough on the full frame body.

Agreed... Not to mention that the 35mm end of the 16-35mm likely won't be long enough when you need it most, necessitating a lens change.

Buy a 24-70 L and with the "change" buy a 17-40 L and never look back. The 16-35 is rather expensive for something not that different then the 17-40 L.

I can't help you with your question as I have no experience with any of that stuff, but welcome to the forums!!!

cjm wrote in post #2174288
Buy a 24-70 L and with the "change" buy a 17-40 L and never look back. The 16-35 is rather expensive for something not that different then the 17-40 L.

A good idea indeed. But two stops is quite different to some people... There's also the older 17-35mm that the 16-35mm replaces.

Double Negative wrote in post #2174561
A good idea indeed. But two stops is quite different to some people... There's also the older 17-35mm that the 16-35mm replaces.

two stops?

ed rader

ed rader wrote in post #2174728
two stops?

Err, my bad.

I had "two" on the brain... Two point eight. Two lenses. Two.