Best (Not Ultra Expensive) Everyday Lens for Canon 5d Mark II?

[kayleec]

Hi Everyone!

I have a Canon 5d Mark II but have never upgraded from my Canon 50mm 1.8 lens. I primarily am shooting indoors and I'd love to be able to fit a little more in the frame (the rooms in my house are small and I'm typically shooting everyday life/family scenes). I'd consider myself an amateur photographer so I'm not looking to spend thousands, but the 50mm just isn't working for me. 

Any suggestions? I've looked into the Canon 35mm f/2 but have seen mixed reviews. 

[RobertTheFat]

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@Waddizzle wrote:

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

Bob from Boston has again offered the correct answer.

"You want the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS."

This lens is hard to beat at its regular price. It is a Best Buy in a pro level Canon "L" lens.  Usually the first L lens most people buy.  And now the price is sure to come down with the release of the new version.  If you look for a WHite Box copy you can expect $700 or even lower in a price.  An outstanding value.

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Everything you said, i would agree with.  Except for this case, the OP stated they mainly shoot indoors with a 50mm f/1.8..

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And indoors the 50mm f/1.8 makes perfect sense. But outdoors or with flash, the 24-105 is a lot more versatile.

[Waddizzle]

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@RobertTheFat wrote:

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@Waddizzle wrote:

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

Bob from Boston has again offered the correct answer.

"You want the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS."

This lens is hard to beat at its regular price. It is a Best Buy in a pro level Canon "L" lens.  Usually the first L lens most people buy.  And now the price is sure to come down with the release of the new version.  If you look for a WHite Box copy you can expect $700 or even lower in a price.  An outstanding value.

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Everything you said, i would agree with.  Except for this case, the OP stated they mainly shoot indoors with a 50mm f/1.8..

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And indoors the 50mm f/1.8 makes perfect sense. But outdoors or with flash, the 24-105 is a lot more versatile.

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Buying a flash to use with an f/4 lens indooors is exactly what I pointed out above.

[ebiggs1]

" But outdoors or with flash, the 24-105 is a lot more versatile."

The ef 24-105mm f4 is more versatile,...period.  No prime can match the versatility of a decent zoom like the 24-105mil.

 An ef 50mm f1.8 is an add-on for the 24-105mm, an asterisk, if you will.

[ScottyP]

Flash is not a solution for everything.

A single on camera flash can look terrible and you certainly don't want to lug multiple units on  lightstands everywhere you go. No one would invite you twice to a party.  ;). You can't always bounce off ceilings or walls. Often ceilings are too high or painted black. Walls are often too far away or obscured or painted an off color.  Or you may simply be outside in the evening. 

If you have people in the scene at different distances from the flash, then due to falloff the close ones may be overexposed and/or the farther away ones may be underilluminated.  Even ceiling bounced flash can light up the top of someone unevenly with their legs/feet etc.

Also flash can just be a pain to lug around and fool with.  Hard to match flash color to ambient light so either you use gels or you just don't match. Some shots will come out blown out or underexposed or sometimes the flash won't fire at all due to recycling or heating.  And batteries. Etc etc.  

Also, after a few shots, the blinding shock grenade effect of flash can irritate the people you are shooting, or at least it keeps them acutely aware at all times that you are taking photos so candids are out of the question. 

I really prefer the ease ease and the unobtrusiveness of shooting in natural/ambient light a whole lot more than using flash. That is why my 35mm f/1.4 prime never leaves the camera unless I am mounting the 70-200 or the macro to do something totally different. I have a 24-105 f/4. And I go 6 months or longer at a time without ever using it.  The bright prime is able to use 8x more light than the f/4 lens so flash is almost never needed.  When I do use it, it is most often outside in daylight for fill light. 

Everyone is entitled to to their own opinions, and I think maybe the OP is a fan of bright primes, as am I.  A 35mm f/1.4 or 1.8 from Canon, Sigma or other brand could be a valid and legitimate choice.

[Waddizzle]

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@ScottyP wrote:

Flash is not a solution for everything.

[deleted stuff]

Everyone is entitled to to their own opinions, and I think maybe the OP is a fan of bright primes, as am I.  A 35mm f/1.4 or 1.8 from Canon, Sigma or other brand could be a valid and legitimate choice.

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I agree.  Flash is not the solution, but it will be needed indoors with an f/4 lens under many, if not most, circumstances. 

But, what the OP wants doesn't exist.  Wide Angle, Fast, and "not ultra expensive".  Sigma makes f/1.4 "Art" lenses at 20mm, 24mm, and 35mm.  And, the OP seemed to indicate that 50mm wasn't coming close.  While 35mm may be a good lens, it just might not be wide enough.  I use my 16-35mm zoom indoors a lot, and I'm almost always 24mm, or shorter.