Hi everyone, although I like to study the photography topic, I’m really a noob when it comes to practical terms.

I would like to take pictures at a family event which will take place in a garden in the evening/night.

Well, my gear is quite modest, and I know I don’t have what I need to take good pictures of both the place and the people there. I’m looking to rent a nice lens to carry around as I take pictures (and enjoy the party too! So I’m just taking one 😅). So I would really appreciate some advice on what to rent.

There are the four lenses I found while digging, two are primes, two are zooms:

  • Canon RF 24MM F/1.8 IS STM: it’s fast, with IS, but I’m not sure about portraits with this focal length.

  • Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L II USM: super fast, no IS, still not sure about portraits with this focal length.

  • Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM: IS, quite fast, zoom lets me take portraits, but I’ve read it’s not very sharp.

  • Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM: IS, quite fast, zoom lets me take portraits (not strongly as the one above but still).

Here’s my situation:

  • I have Canon Eos R10 with the EF adapter.
  • My hands are shaky, so without IS I need to be at least at 1/125…
  • I like to keep ISO really low (<6400) if I can.
  • I kind of pixel peep (I know I don’t have the right because I’m crap but I can’t resist) so I like to take as sharp pictures as I can.

Which lens would you reccommend? Since I’m renting them I was thinking about going all in with the expensive ones, the cost won’t increase much. The primes are so bright I feel comfortable they will be bright enough, but I don’t know if I can take good portraits at 24mm. On the other hand, zooms let me do more things, but I don’t know if I can handle f/2.8 with my crappy and shaky hands.

Of course, if you can think of other lenses that would be perfect for the job I’m all ears!

Cheers

  • KevinFRKEnglish
    4•9 months ago

    Advice you are probably already aware of (as IAMALlama has already given excellent technical advice):

    • Whatever you go for, do an experimental run in comparable conditions beforehand. Preferably two or three, especially if the event is important to you. Learn the lens and its quirks, and what post-processing can save.
    • Have you ever tried a monopod to address handshake? Much less in the way than a tripod, yet almost as good.
    • Focal length dictates the best distance at which to take any scene to “Fill the frame” (and v.short can also get a little disorienting). The resulting Depth of Field, which others have mentioned, also has an impact. Think about the sort of photos you are after, and make sure in particular those 24mm lens meet the requirement.
    • Think about backup kit and accessories (batteries, cards, …).
    • Make sure you also enjoy the event, not just get photos of it!
    • @HKPiaxOP
      2•9 months ago

      Thanks for the reply!

      I thought of the monopod, but the issue is always that all I can bring with me without the camera becoming too much of a hassle to carry around is the body and a lens, so I’m afraid I won’t be able to use the monopod.

      I’m sure the 24mm can do a bit of both scenery and portraits, I’m used to the focal lenght because I’ve used it for quite a while, though I prefer shorter for scenery and loonger for portraits.

      And you’re right, I need to keep in mind that I have to enjoy the party too, which is why I’m being so restrictive on the gear I’m taking with me, which is why I’m willing to take the most expensive lens there is for the job, because renting them won’t cost too much anyway!

      • KevinFRKEnglish
        3•9 months ago

        If you know the focal length, good - I just remember the first time I went well below 50mm!

        You know the events and their constraints: I mentioned it because the monopod is just to provide a rest, and not actual support it can be really light and collapse down pretty short. Sort of thing that can dangle from a belt.

        And enjoy the party!