Help with finding the right lens

[pagejesse]

Hello. I'm not a pro, but work for a company that likes to take a lot of photos. We currently have a Canon EOS 30D w/Sigma DC 17-70mm, 1:2.8-4.5 lens.


This lens works well enough for your typical candid-like shots, but on quite a few occasions, I'm required to take group and portrait-like still photos. On some of the group shots, I have noticed that the corners of the photo, and people on the ends, become a little out focus. Overall, the quality is not the greatest either, compared to what I've seen from others.


So I'm hoping to find a lens that performs great under some or all of the following conditions:


1. Large group still photos: the groups can get relatively large.


2. Portrait-like still photos: we have a little studio setup with a gray cloth background


3. Lower light: generally, lighting can get a little low in some of the places we take photos often.


4. If it can snap a good crisp photo that features a lot of motion, without flash, that would be a plus.


Any help would be appreciated.


-Jesse-

[elmo_2006]

Hi pagejesse...


Youhave a few options,and I'm sure others would agree that you maywant to look at the Canon EF-S 17-55 2.8 IS USM or the Canon 24-70 2.8LUSM only lens. Sigma will soon be producing a 17-50 2.8 OS HSM, but be cautious here as Sigma's have some issues with quality control.


Good luck...

[neuroanatomist]

I'd definitely recommend theEF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS. If you are using an external Speedlite flash indoors, you might also consider theEF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS- it's a slower lens (thus the need for flash indoors), but has a wider zoom range and IQ that is similar to the 17-55mm. However, the wider aperture of the 17-55mm would be an advantage for 'portrait-like still photos' due to the enhanced out-of-focus blur.


TheEF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USMis an excellent lens, but for group shots, 24mm will likely not be wide enough on a crop body like the 30D.

[LoneSierra]

I agree with the two before me. The EFS 17-55 2.8 IS is a wonderful lense. I have it, and it's got L quality glass. With the 2.8 and IS it's a wonderful lens for low lighting, plus it's wide enough for the group photos. You can't get any wider, unless you go with the 10-22, and while that lens is fabulous, it's not very versatile.


It will do fairly well for portraits because of the big aperture. You'll want to zoom all the way to 55mm to get the best background blur, though.


Given your description, I think this is the best fit for what you're looking for. If you look at the review on this website, you'll see that it's much better than the kit lens. The $1000 price tag is very well justified by the quality of this baby!