Nifty Fifty a bit too close for candids?!?!?!

I'm finding it awkward at times, especially when trying for candid shots, to use the 50mm f/1.8 mkII on a rebel XT. It isn't bad when the subject doesn't mind having there photo taken, but that isn't always the case. I'm mostly talking about taking pictures around my very large family (have some shy siblings etc). Would moving to the 85mm f/1.8 allow me to be substantially further away? Right now, I'm finding I need to be 4-6 feet away for a decent head/shoulder shot. How much more distance would the 85 afford me? Also, I'm finding that with f1.8-f2.2 shallow DOF shots, the AF motor of the nifty isn't superbly accurate and I end up losing more shots at those settings than I can keep. Will the USM motor of the 85 fix this issue a bit?

I'm also shooting a couple weddings next year, no charge to my in-laws. I think it would be a suitable lens for that, paired with a Tamron 17-50 f2.8 XR diII or the Sigma 18-50 f2.8 EX
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Paul

Candid shots of the kids brings to my mind a 70-200. My favorite being the EF 70-200/4 L IS.

I recently picked up the 85mm f1.8 and about a week later took it to the family reunion. The focusing was much faster than the 50mm f1.8 and more accurate.

If you really want the reach to do candids without them noticing you easily you will probably want something longer than the 85mm f1.8. The 135 f2.8 may be a good solution or a 70-200L would work as well. I guess it depends on how much you need the larger aperture. If your budget is limited there is also the 100mm f2.0.


I found with the 85mm f1.8 that people still noticed me trying to get candids quite often.

Mr. Fixitx

i use the 70-200 f2.8 l is for great candids

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Suprisingly a decent wideanle is good for candids as in many cases you dont have to point it right at the person yet still get them in and with such great dof often pree focused manualy at around 4ft f8 covers dof fine.
Rob.

Even a wide angle lens can be used for candids but you have to invent new ways on how to shoot. Think wild west shooting, from the hip.

on my 30d (or any crop body) i find the 50mm focal length a bit too tight for candids/people shooting... i prefer ~30mm FL...

karusel wrote in post #4206686
Even a wide angle lens can be used for candids but you have to invent new ways on how to shoot. Think wild west shooting, from the hip.

shooting from the hip, I have found even with the 50mm (for me 1.4) can work just keep shooting you get some good ones.

For the OP i must admit I prefer my 70-200 2.8 IS for candid but then again it is hard to hide that big white lens in certain situations. A party with big family and noise you can get away with it, 8 people in a small room, no way.

cheers
Ali

If you want to do candid as in street shots you'd be best with something around the 30mm mark and learn to do hip shots if you really want to keep a low profile. If you prefer stealth shots then the longer zooms mentioned already would probably serve all your needs and more. The advantage for ones like 70-200 is that it would also be suited for portraits and so on.

I do admire those with skill in shooting from the hip as it's something I've always found to have trouble with.

I love my 50 1.8, but when moving around and trying to get candids, I prefer a zoom. With the zoom lens, you just turn the lens to frame the shot which keeps you from drawing attention of the subject, whereas with a prime you have to be moving around.

The focus on the 50 1.8 isn't as accurate as the more expensive lenses, but you mention having problems with it when shooting at 1.8 to 2.2 or so, and that may not be the fault of the lens. At those apertures, the DOF is so small, that just a slight movement of the subject or camera (like just pressing the shutter button if you aren't careful) is enough to change the focus point enough to make a big difference in the shot.

karusel wrote in post #4206686
Even a wide angle lens can be used for candids but you have to invent new ways on how to shoot. Think wild west shooting, from the hip.

I might have been a bit mis-leading in the original post. I'm more concerned with the two weddings I'll be shooting next summer (both for a brother and sister of my wife). I'm not concerned that people will see me shooting as I'll be the main photographer - it is that I don't want to have to get right up into someone's face to get the shot...I'll be doing candids throughout the day and evening obviously, so I'd like something that is decent in low available light if necessary!

Paul

If it is in your budget it would be hard to beat the 70-200 f2.8 IS.

I like the 300 prime also--nice for picking people out of a crowd without being terribly obvious.

Yes, then it's the 70-200 2.8. If your budget is somewhat more limited, then perhaps the non-is version, the f/4L IS version, or even the 135mm f/2L. But perhaps a prime isn't the most appropriate if you're the sole photographer there, because you need to be flexible... Buy them used, if you can't afford new ones, but be sure to test them first for sharpness and focus.

Dave, do you mean the f/4 or the f/2.8 version? The f/2.8 would be nice to have, but it's honestly a professional territory lens, huge, heavy and expensive and I doubt PMan would buy it. I was tempted, but I can not and will not be able to justify the price and keep all the other lenses and other gear like CF, disk space and so forth. The f/4 version... limited use, aperture not big enough to not take the 70-200 f/4 IS (it's sharper than any other zoom and many primes in that range) instead.

Love my 70-200 for candids, but when I sit back to relax a bit wherever I am, I switch to my 18-50 for candids and shoot from the hip normally from 18-30ish. Maybe 50 if I glance and point.

Shooting from the hip.. use a p&s with movable lcd like good old Powershot G3.
Also much more quiet.