Canon 135mm or Tamron 24-70mm

[Dylan777]

Given your needs, the 24-70 would be the best choice. The 135 is a great lens, but is quite long for most event shooting unless you're a good 30+ feet from the subject (i.e. back of the church, across the room, or behind the first couple of rows of tables at a reception). The 70-200 (2.8 or 4) IS is going to be better for events, too, as subject motion isn't usually a big deal so IS works well. The 24-70 is also much more versatile, as you say. The 135 is best for headshots and candid photos, and while it was my first L (for headshots), it's probably not a great lens to buy until you've got the basics covered.

+1 with mackguyver on the 24-70 lens. Looking at OP gear, the 24-70 fits well.

 

[JPlendPhoto]

Once again, not an easy decision to make…

 

[gshocked]

Hi,

Both are great lenses. I love using the 135mm lens, it's very (very) sharp but not as versatile. I've found it too close at weddings if you were to use it as a primary lens. It may be a great option if you have a second shooter or second body to capture closers shots or just to change your shot types.

The Tamron is getting great reviews, although if you can rent it first. Or better yet, go to a camera store or a few and try it out. If you are desperate and need a lens now then go for the Tamron. If you can wait it out and therefore save some more money the get the Canon 24-70 f2.8 II. I personally did this and haven't regretted it. I thinks that's the thing at the end of the day. You don't want to end up with the Tamron, only wishing you should've got the Canon.

I also agree with some of the posts that the Canon lens will be worth more in the long run than the Tamron. The comes the build quality. The Canon lens is a tank, it very solid. The IQ is top notch and the focus speed is amazing. Don't get me wrong the Tamron is worthy lens and surely can put pressure on Canon to lower their price but after using both side by side for a few days, I kept going back to the Canon.

Have a look at this review:
http://youtu.be/wcsnsJUKhAg

Just a few things to consider.

 

[adhocphotographer]

My advice, wait for this new Sig 50mm 1.4 art lens.

+1 great idea!

 

[fragilesi]

Northstar, I have a Canon 50mm f/1.8 so I don't feel the need to replace that right now, the main prime I am interested in is the 135mm, but as people have been saying, a 24-70 may be better for me at this time.
I also have to disagree in part, but yes I guess the Canon would last longer.

Sanaraken, I live in the UK and the cheapest I can see the Canon 24-70 is at £1800, so I don't see how I can get it much cheaper.

Hdew Cameras have it for £1399 at the moment. Not everyone's cup of tea but two L-series lens purchases and a 70d later and I have no complaints. The only proviso of course if you follow this suggestion is that it's mandatory that you lend it to me at the weekend .

 

[rs]

Northstar, I have a Canon 50mm f/1.8 so I don't feel the need to replace that right now, the main prime I am interested in is the 135mm, but as people have been saying, a 24-70 may be better for me at this time.
I also have to disagree in part, but yes I guess the Canon would last longer.

Sanaraken, I live in the UK and the cheapest I can see the Canon 24-70 is at £1800, so I don't see how I can get it much cheaper.

The current cashback offer which doesn't cover this lens is due to end in the UK on 26/01/2014. As many of the big camera manufacturers are trying to get/keep sales numbers high, you'll more than likely see another cashback offer start soon after, which may include this lens.

I bought it last time around while there was £235 cashback. After cashback and price matching, it cost me £1514 from John Lewis, including a two year warranty.

 

[RLPhoto]

Get the tamron. I did try the Canon mk.2 version and it's stupendously sharp, but not a 1000$ more sharp. You could almost buy the tammy and the 135L for the price. I don't won't buy the Canon 24-70 until it has IS and even then, the tamron does such a good job.

What is far more important than either of those two is speedlites. There are times where you need to make your light.

 

[mrsfotografie]

My advice, wait for this new Sig 50mm 1.4 art lens.

+1 great idea!

Yes, I find 24-70 zooms kinda... boring 8)

I love my 24-105 for its versatility, that extra 35 mm really is worth the slower aperture. When I need a wider aperture I prefer to go to a prime instead of a 'compromise' 24-70 f/2.8. That's my take.

 

[JPlendPhoto]

Northstar, I have a Canon 50mm f/1.8 so I don't feel the need to replace that right now, the main prime I am interested in is the 135mm, but as people have been saying, a 24-70 may be better for me at this time.
I also have to disagree in part, but yes I guess the Canon would last longer.

Sanaraken, I live in the UK and the cheapest I can see the Canon 24-70 is at £1800, so I don't see how I can get it much cheaper.

Hdew Cameras have it for £1399 at the moment. Not everyone's cup of tea but two L-series lens purchases and a 70d later and I have no complaints. The only proviso of course if you follow this suggestion is that it's mandatory that you lend it to me at the weekend .

Now at £1399 I am very tempted. I see that their stock is not from the UK. What if something goes wrong with it, will Canon still fix it under the warranty or does it not come with a warranty because it's not UK stock, compared to if I brought it from say Amazon?
Haha Maybe...

