Need help in Lens/Flash Decisions

[griffina6]

Originally Posted by peripatetic

You keep referring to your kit lens as the 17-55 so it's not clear which version you have. Canon have released three 18-55 lenses, the first two were very average and the last one (with IS) is very good.

In your listing above I believe it would be the third option. It has the IS but the aperture is something like 3.5 to 5.6 (don't have it in front of me now but something like that). I notice that the AV jumps from 3.5 up to 4 and beyond with the slightest movement in the zoom.

So, based on everything I have read (maybe info overload) the two may be a wash based on Canon have the IS and Tamron having the f/2.8 throughout.

Thanks again.

[griffina6]

Originally Posted by NHL

John and Gritty are quite right except the flash output is cut by more than 1/2 depending on how high the shutter speed is in high-speed-sync - Check the GN table in your flash manual, the higher the shutter speed the less output the flash will put out (i.e. HSS won't stop motion blur) - Sometime theses series of pulses may even work against you:
http://webs.lanset.com/rcochran/flash/hss.html

Thanks NHL. I read through the information last night and think I need to read it a few more times.

[NHL]

It looks like they have removed the HSS guide number table from the newer manual - but this note should say it all:

[algold]

Originally Posted by griffina6

...Do others agree that the kit lens would function better or equivalent for indoor occasion (kid's birthdays, senior luncheons, boy scout ceremonies, to name a few) shoots as the Tamron?
...

if you will be shooting indoors with flash and the lens stopped down to f/4-5.6 the results will be the same , probably your 18-55IS kit lens will focus a bit faster and quieter than Tamron. Another thing about Tamron is its zoom ring that rotates in the opposite direction to the Canon lenses, which drives me nuts sometimes .
Tamron is a good lens, but optically it's not that much better (if at all) than your kit lens. On the other hand you can't shoot your kit zoom at f/2.8 . Have fun with your new toys.
cheers,
Alex

[griffina6]

Originally Posted by algold

if you will be shooting indoors with flash and the lens stopped down to f/4-5.6 the results will be the same , probably your 18-55IS kit lens will focus a bit faster and quieter than Tamron. Another thing about Tamron is its zoom ring that rotates in the opposite direction to the Canon lenses, which drives me nuts sometimes .
Tamron is a good lens, but optically it's not that much better (if at all) than your kit lens. On the other hand you can't shoot your kit zoom at f/2.8 . Have fun with your new toys.
cheers,
Alex

Thanks Alex.

Well the new toys did arrive today. Hopefully, this will give me some practice time before the birthday party next Saturday.

In case any others are considering the same type of “upgrade” I am adding these unscientific first shots comparisons.

All were shot within a few minutes of each other, hand held sitting in recliner in RAW with Canon 50D and using bounce flash off ceiling with new Canon 430EX II flash.

In each shot I tried to focus on the deck of cards on the table.

No PP was done except opening in Adobe Bridge then to Photoshop and Save as JPG.

Of course this is not scientific but it is a little odd that the wide angle with the Tamron appears a little darker even with the higher aperture. But on second look I think this is due to the blurred back and foreground with the 2.8 aperture. It also appears to me that the Tamron shot @ 50mm f/5.6 is sharper than the 50mm f/2.8. Maybe I was not consistent holding the camera (a tripod would have been better)???

My initial thoughts are:
The Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 lens is fine but may not be much of an upgrade from the Canon 18-55 IS 3.5-5.6. I did read before hand that it zooms in opposit directions as the Canon lenses (hopefully this will not come into play as much as zooming in and out for soccer etc... with he 70-200). This is probably more of a lateral move.

The ADVANTAGES are probably a little wider angle for those tight areas or wide group shots and yes it does offer 2.8 for low light when flash is not an option (or not allowed ).

The DISADVANTAGES are it does not have IS and I just spent an extra $450.00!

So if you need a lens along this line, it is a CHEAP alternative to the higher quality Canon 17-55 f/2.8 (as has been well documented) but not as cheap as the plastic but apparently good Canon 18-55 ID kit lens.

Comments are welcome.

And yes those are my feet you see.
Andy

1. Canon @ 18mm, BounceFlash, F/3.5, Speed 1/100, ISO320


2. Tamron @ 17mm, Bounce Flash, f/2.8, Speed 1/100, ISO320


3. Canon @ 55mm, Bounce Flash, f/5.6, Speed 1/100, ISO320


4. Tamron @ 50mm, Bounce Flash, f/5.6, Speed 1/100, ISO320


5. Tamron50mm,BounceFlash,F2_8,Speed100,ISO320