Looking For the Right Lens

[KingNine]

Hello, I am a casual photographer and really just learning this great hobby. I got into it trying to get good pictures of my daughters during their ballet performances. Each step I've taken has got me a little closer to getting good pictures of them but I'm quickly running out of time. My last step was to purchase a T4i. I mainly use the kit lens 18-55 for most of the shots of them and sometimes the 55-250 if I want to get close in. I generally crank up the ISO so I can use a faster shutter speed. I find that ISO 6400 with a shutter speed of 1/400 in general is giving me the best results but not anywhere near perfect. I've pinballed around looking at lenses and my head is swimming and frankly I don't know enough to make a great desicision. The current lens I'm looking at is the Canon EF 24-105 f/4 IS USM. The other two lenses I own both go to 5.6 and I was hoping the fixed f/4 would let in more light letting me reduce the ISO for a less grainy picture. Going back and looking at most of my shots I'm usually in the 30-50mm range but that can change depending on where I get to sit at each show so a zoom lens is mandatory for me. I really want to stay around $500 to $600 if at all possible and think I can get that lens at that price range.

My second use for the camera is to film my younger daughter singing at different school or social events with an occasional picture thrown in. Would the above lens work well for that? The current  lens choices I have suck. They are noisy and hunt for focus. I've heard rave reviews of the kit lens 18-135 STM for it's fluidity of movement in almost comeplete silence. I got to play with the lens a few weeks ago at a party when someone asked me to take some pics with their camera. I marveled at the speed and silence of the focus motor. I believe the f stops on it are the exact same as my current lenses though. So If I get it as well I'm guessing I'd be in the same boat as above but with better video. If I do get this STM lens would I get the same quality pics as the kit lens I have now or is it a little better than my current  set up? The person who's camera I borrowed loved it but they aren't a photographer by any means. Any recomendations here are appreciated as well.

[KingNine]

You have so many photos with the other lenses but not many with that lens. 😞  I think this is really the route I want to go now. Still a little worried that it doesn't have stabilization. 

Do you have any more pics with that lens than the cat? Sure would love to see 'em if you do.

[cicopo]

That album was done years ago when there wasn't much out there so I shared my personal tests. I didn't keep it long nor use it much & sold it when I saw an ad looking for 1. This link has LOTS of samples & comments but the samples will be at reduced resolution for internet sharing.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=145586

For me (a senior citizen) IS is a big plus but  that comes at a price. I buy a lot of my gear used & if it doesn't fit my needs I sell for about what I paid. I haven't researched all your options & their prices so can't really say "buy this but not that". I do however think a pair of fast primes is a good place to start looking based on just what focal lengths the photos you've taken were shot at. They may not be sharp but the EXIF will show you how much of the stage you captured at how many mm's of lens. Your longest tight shot will reflect how long a prime you'd need but then again you should have enough resolution to do some cropping from a shorter lens.

[ebiggs1]

I am going to repeat ....................

"There is one part of all of this that you have not mentioned, Photoshop or some other good post editor.   Great photos are only half made by the camera/lens combo."

This is probably more important than the lens you choose.  And, yes, I would look for a lens with IS if possibile.  But also note, that IS makes you a better photographer.  It doesn not make the lens better.

[KingNine]

I do have a post editor when I choose to use it. I don't use the adobe photoshop editor I use the Corel version which is called Photo Paint. The editor can't make a grainy high ISO shot less grainy that I know of though. If it can plese let me know. I think the quality of the lens will help with this regard more than post editing but I could surely be wrong and why I'm here in the first place.

[ebiggs1]

I have never even seen the Corel editor let alone used it.  So I will be of little help there.   Yes, a better lens will always make a better photo.  But that said, a post editor like PS can make even a "grainy" shot better.  Post editing can, to a degree, correct lot's of ills.

[KingNine]

The two programs are almost identical. I usually use it for cropping and adjusting color/saturation and brightnes/contrast issues. Microsofts photogallery editor has become so good at those issues now it is easier for me to use it now. I only use the real photo editor for major work which I don't do much off. I'll try pulling in some of the darker grainier pictures of my daughter soon and give it a go at removing the grain. Can't hurt to try it.

[KingNine]

Back to the subject at hand. I just watched a video on youtube video comparing the tamron with the canon of the same focal length. The canon won for best lens obviously but they concluded the Tamron was the "Best for the money" The thing that stood out was they mentioned the IS of the canon would really only help on the macro shots not the action shots. That confused me. Is IS not very helpful for shooting shots such as my daughters dancing?

[RobertTheFat]

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@KingNine wrote:

Back to the subject at hand. I just watched a video on youtube video comparing the tamron with the canon of the same focal length. The canon won for best lens obviously but they concluded the Tamron was the "Best for the money" The thing that stood out was they mentioned the IS of the canon would really only help on the macro shots not the action shots. That confused me. Is IS not very helpful for shooting shots such as my daughters dancing?

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Yes, it's not very helpful. IS corrects only for motion of the camera. If the subject is also moving at a rate that dwarfs the camera's motion, you have to use a faster shutter speed anyway, which makes IS essentially irrelevant.

[Skirball]

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@KingNine wrote:

The thing that stood out was they mentioned the IS of the canon would really only help on the macro shots not the action shots.

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Small point of clarification:  I wouldn't say that it would only help on macro shots.  IS is very useful in natural light portraiture, landscape, architectural, night photography, travel, flash photography, etc.  Really it's just the action and full daylight shots where it's not useful; any time you're using high shutter speeds.

[ebiggs1]

KingNine,

OK which lens are we talking now?  The 24-70 f2.8mm or the 70-200mm f2.8?

These are my favorite lenses.    There is no doubt the Canon offerings are the best there is.  They are the best lenses made. Period.  These Canon lenses rival prime lenses in IQ.  They are that good.

However, the Tamron and SIgma versions are very good, too.  In most circumstances, real world shooting, you will not be able to tell the difference.

So that does bring up the place where there is a big difference.  Price.  Tamron and SIgma are doing this a half the cost that Canon seems to be able to.

I have all of these lenses in my lens inventory.  IMHO, the Sigma's are the best buy.  The Tamron in the 24-70mm is better than the Sigma.  The SIgma in the 70-200mm  is better than the Tamron.  So why are the Sigma a better buy?  Service that is why.  Tamron is making strides in CS so this may not be a point soon.

BTW, Tokina has the same lenses, too.  Tokina's CS is non existant so you are on your own. Good luck!  I do not have the Tokina versions.

What is the recommendation?  Buy the Canon's if you have the cash and rest assured you have the best there is.  If not, buy either the Tamron or Sigma and you will be happy with them.

One more thought on IS.  Remember IS make YOU better, it does not make the LENS better.