Help getting a new lense… Please help!!!

[Koffi]

      I own a canon 60D with two lenses: an EF 24-105 mm, and an EFS18-135mm kit lense. I do alot of runway, portraites, parties, weddings, boudior..basicly a little bit of everything.  I also own a Canon speedlite 580EXII. I need a lense that will alow me to see more of my client's faces better when i take  afull body picture.. Even at the 24mm setting on my EF, the faces are relatively small when looking a full body picture. Since my range of shooting varies, i figured i need a wide angle lense... i have the EFS 10-22 mm lense, so when i take those big group shots, i can fit everyone in and still be able to see the faces. I also need a crisper lense to take proffetional quality portraites... i was thinking a nice 35mm lense with a 1.4 f stop...Can someone please let me know what you think and give me your opinion? I would really a preciate anything any veterance have to offer. Thank you in advance.

[Skirball]

What you’re asking for (a larger face on a full body portrait) is dependent on your perspective, not (as much) the lens.  The only way to have a large face and get the whole body in is distortion, either from wide-angle distortion (wide angle lens close up to the face) or compression - which is perspective controlled (e.g. shooting above a subject with a telephoto looking down so you frame in the face with the body in the “background”, if that makes sense).  If you want to keep things proportional then you crop out the body.  Can you post an example, that is G rated please, so we can get an idea what you’re looking for?

As far as “crisper”, I assume you mean sharper.  I would definitely get a prime unless you have the budget for a 24-70 II.  Even then, everybody should have at least 1 fast prime in their arsenal, in my opinion.  Unless you know you want wide, I would get a 50mm to start.  It’s a good focal length for portraiture, for either crop or full frame, and there are reasonable priced decent options by both Canon and Sigma (both 50mm 1.4).  The 35 is a good lens, and most prime aficionados have one, but for a first I’d go longer.

[ebiggs1]

With a 24-105mm L, which is one of my most used lenses, and covers about every focal length you need. (Plus the addition of the10-22mm.)

Better quality is really the only factor remaining. This leaves the Canon 24-70mm f2.8 L as a top of the mark option. In photography there are limits and you may not be able to have all the criteria you set forth in the same photo.  (Photoshop?)

Any of the "new" line of Sigma's (avoid the older models) are valid options if you can't do the Canon L glass.

Some great Sigma's are the 35mm f1.4 Art, the 50mm f1.4 EX and the 85mm f1.4 EX. These are as good as it gets.

Canon has lenses in the same range with outstanding quality and build quality but they cost more.

Any of these are going to blow away the EF-S 18-135mm, BTW.