I do like the look of the Sigma 35mm f/1.4

 

[fragilesi]

Northstar, I have a Canon 50mm f/1.8 so I don't feel the need to replace that right now, the main prime I am interested in is the 135mm, but as people have been saying, a 24-70 may be better for me at this time.
I also have to disagree in part, but yes I guess the Canon would last longer.

Sanaraken, I live in the UK and the cheapest I can see the Canon 24-70 is at £1800, so I don't see how I can get it much cheaper.

Hdew Cameras have it for £1399 at the moment. Not everyone's cup of tea but two L-series lens purchases and a 70d later and I have no complaints. The only proviso of course if you follow this suggestion is that it's mandatory that you lend it to me at the weekend .

Now at £1399 I am very tempted. I see that their stock is not from the UK. What if something goes wrong with it, will Canon still fix it under the warranty or does it not come with a warranty because it's not UK stock, compared to if I brought it from say Amazon?
Haha Maybe...

I do like the look of the Sigma 35mm f/1.4

I did quite a lot of background searching on this and it seems that as long as you have a UK VAT receipt the warranty is honoured. I've had no reason to test that situation yet though myself but there are a fair number of posts on various fora saying it does work like that.

 

[7enderbender]

Depends on what your main next goal is and what style you're approaching I guess.

I have and love the 135. It works great for those environmental sneak up portraits during events. It has a great look and it's just my thing. What I always find odd is that people want faster, non-f/4 lenses for low light. Yes, you can do that too but for me it's primarily about control over DOF.
For everything else there are speedlites etc.
Yes, I know there are those moments at a wedding where you can't use it.

For the standard stuff during the reception your f/4 lenses are just fine I would argue. In fact their benefit is that they are lighter. And you probably shoot at 5.6 or 8 anyway.

Fast primes serve a different purpose in my view.

If you'll do more weddings you could also look at the 100L macro. Serves well for portraits, has IS if you like that and of course is a macro lens for ring shots and other details.

That’s my problem; I don’t know where I am going with my photography. I am pushing for weddings but my next one is not for a while. I am interested in architecture and landscapes, which is why I will definitely be keeping my 17-40mm, for now anyway.

Having faster lenses for weddings, from my experience, is needed especially in low light. Going all prime is something to consider, but with my experience I don’t think I should be doing that now.

Ok, kick me if you want but I'm going to say it anyway:

1. I personally don't believe that fast lenses are for low light - certainly not in this day and age given our 10000 bizillion ISO settings and modern flash technology. You know, in my day, we had 400ASA film and a 1.4 lens - and we liked it! - And I love my fast primes - but for shallow DOF not to deal with problematic light situations. {off the soap box}

2. I can totally get the not-sure-where-to-go-with-my-photography part. Same here. It's not a "real" job but still something I like on the side. And the little income here and there is really more for the satisfaction of it if that makes sense. Weddings? Yeah, they can pay really well comparatively speaking - I hear. Still doesn't interest me. Dealing with crazy mother of brides? Thanks. Been there done that back in the days as a DJ during college.
But if you decide to do so may I ask if you have proper liability insurance etc? If not spend your money maybe on that first before buying another lens...

 

[mackguyver]

2. I can totally get the not-sure-where-to-go-with-my-photography part. Same here. It's not a "real" job but still something I like on the side. And the little income here and there is really more for the satisfaction of it if that makes sense. Weddings? Yeah, they can pay really well comparatively speaking - I hear. Still doesn't interest me. Dealing with crazy mother of brides? Thanks. Been there done that back in the days as a DJ during college.
But if you decide to do so may I ask if you have proper liability insurance etc? If not spend your money maybe on that first before buying another lens...

LOL - no weddings for me, either, and I still don't know what kind of photographer I am, either. I own a kit that's ideal for event/wedding photography but have little interest in it. I love nature photography. I sell landscape & wildlife prints, but make most of my photo money shooting architecture & lifestyle stuff. I love shooting portraits, but never seem to find the time. I have lights but no studio, and the list goes on... Someday I'll figure it out. Until then, I'll just have fun trying to decide what I want to shoot

 

[Zv]

2. I can totally get the not-sure-where-to-go-with-my-photography part. Same here. It's not a "real" job but still something I like on the side. And the little income here and there is really more for the satisfaction of it if that makes sense. Weddings? Yeah, they can pay really well comparatively speaking - I hear. Still doesn't interest me. Dealing with crazy mother of brides? Thanks. Been there done that back in the days as a DJ during college.
But if you decide to do so may I ask if you have proper liability insurance etc? If not spend your money maybe on that first before buying another lens...

