Camera and lenses suggestions for low light

Discussion in 'Beginner Questions' started by Lee, Dec 12, 2019.

  1. Lee

    Lee New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2019
    Messages:
    3
    Hi everyone.
    I am looking to take up photography. My main interest is street photography/cityscapes at dawn, dusk and at night. I have no interest in video.
    I am assuming that full frame is the way to go because of the larger sensor?
    I borrowed a friends Sony A7R3 and zoom lens and decided that I like the 35mm and 85mm focal length, so I am thinking of buying these fast primes to begin with.
    I have not worked out a budget yet but am looking to spend much more on the lenses than a camera body.
    Any equipment suggestions and / or advice in general, would be very gratefully appreciated.
    Thanks
    Lee
     

  2. johnsey

    johnsey Site Moderator Staff Member Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Apr 21, 2017
    Messages:
    2,120
    Location:
    Fargo, ND
    Equipment:
    5dMk4, 5dsR, 5dMk2, 20D, 70-200 2.8L IS, 100mm 2.8 Macro USM, 50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.8, 17-40mm 4.0L, TS-E 24mm 3.5L II, Rokinon 14mm 2.8; Pixma Pro-100
    Your on the right track, a newer camera/processor full frame camera will give you great ISO performance which will be very helpful for your shots in such low light. You can look at fast primes 35/50/85 are all great choices for street photography. You don't have to buy the most expensive pro lens for each of those sizes, the mid priced primes perform pretty well, but the extra stop of light shooting wide open will be nice to have.

    If you think you want to go with a zoom, I highly recommend jumping up to the L and get a f2.8 and I would base that purchase off what you feel you need that your not getting from the primes, so wait on grabbing a zoom right away. For example if you shoot more around 35mm but want some extra room to go wider then maybe get the 16-35. Either way I think you'll like the performance and how compact the primes are over the zooms which can be a bit bulky and heavy for street photography.

    I don't think you'll need anything extremely wide based on the subject matter but a fish-eye can be fun for some specific shots so you can probably leave that to last to round out your options. There is a 8-15 f4L zoom or a hand full of 14mm prime options in EF mount. I bought the manual focus Rokinon a couple years back which is actually a pretty decent performing lens for a fraction of the cost of the Canon one; and I can justify the lower cost one given the frequency I use it.
     
  3. Lee

    Lee New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2019
    Messages:
    3
    Hi Johnsey, thanks for taking your time to reply.
    I was thinking of spending about 1/3 of my budget (£2000 ($2680)) for the body and The remaining on lenses. It seems that bodies are "updated" more then lenses. I am assuming that a good/great lens today, will still be good/great in 5 or 10 years time.
    Do you think my budget is realistic?
    You mention "newer" camera/processor. I was considering an EOS 6D body, beacuse of the 20Mp sensor (better light gathering?).
    In the UK (from a used camera website), prices range from around £350 to £600 depending on the condition . The price for a 6D Mk2 is £900 upwards.
    Thanks again for your reply.
     
  4. johnsey

    johnsey Site Moderator Staff Member Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Apr 21, 2017
    Messages:
    2,120
    Location:
    Fargo, ND
    Equipment:
    5dMk4, 5dsR, 5dMk2, 20D, 70-200 2.8L IS, 100mm 2.8 Macro USM, 50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.8, 17-40mm 4.0L, TS-E 24mm 3.5L II, Rokinon 14mm 2.8; Pixma Pro-100
    Well I would strongly consider the Mk2 honestly, it was made in 2017 and uses a digic 7 processor. The Mk1 was 2012 and uses a Digic 5 processor. So the ISO performance should be noticeable given the 5 year difference. And given that the price drop this holiday season on the MK 2 is such a big drop from 1800 to 1200 I think you can argue having a new camera with a warranty would be nice over a 7 year old used camera.

    Either way that gives you enough to get a couple of those primes. I will definitely give the thumbs up to the 50mm 1.4 and 85mm 1.8. I have no experience with the 35mm as one of my first EF lenses was the 17-40L 15 years ago and its still going strong, so I had the 35mm range covered. To answer that question about longevity the higher grade lenses are built more rugged than the plastic ones and you shouldn't really have to re-purchase them ever, but even with heavy use they should last 5-10 years. Camera electronics can can fail over time.
     
  5. Lee

    Lee New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2019
    Messages:
    3
    Thanks very much!
     

Share This Page