Would this do ok for primarily indoor portraits? I'm not looking at this as a heavy traveler as I use a 50D and 70D for that but for something to use during holidays and other special family events.
302396
I have used it for portraits...with and without flash/lights. The key is to use a tripod and a remote "trigger." I have used both the Canon 85mm f/1.8 and Canon 70-200 F/2.8 L lenses. As long as you are not creating a poster-sized photo - don't let the 8.2 MP scare you.
2072504
F. Dudek,This lens would be ok. The speed of the lens is ok, as far as f/stops go. The focus speed might not be up to the task. Also the focal length of the lens might be a little short for what you want to do. However, at $100 you wont find a better value lens, it is worth having. My suggestion would be buy the lens and try it. If it doesn't work it will still be great for home indoor photography. If it doesn't work look at the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens, it has just as fast aperture, has faster ring USM focus, and has a little bit longer reach. For even more reach look at the Canon EF 100mm f/2 USM Telephoto Lens. F. Dudek,This lens would be ok. The speed of the lens is ok, as far as f/stops go. The focus speed might not be up to the task. Also the focal length of the lens might be a little short for what you want to do. However, at $100 you wont find a better value lens, it is worth having. My suggestion would be buy the lens and try it. If it doesn't work it will still be great for home indoor photography. If it doesn't work look at the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens, it has just as fast aperture, has faster ring... » Read More F. Dudek,This lens would be ok. The speed of the lens is ok, as far as f/stops go. The focus speed might not be up to the task. Also the focal length of the lens might be a little short for what you want to do. However, at $100 you wont find a better value lens, it is worth having. My suggestion would be buy the lens and try it. If it doesn't work it will still be great for home indoor photography. If it doesn't work look at the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens, it has just as fast aperture, has faster ring USM focus, and has a little bit longer reach. For even more reach look at the Canon EF 100mm f/2 USM Telephoto Lens. « Show Less
143449
This is a dedicated macro lens, but can certainly be used for indoor portraits with sufficient lighting. I have used it as a telephoto lens with excellent results since it's considered a 'prime' lens and is tack sharp. Tripod not necessary if your exposure is correct for shooting at a minimum shutter speed of 1/40.
873514
I have had no experience indoors. I use it for real estate pictures, outside. Its a great little lens for my work.
464338
Absolutely! It's a great focal length for portraits, and great Bokeh. Take a look at KenRockwell, dot com he has a review and a sample portrait shot, Bokeh and all...
858189
Hi, thanks question. I think this lens is good for portraits. My recommendation is AF-S 50mm F1.8G, AF-S 35mm F1.8G. If certain distance is short focus , would be good if necessary zoom can afford. Thanks in advance.
2120239
It will do well for portraits and close-up macro photography with enough light. I do like this lens for what it delivers for its price. It does hunt in low-light though, but if you know its application it is fine.
1250347
I haven't used this lens specifically for portraits only for long distance shots indoors and outdoors. It worked well for those purposes.
788650
Yes. This is very much a low light camera, with both a 'fast' lens (f1.8 wide angle to f2.8 at full zoom) and fast film speeds (up to around ISO 2000 without serious pixelation). If your specific need is a low light camera for indoor use where the (only) 5x zoom is not a limitation then this is probably as good as you'll find.
1429330
I think it would work great for that. The optics are amazing...I took it on a safari and got some amazing photos. The only concern I could potentially see you having is the stop if you are shooting indoors. They make one that opens up further, however it is nearly double the price. I don't typically shoot low light, so I can't give you any advice here. I found it to be a pretty incredible lens.
1260706
This lens is only to be used with tripod (a very stable one) this is the only use for indoor sports I recommend to use a lens with stabilization or you will seriously struggle unless you can deal with cranking up the ISO and the shutter speed above 1/500 or even more and see how lucky you get you will seriously struggle for that kind of activity. as much as you can try to use a 70G200 or a 18 to 200 mm if you use Sony or above they will not be as cheap option as this one but to be honest this kind of lens is kind of going back to the 70`s and the definition you will get will not be as good and you will have to manually fine tune for each shot. I got it to experiment a bit though I feel like a paparazzi when I used it :-S I will only use this on daylight, outdoors, on a tripod and to a fix distance otherwise will do my head in. I hope you find it useful. P.S. This Opteka is the same cheap lens and Samyan, Rokinon, etc....so to me it is like a white label product cheaply manufactured in China with very simple design, not bat quality build but not a proper lens. Put your money on a piggy bank and get a proper lens for the desired activity. Cheers!
1759794
Oh, I'll add this:"Great for indoor" yeah that's matketing lingo for "this lens has a big, fast maximum aperture of f2."All lenses are mostly "good for outdoors/broad daylight". But faster max apertures can suck in more light than others which is particularly useful A) if you want amazing bokeh and shallow depth of field (B) you're inside and have horrid light and the extra 2-3 stops will get you the shot.
835237
My wife is a Realtor, and i do all the photos for her listings. This lens is excellent for interior photos. I almost always use a tripod with two or three remote flashes. Just make sure you keep the lens level, especially at the wide setting.
682868
I primarily use this camera for sporting events and landscapes with a tripod. It captures incredible photos. It can also be used for studio portraits with great lighting. I would say the cameras you already have would be better for holidays and family events. Keep in mind that that this camera body is about 20 years old now, so the technology is out dated. If you want a professional Canon 1D body, I would recommend you look into the Canon 1D Mark III or IV depending what you are able to afford.
784514
Yes, this lens is top of the line. Beautiful results. Keep in mind its 85mm its not a long lens but its not short, a 50mm is perfect indoors. I use my 85 for tight portraits. here's my image taken with my 85mm 1.2 http://500px.com/photo/27766557.
1784424
No, this is perfect for portraits, unless you have been using a 105mm. Lense is a little bit heavier than if you went with fixed focus, but the 24-70 is just perfect for indoors & the f/2.8 let's you keep you ISO at about 200 & still shoot without flash. WARNING: Don't use lens hood with on-camera flash at less than 45mm. You will get a shadow at the bottom of picture.
987396
I think it would be great on a D700 given it is a full frame sensor. It might be hard to keep moving children in sharp focus with the aperture wide open but if you do it will give great portraiture shots with a great bokeh effect. This is truly one of my favorite lens now even over my 70-200/2.8. It gives that professional look.