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As an adjunct to the Tangents blog, the intention with this forum is to answer any questions, and allow a diverse discussion of topics related photography. With that, see it as an open invitation to just climb in and start threads and to respond to any threads.
70-200 F4 IS or 70-200 F2.8
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Hi Neil , hi All,
I'm only a few minutes old on this forum but with already a question.
The Tangents site and Neils work has been a kind of a blow to me..I am a amateur photographer for quite some time doing studio work ..but this site has got me thinking to do some on location portraits, hence the need to get a good all round portrait lens ..so my choice (and my budget ) is leading me towards the 70-200 lens.
Since both lenses mentioned above are around the same price range (at least in france) I do not know which one to choose.
The 2.8 is heavier and non IS , the F4 is lighter with IS..my aim is to obtain the kind of bokeh and smooth backgrounds that we see when the lens are full open ..can you tell me or indicate a link where I could see some pictures taken at f2.8 & f4 ? Does this one stop really create a noticeable difference ? Not easy to judge by myself.
I tried comparing my 100mm 2.8 macro lens at f2.8 and f4 but I'm not sure what the 70-200 will show.
Sorry for being so long. -
I have both of these lenses and my answer would be neither. I'd be looking at an 85 1.8 or a 100 2.8 IS macro or a 135L. All cheaper smaller, faster and better for a specialist portrait lens. As much as I like the flexibility of the 70-200's I'd never use one for portraits unless I broke my 135L.
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alexd,
I have a Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VR II (the Nikon equivalent of the Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS). You can use the 70-200mm focal range as a portrait lens, but traditionally the 85-100mm focal length is considered portrait territory. The only physical limitation is that you need about 4 feet between the camera to your subject before it can auto-focus. You can get some really nice portrait shots. Neil has posted portrait shots using the 70-200mm lens.
Of the two lenses you narrowed down to, the 70-200mm f2.8 is more versatile. The one stop difference can be significant. However, the lack of IS on it may make low light portrait photography slightly more complicated, since you need to keep the camera stable. -
Alex ... a blog post just for you. :)
http://neilvn.com/tangents/2011/01/11/depth-of-field-aperture/
I hope it answers your question.
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