topic Re: EOS R7 Lens choice for low light, landscapes, architecture, transport, portraits in EF & RF Lenses

EOS R7 Lens choice for low light, landscapes, architecture, transport, portraits

rwagga — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 12:32:43 GMT

I have recently bought a Canon R7 Mirrorless with the 18-150mm kit and I absolutely love it! But I find for dark indoors or other low light I feel that I may be better with something that has a aperture that allows more light in or something not so versatile or complex.

I have been thinking if I would be right to get the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN & the 10-18 as well to compliment and be used alongside my main versatile lens, or if that is "throwing good money after bad" and just pointless.

The review for both on YouTube seem very good with some softness or drop off but nothing tragic and of course neither have IS which is ok I guess (wouldn't say so).

I take landscapes and architecture and transport pics with the rare portraits too. Basically all rounder!

I'm not a professional more a hobbyist and certainly not the most stable, so curious if IBIS will be enough.

Any help will be appreciated!

I have the Canon 18-150mm kit and don't think I'd want to sell it, so either would be in addition to

Re: EOS R7 Lens choice for low light, landscapes, architecture, transport, portraits

ebiggs1 — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 14:32:58 GMT

Comparing the two lenses the kit and Siggy you aren't picking up much at the short end. Not even a full stop but at the long side you do see some benefit. Generally a stop or even two is not a deal maker especially with the the newer cameras and post editing using a raw file. But, yes, personally I would prefer the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN. I don't care for variable aperture lenses and that to me is what makes it the go to choice. Is it available in an RF mount? I don't know.

Re: EOS R7 Lens choice for low light, landscapes, architecture, transport, portraits

Tronhard — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 19:11:27 GMT

Whether you need a lens with IBIS has a lot to do with the conditions under which you shoot, and your technique.

Focal Length and Shutter Speed:
Conventional wisdom suggests that the minimum shutter speed to get a steady shot when hand-holding a lens without stabilization is 1/focal length. However, you are using a crop sensor camera and that demands an extra factor so, in your case, a safer value would be 1/ (2x FL). So, you would be looking for shutter speeds in a range from 1/40 to 1/100sec for the Sigma 18-50 and 1/20- 1/40 for the 10-18 lenses. With stabilization you could do without the 2x factor in that equation.

Technique:
A lot of people coming from a cell phone tend to hold a camera in the same way, with arms extended, looking at the LCD in the rear. This is not a good technique because dedicated cameras are heavier and have longer physical focal lengths. The correct way to hold a camera for still photography is as shown in the image below:
You want to use the viewfinder with the camera pressed to your brow. The heel of the left hand under the body, with the fingers curled around the lens from beneath to manage the zoom. The right hand is free to gently press the controls and shutter. The arms are tucked tight to the torso. Thus, with the eye to the camera, your body creates a tripod effect and that can compensate for the lack of Image Stabilization.

Aperture:
The Sigma offers one more stop of light than the Canon, which can be expressed either in terms of being able to use a faster shutter speed, or lower ISO.

Light:
The lower the light, the slower the shutter speed, wider the aperture or higher the ISO must be. It's always a play-off.

As always, much depends on what you are prepared to invest, but I would note that the build of the Sigma is considered superior with such differences as a metal lens mount and better engineered plastics - they just feel a lot better quality. The down side is that you pay more, but most consider you get what you pay for.

Re: EOS R7 Lens choice for low light, landscapes, architecture, transport, portraits

Waddizzle — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 08:38:25 GMT

Canon RF 24mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM