PTA Mom needs help buying the right lense!!!

[TaxiMom]

This is my first post. I have read through the Lens Buyers Guide (Rex914) several times and these threads and found them very helpful. Because I'm on a tight budget, I've been looking on ebay the past couple of months for the best lens or lenses to fit my needs, but am still unsure of which one(s) to purchase. I'm wondering if anyone out there has any recommendations for this novice photographer.

I purchased a second-hand Canon 10D digital camera with a 50mm f/1.8 prime lens from a friend about 6 months ago. I'm very happy with my camera, but the lens limits me in the range of activities that I am shooting. I am not an experienced photographer, though I have enjoyed taking pictures of my friends and family for as long as I can remember. For the past two years I've been the PTA Yearbook photographer at our local school. I've mostly used a 35mm or digital point and shoot, but do not like the quality and limitations. The range of activities vary largely from low-light situations (concerts, assemblies, theater/plays, indoor sports & activities) to outdoor events, such as fieldtrips, activity days, and sports. The majority of the school's activities during the year are inside (because of cold winter months) and many times will only allow photography without a flash. The students are moving in about 75% of the photos I take and so I end up with a lot of blurry pictures that are unusable. Many times the subjects are on a stage or a place where I cannot get close to them. I borrowed a telephoto lens from a friend who also has a 10D and was so excited about getting such great close-up (w/no flash using ISO 400) pictures of the students in the school play. The LCD viewer showed crisp & clear pictures, but couldn't believe how out of focus they were after printing them! I was so disappointed. Is there such a lens allowing me closer shots in low light without the blur?

So, my question is...what kind of lens do I buy for these multiple situations on a budget? It seems to me that I may need to purchase at least two different types. And/or would an extender be better to add to my prime? I only have about $500-600 to spend total and will have to settle for now on a good quality used lens from ebay or elsewhere. (And by the way, I don't always spend my time taking PTA photos, but my own family and kids are involved in a variety of activities as well.) I'm enjoying photography and my Canon DSLR so much, that I'm planning to take a photography class after Christmas. This photography thing is very addicting and rewarding! I'm really looking forward to getting the right lens to help make my photos and experience even better.

Thank you in advance for your help and recommendations.

[RichNY]

You've got a few issues.

The blurry pictures mean you are not using a fast enough shutter speed. You are probably going to need to shoot at 1/125 or 1/250 to eliminate the blur. Are you shooting in Auto, or Tv mode? You might need to change your ISO setting to allow a fast enough shutter speed with the f-stop you want to be using.

Indoors you are going to need to be using a fast lens such as your 1.8 or possibly a 2.8 if you get lucky. Again you are going to need to turn your ISO all the way up in order to capture the image properly.

There are 2 fast primes in your price range
80mm f/1.8 $340
100mm f/2.0 $390

I think you will be happiest if you were to get one of the above primes for low light indoor use and perhaps a slower zoom like the $190 Tamron 70-300 f/4-5.6 for outdoor use.

There are other zooms you could also consider but I think you might want to be thinking about using two lenses rather than one for your goal.

[BonjiB]

Save up for a sigma 70-200 f/2.8. It's about 750 bucks and is really what you need (unless you can find a used one...?) The 2.8 will allow faster shutter speeds which will allow you to freeze more motion and shoot in lower light. Short of a prime i can't really suggest anything that will be better for the price. A zoom lens will serve you more if you're looking for sort of an all in one lens. Another option would be the tamron 17-50 f/2.8 which i personally can say it rocks. But that's not a very telephoto lens. Really for what you're decribing you need at least a 2.8 with a 200mm range which the sigma 70-200 f/2.8 EX will give you.

[TaxiMom]

Thank you both for your suggestions! I was wondering if buying another prime would be better for my needs. I've also been looking at the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 on eBay and am glad to know that it was one that is recommended for my situation.

I know that blurry photos happen because of a slower shutter speed. I was shooting in Auto mode...should I have used Tv? And I did set the ISO to 400, but was told not to turn the ISO up all the way because of digital noise. How true is this and how high should I turn it? Also, I'm wondering if the blur was caused by this photographers hand shake. I thought of using a tripod during the play, but the kids were all over the stage and seemed impossible to get the mobility I needed at the time. Any sugguestions?

I'm sorry if I'm sounding dumb about all of this....this is all new to me and I'm learning as I go. Reading these forums have been so helpful! One more question---in Rex's Lens Guide he wrote about lens extenders. Would buying an extender to add to my 50mm prime be a good option, or should I spend a little more money and get the 100mm instead? Would I be compromising a lot in picture quality by getting an extender?

Thanks again for your help. You guys are great!

[TenD]

Thank you both for your suggestions! I was wondering if buying another prime would be better for my needs. I've also been looking at the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 on eBay and am glad to know that it was one that is recommended for my situation.

I know that blurry photos happen because of a slower shutter speed. I was shooting in Auto mode...should I have used Tv? And I did set the ISO to 400, but was told not to turn the ISO up all the way because of digital noise. How true is this and how high should I turn it? Also, I'm wondering if the blur was caused by this photographers hand shake. I thought of using a tripod during the play, but the kids were all over the stage and seemed impossible to get the mobility I needed at the time. Any sugguestions?

I'm sorry if I'm sounding dumb about all of this....this is all new to me and I'm learning as I go. Reading these forums have been so helpful! One more question---in Rex's Lens Guide he wrote about lens extenders. Would buying an extender to add to my 50mm prime be a good option, or should I spend a little more money and get the 100mm instead? Would I be compromising a lot in picture quality by getting an extender?

Thanks again for your help. You guys are great!

Try using a monopod if you think you are part of the blur problem, it's pretty mobile and will add a bit more stability to your set up, this is what sports photographers use so they can move quickly. The Sigma will be a decent lens, some fast primes will be good too. What I mean by fast, is f/2.8 or faster(smaller numbers=faster), fast means the lens can present a larger aperture(opening)to the scene, larger apertures allow the lens to gather more light.
Going to the rehersals and watching for scenes that have bright lighting and less action will help you in selecting the scenes to photograph. Shoot the dress rehearsal, that will allow you a lot more lee-way in moving around the stage to get photographs, you may even be able to use a flash during the dress rehearsal.
As for the extender, nothing is free. When you add an extender to a lens you lose light, 1 stop for a 1.4x and 2 stops for a 2x, and there is a degredation of image quality depending on the quality of extender you use.

[RogerCicala]

If you're most interested in a fast, longer lens for the plays and such, the Canon 200m f 2.8L is a superb lens that can be had for under 500 on eBay pretty regularly. It won't help your closer shots but is an awesome quality lens. I'd also second the previous poster's suggestion of a Sigma 70-200 f 2.8 but they're pricier.
In the mid range I think the Tamron 28-75 f2.8 is an exceptional value for about $300 used, but its not as fast as the 50 you're using now.