Quote Originally Posted by Mr.Magic View Post
With 'Stage photography' I think about difficult lighting, dark situations, etc. So a large aperture is required.
Is the f2.8 of the 24-70 satisfactory for you? Then maybe the 16-35 f2.8 II is a good option
If the max aperture is not sufficient, check out a prime, e.g. 17mm, 24mm, etc.
As these will cost some money, you could maybe rent them first to try them out ...
Thanks

2.8 does work fine. Stage lighting is actually very bright and if there is backlighting (scrims, etc.) your camera exposes well. I also turn down color saturation and depending on how bright the hot lights are I've taken the exposure down a notch so the whites and silvers don't get blown out.

Its mostly an issue with IQ of the 24-70 and I wanted to hear what others have to say about other lenses in that range (more the 30-35 range) under these conditions. Since mostly what I shoot is dance sometimes I need to get wide shots so the choreography can be seen in whole. The 70-200 gets amazing shots (and focuses fast), esp in the 135-150 range but you can't get full stage shots without moving far back from the stage.