Hi everyone, although I like to study the photography topic, I’m really a noob when it comes to practical terms.

I would like to take pictures at a family event which will take place in a garden in the evening/night.

Well, my gear is quite modest, and I know I don’t have what I need to take good pictures of both the place and the people there. I’m looking to rent a nice lens to carry around as I take pictures (and enjoy the party too! So I’m just taking one 😅). So I would really appreciate some advice on what to rent.

There are the four lenses I found while digging, two are primes, two are zooms:

  • Canon RF 24MM F/1.8 IS STM: it’s fast, with IS, but I’m not sure about portraits with this focal length.

  • Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L II USM: super fast, no IS, still not sure about portraits with this focal length.

  • Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM: IS, quite fast, zoom lets me take portraits, but I’ve read it’s not very sharp.

  • Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM: IS, quite fast, zoom lets me take portraits (not strongly as the one above but still).

Here’s my situation:

  • I have Canon Eos R10 with the EF adapter.
  • My hands are shaky, so without IS I need to be at least at 1/125…
  • I like to keep ISO really low (<6400) if I can.
  • I kind of pixel peep (I know I don’t have the right because I’m crap but I can’t resist) so I like to take as sharp pictures as I can.

Which lens would you reccommend? Since I’m renting them I was thinking about going all in with the expensive ones, the cost won’t increase much. The primes are so bright I feel comfortable they will be bright enough, but I don’t know if I can take good portraits at 24mm. On the other hand, zooms let me do more things, but I don’t know if I can handle f/2.8 with my crappy and shaky hands.

Of course, if you can think of other lenses that would be perfect for the job I’m all ears!

Cheers

  • @AlbertSpangler
    3•3 months ago

    Longer fast primes can give you that tiny depth of field that gives that lovely separation between the subject and background. Pair with a bounced flash (assuming you’re indoors)* and you can get gorgeous images.

    Downside is if you’re in a smaller area, a longer lens can make it tricky to frame up properly (you may find yourself trying to become one with a wall). A shorter zoom can give you a bit more flexibility (forget a big range zoom, they’re too slow and you won’t use half of it).

    *Read it back, you’re outside! A diffused flash (ideally off-camera) can give you that nice separation closer up even with a slightly slower lens. I would try the 15-35, and a flash with an extension cord (and a diffuser attachment or bounce card!). Flash can also ensure you get a nice shutter speed (dunno what the shutter sync is on a R10, but you should be fine with the hand shake), and maybe a decent pair of gloves in case it gets cold as the night goes on!