As I'm getting asked to do more and more theatrical shots for the various local amdram groups, I'm considering investing in a better lens.

To preserve the mood, I always try to shoot without flash, and if I have to use flash on its very lowest setting, often bounced off a wall / ceiling.

The lenses I use at the moment are either the kit lens 18-55 f3.5 - f5.6 or a 28-300 Tamron. Generally shooting as wide open as the lens in question allows, on ISO 800 or 1600 depending on the particular scene.

Looking at EXIF details there is a fair number of shots in the 18-100mm range, so was thinking of the Canon 24-105 f4 L IS, and rely on the image stabilisation to let me handhold at 1/20th 1/30th second. I do this at the moment, but often at f5.6 and the majority come out OK.

I do seem to use a number in the 200-300mm range for portraits at a distance on the stage - I have a Sigma 100-300 f4 I could use, although that would mean changing lenses (or getting a second body :D)

Any other lenses I should consider?

I would have thought in this environment IS is no substitute for speed? So if you can't use a prime then how about tamron's 28-75 F2.8 (http://www.pbase.com/cameras/tamron/sp_af_28-75_28_xr_di_ld_if) ?

Nick.

I think it may be a little short at the long end and possibly a little long at the short end. , but I'll look into it...

Anything else. Being used on 350D with x1.6 crop.

I see Sigma have a 24-70 f2.8 EX.

I just used "EXIF viewer 2" on my last set of photos.

47% were between 25mm and 70mm
and extra 12% were between 70 and 90mm
a further 18% were between 90mm and 120mm - further analysis suggest most in the 90-110mm range.

21% were greater than 120mm (covered in range by my f4 Sigma 100-300), mostly around 200mm.

2% under 25mm.


70% at ISO 1600, 22% at ISO 800, 8% at ISO 400 (must have been using 50mm f1.8 for those)

The 24-105mm range is quite appealing.

Good analysis and 24-105mm probably a good choice. Will hold its value, too. But IS is no substitute for a wide aperture unless the subject is static, of course, so an f/2.8 lens may be a better choice is practise. A 200mm f/2.8 might also come in handy.

Richard.

PS If you can be mobile, you could get a lot of good pictures just using the 50mm f/1.8. Turn down the ISO and crop on the PC. Maybe worth a try. Damn sight cheaper, too :)

One of the theatres I shoot has a stage in the middle of a room, with the audience around the outside on two, possibly three rows of seats. There isn't much room to work with, and I found the 'nifty fifty' impractical as I was missing shots whilst leaping over seats. Cropping could be done I guess.

As there is audience surrounding the stage, direction is not aimed at one audience, but whichever feels natural, so its like shooting four productions of the same show at once. Having a zoom with sufficient range is important.

Other venues I shoot at, with their own resident drama society have different stages.

I'll mull it over some more...

Thinking about it some more, I guess this is what you actually need (http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sigma-photo.co.jp%2Fnews%2F200_500_28.htm&langpair=ja%7Cen&hl=en&safe=off&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools) :D

Nick.

lol