Wider angle lens for indoor photography?

Question

I'm an amateur photographer and only just picked up my first DSLR (went for a 50D with a basic 18-55mm Canon IS lens) and was considering purchasing a wider angle lens such as the Sigma 28mm f/1.8-22 for around $400 AUD, or a Canon EF 28mm f/2.8 for a little less to allow me to take photos of groups of people in rooms and buildings without breaking the bank.

I'm in a band and we'll be recording early next year and I thought I would get a moderately cheap wide angle lens to be able to take photos in studio-sized rooms (often small) and venues in particular where a wide FOV would give me room to breathe.

Am I correct in assuming these would be the types of lenses that would work well in these more enclosed spaces? Would a prime lens be the way to go for this?

Would they also be usable for outdoor short DOF shots (such as nature macro shots)?

Thanks for any advice you can give me.

Answer 1

The lenses you list aren't very wide on a 50D, so I don't think they'd be particularly good for tight-quarters indoors shots.

Your kit lens is already quite a bit wider; it's good advice to see how you fare with that, then you can work out where to go next.

If the kit lens doesn't turn out to be wide enough, then one of the best options going are the various third-party ultra-wide zooms in the 10-24mm range. They get much wider than the kit lens. Unfortunately, they're not as inexpensive as the 28mm primes; AUD$800 seems typical if my Googling is any indication, and the Canon 10-22mm is around AUD$1300.

For macro work and short DOF shots, you typically need a longer lens than the 28, and preferably a wider aperture than the kit lens. The kit lens might work at extremely close distances, but if you've got a particular interest in this, than the "thrifty fifty" (Canon's 50mm f/1.8) is a very popular choice. And it's about their cheapest lens, so hard to go wrong. Macro-specific lenses run a little more, but will enable you to work with some extreme close-ups.

Answer 2

You may find that the kit lens works well for you, although it's not got such a wide aperture (which would help you in low light) - it's also wider than the primes you're looking at, and is also stabilised which will be a bonus if you're shooting hand-held in low light. I'd suggest using this for a while and see how you get on -- it'll also allow you to examine the EXIF information in your photos to see which focal length(s) you tend to use, before splashing out on a lens that you then find you don't make the most of.

The kit lens also focuses quite well at near distance, and whilst not a true macro (which is defined as the image on the sensor being at least life size), you may find it suffices until you can stretch to one of the dedicated macro lenses.