LOL - no weddings for me, either, and I still don't know what kind of photographer I am, either. I own a kit that's ideal for event/wedding photography but have little interest in it. I love nature photography. I sell landscape & wildlife prints, but make most of my photo money shooting architecture & lifestyle stuff. I love shooting portraits, but never seem to find the time. I have lights but no studio, and the list goes on... Someday I'll figure it out. Until then, I'll just have fun trying to decide what I want to shoot

Me too, I dabbled in weddings but I don't see that as something I want to actively pursue. They are good practice though! The planning and execution is one thing but the thinking on your feet part and adapting to the changes part is fun too! Only prob is if you get it wrong it's your ass!

To OP - You need something in the general 24-something range, not only just for weddings but almost every other thing. I would say the Tamron is the best solution for you. Fast and has IS.

Like 7enderbender pointed out having Image Stabilization and a high ISO will take care of low light situations. The fast aperture is not that necessary anymore in my opinion too. My zooms are all f/4 and I prefer them to the 135L for "low light" because of IS. I can't shoot the 135 handheld at 1/60s without IS or tripod. Thus it limits it's usage to shallow dof effect only. And that is where it excels!

I think it's good to build up a zoom trinity first then buy your primes.

 

[rs]

Northstar, I have a Canon 50mm f/1.8 so I don't feel the need to replace that right now, the main prime I am interested in is the 135mm, but as people have been saying, a 24-70 may be better for me at this time.
I also have to disagree in part, but yes I guess the Canon would last longer.

Sanaraken, I live in the UK and the cheapest I can see the Canon 24-70 is at £1800, so I don't see how I can get it much cheaper.

The current cashback offer which doesn't cover this lens is due to end in the UK on 26/01/2014. As many of the big camera manufacturers are trying to get/keep sales numbers high, you'll more than likely see another cashback offer start soon after, which may include this lens.

I bought it last time around while there was £235 cashback. After cashback and price matching, it cost me £1514 from John Lewis, including a two year warranty.

SWPP show prices for this lens are £1549 with park cameras and £1530 with camera world.

 

[JPlendPhoto]

I think for now I will avoid Hdew Cameras and others like them, especially when spending a lot of money like that.

7enderbender, I see what you are saying but I guess the main reason l would like fast primes is for, as you say, shallow DOF.
I have shot a number of weddings over the past few years, but I feel it is best to do a bit of everything, weddings, landscapes...
Yes I have been looking into insurance.

Mackguyver, architecture is something I am very interested in. How do you make money out of this type of photography, if I may ask?

Zv, I am still very tempted by the Tamron.
Tamron - Good price, VC, sharp in the centre
Focus and zoom rings different to Canon lenses, not sure if I like that
Not as fast to focus compared to the Canon
Not as sharp in the corners compared to the Canon

Canon - Sharp throughout, great build quality
Would probably last longer than Tamron and re-sell value will be higher
VERY expensive lens

Rs, £1549 is getting better, I guess you need to join SWPP to be able to take advantage of these prices?

 

[rs]

Rs, £1549 is getting better, I guess you need to join SWPP to be able to take advantage of these prices?

It's a camera show/photography convention in London, there are another couple of days left:

http://www.swpp.co.uk/convention/

Trade entry is £6 on the door (if you're a pro, I think a business card or equivalent might convince them on the door).

Camera World were better still at £1530. I didn't grab a shot of that show price though.

 

[JPlendPhoto]

Rs, £1549 is getting better, I guess you need to join SWPP to be able to take advantage of these prices?

It's a camera show/photography convention in London, there are another couple of days left:

http://www.swpp.co.uk/convention/

Trade entry is £6 on the door (if you're a pro, I think a business card or equivalent might convince them on the door).

Camera World were better still at £1530. I didn't grab a shot of that show price though.

I see, thanks. Did you get that list of prices by going to the the trade show?

 

[rs]

Rs, £1549 is getting better, I guess you need to join SWPP to be able to take advantage of these prices?

It's a camera show/photography convention in London, there are another couple of days left:

http://www.swpp.co.uk/convention/

Trade entry is £6 on the door (if you're a pro, I think a business card or equivalent might convince them on the door).

Camera World were better still at £1530. I didn't grab a shot of that show price though.

I see, thanks. Did you get that list of prices by going to the the trade show?

Yes

 

[JPlendPhoto]

Rs, £1549 is getting better, I guess you need to join SWPP to be able to take advantage of these prices?

It's a camera show/photography convention in London, there are another couple of days left:

http://www.swpp.co.uk/convention/

Trade entry is £6 on the door (if you're a pro, I think a business card or equivalent might convince them on the door).

Camera World were better still at £1530. I didn't grab a shot of that show price though.

I see, thanks. Did you get that list of prices by going to the the trade show?

Yes

Nice

 

[fragilesi]

I think for now I will avoid Hdew Cameras and others like them, especially when spending a lot of money like that.

That's fine, it was a leap of faith for me and I'm yet to give it the ultimate test of getting a warranty repair, long may that continue. I only offered it because it's helped me get the kit that I really wanted at times.