Could someone please tell me what lens would be best for indoor, very dimly lit, church pictures?

[KariBell67]

I am looking for a recommendation regarding a low light lens. I have a Canon 60D, and love it, but the lenses I have don't work well for low light indoor pictures. I want to be able to get clear sharp photos of my younger daughter at dance recital in an auditorium, as well as pictures of one of our other kids, who's a senior next year, in our church, which is really low lit. I had a friend who wants me to take some photos of her daughter's wedding, but it will be in a hotel conference room, with very poor lighting, and the kit lenses I have just don't work well for that. I am definitely ready to invest in a better lens. I have a Canon 50mm f1.4, and love it, but it's probably not the best when I'm farther away from the action, like in the auditorium for dance recital. It also wouldn't be good for a wedding, as you have to get fairly close to the action to catch some of those special moments. So, what 2 or 3 lenses would be good for all of these photo situations? Any help is truly appreciated! Thanks!!

[KariBell67]

Thanks!!!

[kvbarkley]

You might want to check this out, too:

http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2016/wedding-photography.shtml?categoryId=12

[Waddizzle]

"I am looking for a recommendation regarding a low light lens. I have a Canon 60D, and love it, but the lenses I have don't work well for low light indoor pictures. ....   I have a Canon 50mm f1.4, and love it, but it's probably not the best when I'm farther away from the action, like in the auditorium for dance recital."  

If you cannot get satisfactory pictures with a f1.4, then it must be pretty dimly lit.  I would think that you first need to figure out from where you will be taking pictures.  If it is really as dim as you suggest, then using a tripod make the entire difference.  In a dimly lit environment, using a tripod is worth at least 2 stops on the exposure triangle.  Besides, when you are using a tripod, turning the Image Stabilization off is the recommneded procedure with most lenses.

If at all possible, go visit the locaitons ahead of time.   Yes, go scout them out, and don't forget your camera.  

Just remember, you're not going to find one lens that is ideal for all situations, nor your two scenarios most likely.  I'd suspect that the ideal distance from a dance recital would require a different focal length than what would be ideal for a wedding.  I'd expect that you could get away with a prime at a dance recital, but you'd need the versatility of a zoom at a wedding.

[kvbarkley]

You should check out the shutter speed. You probably need a shutter speed of at least 1/200 to get sharp pictures of a moving dancer.

Try having your daughter practice at home and take pictures from the approx distance you would be at the theater and see what shutter speed is acceptable. Then you can work out what Aperture/ISO gives you good exposure.

What method are you using to determine exposure? Generally you want to use spot exposure to ignore all the dark regions, if your daughter is spotlighted.

[ezpop]

For very dimly lit venue,  apart from a large aperture lens preferrably with IS, you may need a better camera that allow you to shoot at ISO 6400/12800 with acceptable image quality. (if the use of speedlite is not feasible)

May be 6D or 5D3 as their prices are so low now. You may rent one of these to test it out.

[KariBell67]

I'd love to get a new camera, but I think at this point it is wiser for me to invest in glass. Thanks for the tip!

[KariBell67]

Wadizzle,

The recital is always held at CY Stephens Auditorium at Iowa State University. So, we are generally pretty far from the stage. I thought maybe a zoom lens but am not sure which would be best. Can I use the 85mm orime for wedding photos of posed groups, bride/groom, etc., and use the zoom for the ceremony and recital? What is it about the 85 that is better for wedding than a 50? I'm fairly new to all this and sometimes it makes my head spin when I'm trying to understand it all. I can't explain how to set my camera, but I know what to do regarding ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. I think I just need a bigger zoom for focal length? Did that make sense? If you can answer all those questions your a life saver!!

[Waddizzle]

"Can I use the 85mm orime for wedding photos of posed groups, bride/groom, etc., and use the zoom for the ceremony and recital?" 

The problem with social events is that they can be unpredictable.  Try attending the wedding rehearsal.  Like Ernie pointed out, the best lens to use will be highly dependent upon your location relative to the subjects.  It is also dependent upon how much you wish to frame head and shoulder shots, compared to full body shots.

"What is it about the 85 that is better for wedding than a 50?" 

I think they were citing the speed of the lens, more than anything else.  The 85mm will also give you longer reach, but then you can always zoom with your feet, too......hopefully, which is why you should attend the rehearsal, if possible.  Half of the time, the conduct those the night before because people are coming in from out of town.  I think you will want a wide lens to take a shot of the entire wedding party, too.

"I can't explain how to set my camera, but I know what to do regarding ISO, aperture, and shutter speed.' 

I cannot explain it, either.  I can only suggest a starting point, and the rest is up to you.  I'd start doing test shots in Av mode, with ISO set to 800, and the widest aperture setting.  Let the camera set the shutter speed, and note what it tells you in the viewfinder.  As long as shutter speed stays at 1/250, or higher, when the camera is handheld, then you should be in good shape.  Reset the camera to Tv mode, with the shutter set to 1/250, Auto-ISO, and as wide an aperture as you've got.  Make sure your ISO doesn't creep above 800, by dropping the shutter speed some.  If subjects are not moving, then you could get away with 1/125.

" I think I just need a bigger zoom for focal length?"   

You will get the best performance from zoom lenses that do not have a large ratio between their shortest and longest focal lengths.  The best zooms barely hit a 1:3 ratio: i.e; 24-70mm, 70-200mm.

I hope that I didn't answer the questions.  Instead, I hope it motivates you to think about what shot distances, directions, and angles will be available to you before you decide on a lens purchase.

[TTMartin]

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@KariBell67 wrote:
Wadizzle,

The recital is always held at CY Stephens Auditorium at Iowa State University. So, we are generally pretty far from the stage. I thought maybe a zoom lens but am not sure which would be best. Can I use the 85mm orime for wedding photos of posed groups, bride/groom, etc., and use the zoom for the ceremony and recital? What is it about the 85 that is better for wedding than a 50? I'm fairly new to all this and sometimes it makes my head spin when I'm trying to understand it all. I can't explain how to set my camera, but I know what to do regarding ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. I think I just need a bigger zoom for focal length? Did that make sense? If you can answer all those questions your a life saver!!

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First if you get prime lenses, you aren't going to use just one. You wil choose the one that works best at that time. So when you need to do group photos, you would use the 50mm f/1.4. The 85mm f/1.8 isn't better than the 50mm f/1.4 it is only longer. And to be clear a longer lenses like the 85mm f/1.8 or 100mm f/2 will give you more of what you call 'zoom', but, that is not the correct term. A zoom lens is one that can be set at multiple focal lengths. With prime lenses you have to switch lenses to change focal lengths and get a narrower field of view (what you call zoom).

[KariBell67]

Scotty,

Can't go in ahead of time as lighting during rehearsal is different than lighting during actual show. Lighting would be similar to going to see a Broadway play in a very large theatre or auditorium. CY seats 2,747 people. We are usually about 15 rows back from the stage.