ugh im so annoyed right now. ive been trying to shoot my friends band at this super dark underground venue in downtown austin next weekend and my kit lens is literally useless. the lighting is awful and pics are way too grainy. im shooting on a canon 90d and my budget is strictly under 300 bucks cause im broke after fixing my car. ive been staring at lenses for three days straight and im completely losing my mind trying to figure out whats actually worth buying. right now im torn between the nifty fifty 50mm f1.8 and the sigma 30mm f1.4 art. the sigma seems wider and better for tight indoor spaces but its pricier and finding a used one thats not beat up is stressing me out. then again the 50mm is cheap as hell but might be way too zoomed in on an aps-c sensor like the 90d since crop factor is a nightmare. should I just grab the cheap canon fifty or save up a bit more and hunt for the sigma so I dont regret it immediately...
man skip the 50mm for tight venues, you'll be backing into walls. grab a used Sigma 30mm f1.4 DC HSM Art instead, totally worth hunting down for crop sensors.
Regarding what #1 said about man skip the 50mm for tight venues, you'll... I actually have to disagree a bit on totally writing off the nifty fifty. While crop factor makes it tight, the Canon EF 50mm f1.8 STM is insanely sharp for the price and lets in a ton of light at f1.8. That said, if the venue is truly a cramped basement, you might struggle with the focal length. I would suggest looking at the EF-S 24mm f2.8 STM as a middle ground. It is dirt cheap, pancake thin, and gives you a true wide field of view on your 90D without breaking the bank. Sure, f2.8 isn't as bright as f1.4, but the 90D handles ISO pretty well if you need to push it a bit. Make sure to check local listings for used gear before buying new.
Regarding what #2 said about "Regarding what #1 said about man skip the..." - honestly camera gear prices are completely out of control these days. Companies just charge way too much for plastic lenses and act like they're doing us a favor. It drives me crazy how broke you get just trying to shoot a simple gig.
- Used market is pure chaos right now
- Everything decent sells in two seconds
- Shipping costs are ridiculous It feels like you cant win no matter what you pick. Everyone has a totally different opinion and it just makes your head spin when you are trying to make a choice. Good luck with the venue shoot tho, sounds like a nightmare setup.