Which is better for a dark indoor event: Canon EF 135mm f/2L or 70-200mm f/2.8L IS?
Asked 10/4/2013
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I’m shooting a large indoor event with dim ambient light and want candid photos without getting too close to people. I’m deciding between renting the Canon EF 135mm f/2L and the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS (original version), both at the same rental price.
The 135mm is faster and lighter, while the 70-200mm offers zoom flexibility and image stabilization but is much heavier. My current kit includes a Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 7D, EF 24mm f/1.4L, EF 50mm f/1.4, EF 85mm f/1.2L II, and a Speedlite 580.
For a dark, busy event with people moving around, which would be the smarter rental choice?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
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In the past when looking for a bit more reach/separation I've experimented with both the Canon 100 f/2.8L IS and
I found the IS of the 100mm not to be that useful when using ambient light only since shooting at 1/50s or 1/25s leads to subject motion blur in a lot of cases (especially when people are gesturing, laughing etc.) In most cases I had to use 1/100s or higher thus I found the 135 f/2.0 preferable (it also has the advantage of greater subject isolation).
The same would probably be true of the 200 f/2.8L IS, unless shooting right at the 200mm end at people who are relatively still (however I found 135mm to be about the limit for indoor event shooting, I've never succeeded in using a 200mm).
Here are some examples of the 135L indoors, bounced flash (you have to zoom it and get the angle right so it's hitting the ceiling above your subject, otherwise you loose too much power):
Here are some examples of an indoor event shot with the 135L, bounced flash (you have to zoom it and get the angle right so it's hitting the ceiling above your subject, otherwise you loose too much power):
Having said that I don't use the 135 f/2.0 that often indoors due to space concerns.
A few more random indoor 135 f/2 shots (the church ones were darker than they look!)
Originally by user1375. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1375
12y ago
0
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If you must choose between those two, the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS is usually the safer event lens because the zoom range is more useful than the 135mm’s extra stop. At a large indoor party, 135mm can be too long much of the time, while 70-200mm lets you frame wider or tighter as the scene changes.
That said, image stabilization won’t solve subject movement. In dim light, people laughing, gesturing, and walking will still blur unless you keep shutter speeds fairly high, so the IS advantage is limited for active candids. The 135mm f/2 can help more with exposure and subject separation, and some shooters prefer it indoors for that reason, but it’s less flexible.
Given your existing kit, many photographers would actually lean toward using your fast primes and flash, or renting a 24-70mm f/2.8 instead, since that focal range is often more practical for indoor events.
So: choose the 70-200mm if versatility matters most; choose the 135mm only if you know you want tighter candid shots, lighter weight, and can live with a fixed focal length.
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