Wow, its been a while since I've been here! *waves* Still taking Disney photographs, of course, as I do live right near Disney. But with Christmas coming up, my parents have suggested that maybe they could get me a new lens, and well... I have no idea which one I want! I work with the Canon EFS 55-250mm on my T3i usually. I usually do parade/show photos at Disney, and then headshot photoshoots outside of the parks. A friend of mine suggested the Canon EF 70-200mg f/2.8. (She has the 4.0, but wants the 2.8 as well.) But that is WAY too much for me to ask for for Christmas. And so, I'm at a loss of what to look at, and thought... perhaps my fellow Disney photographers might have some ideas! I'm looking for something that gives great zoom, and has a better f stop than my current lens. What is YOUR favorite lens to use when shooting parades/shows? What do you recommend?
If you're in the market for a 70-200, you might want to consider looking at the Tamron or Sigma versions, or look for a used Canon. Tamron has a rebate offer going on. Rent one and try it out. LensRentals.com has a "try it then buy it" program. I always recommend looking at the EXIF information of a shot that you like. Granted, it may have been cropped or otherwise processed, but at least you'll know the focal length and aperture used for the original shot. For daytime parades, the 70-200 2.8 wide open is a good choice. I also like my 28-300; it's slower and the DOF is not as shallow except at the long end, but daytime parades usually have plenty of light and you can't beat a wide zoom for flexibility. At night, I like both my 50 1.4 and 85 1.8.
Thanks for the replies guys! I've been looking at the two knock off brands suggested, and am now weighing pros and cons. Everything I've read suggests that Tamron is sharper/better, but does not do well with auto-focus. Sigma does well with the auto-focus, but is not as sharp as the Tamron. And seeing as how the brand Canon lens is out of my price range, its got to be one or the other. I shoot movement, always (parades, shows, and family events) so I feel like auto-focus is important... but then again, so is image quality. Sigh. So wanted to see if anyone had some personal experience they could share when it comes to these lenses?
