The 35/1.4 and 85 are two of Canon finest optics. But let\'s face it, in the studio they are not as versatile as a zoom (especially in a small envirnoment) and the difference between them and a 24-70 or some other quality zoom at typical studio working apertures is not significant.
The 24-70L and the 24-105L on the other hand are much more versatile lenses and perform comparably at typical studio apertures. The plus to the 24-70 is that it is a better corrected lens in the lower end. Lack of IS is not an issue but the size and weight can be. For us the 24-105L is not that useable below 35mm, but the 105mm makes it a good studio portrait lens. The real surprise is the Tamron 28-75/2.8, which is considerably smaller and lighter weight than the 24-70L and performs to it\'s EQUAL between f4 and f16. It doesn\'t extend to 24mm, like either of the Canon lenses but, like IS, this is not an issue for us in the studio. And although it does not go to 105, like the 24-105L, it is much better corrected, like the 24-70L, in the lower zoom range. Focusing is notably faster on the Canon\'s but the Tamron is quite acceptable in the studio. If price is an issue, the Tamron 28-75/2.8 in a zoom and the Canon 50/14 in a prime are no brainers, especially for a crop camera. And both will work on FF cameras as well.
Good luck.
Dec 10, 2008 at 12:52 PM
Previous versions of Carmen Miranda's message #6471344 « shorter lens in studio »
