Lens Advice Please

[kennez]

My wife is letting me buy a new camera, and she's actually encouraging me to get a 5D3. Anyway, I'd be getting it with the 24-105 kit lens, but I want to get an additional lens to go with it. At some point in the future I want to get a 70-200mm, but considering I need to get a complete setup (moving from a Four Thirds Olympus E-410), I don't really want to get that straight away.

I'm considering either the 50mm f/1.4 or the 85mm f/1.8. I mainly shoot portraits of family members, and mainly outdoors shots of my toddler and other kids, but I want to start with indoors stuff, hence the fast primes.

Any suggestions which would be a better choice?

 

[Random Orbits]

Which focal length did you prefer for portraits in the four thirds system?

 

[CharlieB]

The 24-105 will do just fine for regular portraiture.

Consider this - to keep the tip of the nose and eyes in focus... takes about f/4 to f/4.5 or so to do anyway.

How about something wide... 17-40?

 

[CharlieB]

Or close ... 100/2.8USM or 100/2.8L-USM-IS

 

[RS2021]

My wife is letting me buy a new camera...

"Letting me" *chuckle*

 

[sagittariansrock]

You already have a good general purpose portrait lens in the 24-105.
Exploit the advantage of FF by getting a fast normal lens- you'd love it.
I have a crop dSLR and various lenses- but when I am in a whim I just take out my Élan 7 and 50 1.8- and I really enjoy the shooting (although not the scanning afterwards).

 

[RS2021]

As you mention indoors first, you may find the 85mm a bit too tight especially if you are talking kids moving around. 85 in cramped spaces would suit mostly tight head shots... 50 1.4 performs well for its price and would serve indoors better framing a bit wider. Speaking for myself, I prefer the 35L more indoors over the 50mm, but in your case the 35mm may be a tad wide when you venture out for portraits...or may be not . Or may fall out of your budget or you may have to choose non-canon lenses in that focal length...But I digress... If the choice is between 85 and 50, I'll go with the 50.

You can always zoom in for tighter shots walking forward with the 50; but you can't always walk back into walls to accommodate the 85mm for wider shots. Otherwise both are at par and are really good lenses.

 

[ddashti]

I'd definitely go for the 50 f/1.4.

 

[rpt]

For outdoor kids shots the 70-200 f2.8 will be great. My suggestion is just get the 5D3 with the 24-105 kit lens. See what shots you are missing and then get that specific prime or zoom. You see, you will be able to crank up the iso to 12800 as opposed to 1600 in your 410. I don't know what the 1600 iso pics of the 410 looked like but my 300D pics looked like they had chicken pox!

In my case I got the 40mm and the 100L macro. The 100L is a superb lens. The 40mm is a great generic lens. Btw, I already have the 100-400 so that is why I did not get the 70-200...