Which lens is better on a Canon T3i for portraits, landscapes, and astrophotography: EF 28mm f/1.8 or EF 24mm f/2.8 IS?
Asked 5/14/2013
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I use a Canon T3i (APS-C) and want one lens to take on a trip for portraits, landscapes, and some night sky photography. I’m comparing the Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM and Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM.
On a crop-sensor body, which of these is the better compromise? Is image stabilization more useful than the faster f/1.8 aperture for this kind of shooting? I’m also open to other lens suggestions if there’s a better all-around option for travel.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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You've really got some competing needs there. Portraits typically call for a normal to short-tele lens -- starting at 50mm or so (full-frame) or 35mm (crop). Landscapes and star photography tend to lean toward wider lenses, and on the crop-sensor T3i, you'd want to be at least as wide as the 28. As a point of reference, Canon's 10-22mm lens is generally considered one of the better options for landscape photography for crop-sensor bodies.
Both the 24 and the 28 offer reasonably wide maximum apertures, though, which can be helpful for astrophotography because you typically want to keep exposures below 20-30 seconds if you're trying to avoid star trails. One possible option to combine a landscape & nighttime lens would be to look at Tokina's 11-16mm f/2.8 lens, which usually ranks right up with Canon's 10-22 for landscape photography, and offers a reasonably fast maximum aperture. Maybe add in Canon's 50mm f/1.8 lens for portraits, and you'd have a fair chance at meeting all those needs.
Originally by user269. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user269
13y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
These are competing uses, so neither prime is ideal as a single do-everything lens on a T3i. For portraits on APS-C, a longer focal length is usually more flattering—roughly 35mm and up, with 55–90mm often preferred. For landscapes and astrophotography, wider is generally better, so 24mm is more useful than 28mm there.
For night sky work, maximum aperture matters more than IS. Image stabilization helps with camera shake, but it does not stop star movement, and astro shots often need short exposures to avoid trails. So between those two, the 28mm f/1.8 has the aperture advantage for astrophotography, while the 24mm gives a wider view for landscapes.
If you want one lens for all three uses, a zoom is the better compromise. The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM was recommended as a strong all-around option: wide enough for landscapes, usable for portraits at the long end, and a constant f/2.8 aperture. For even wider landscape/astro work, lenses such as the Canon EF-S 10-22mm or Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 were suggested, but they are less suitable for portraits.
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