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I'm considering getting a Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM lens for low-light photography (which includes cabin / cockpit shots, as well as maybe over the wing shots at night). If anyone has it and would like to comment, I'd love to hear from you.

A bit of background: I have a Rebel XTi and I would like a fast prime. The EF 50mm f/1.4 USM is the obvious choice, but on my 1.6x body it would just be too long. I think the 28mm woud be just right and would give me a more useful focal length overall.

I've read all the reviews I could find and the 28mm f/1.8 might be a bit soft wide open, and maybe soft in the corners (the latter apparently is not be a big issue on a 1.6x body). The softness issue is the only one that's preventing me from getting it. Let me know if this is really as bad as some people make it out to be.

Thanks in advance for any comments you might want to share,

Tony

28mm is too much for cockpits/cabins on a 1.6x crop camera IMO. You really need to get something in the 18mm or lower area.

Tim

Definitely agree with Tim, 28mm is not wide enough for cockpit shots. My lens of choice now is a 16mm Fisheye F2.8 usually with flash.

I have a Sigma 14mm F2.8 (non-fisheye) on order to use for interior shots.

Quoting TimdeGroot (Reply 1): 28mm is too much for cockpits/cabins on a 1.6x crop camera IMO. You really need to get something in the 18mm or lower area.

Quoting TopGun3 (Reply 2): Definitely agree with Tim, 28mm is not wide enough for cockpit shots. My lens of choice now is a 16mm Fisheye F2.8 usually with flash.

Hey guys,

Thanks for the replies. So, I also have a EF 17-40mm f/4 that I'm planning to use in most cases. I just wanted an alternative, when the light is really bad. The 14mm L would be nice, but it's just too damn expensive!!!

Tony

Quoting SNATH (Reply 3): The 14mm L would be nice, but it's just too damn expensive!!!

Then why not go for the 15 f/2.8? Its only a little more than the 28 f/1.8 and not nearly as much as the 14 L.

Quoting DM (Reply 4): Then why not go for the 15 f/2.8? Its only a little more than the 28 f/1.8 and not nearly as much as the 14 L.

The fisheye? Yeah, I considered it. I wanted something faster and with USM.

Tony

Quoting SNATH (Thread starter): 28mm f/1.8 might be a bit soft wide open,

At f/2.2 it's sharp as a knife. You do get some purple fringing at f/1.8 though, that's correct. I use a EOS400D as well.

It seems to be a nice lens on paper but apparently it suffers from bad corner quality.

Check out this extensive test: http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/lenses/canon_28_18/index.htm - and yes, that's on a crop cam...

Quoting SNATH (Reply 5): Yeah, I considered it. I wanted something faster and with USM.

I think both criteria are not so important for cockpit shots, I've a 15mm/2.8 fisheye but never used it wider then +/- F7.1 inside an A/C as you do need some DOF.
USM is a "nice to have" at best on a short lens with little travel but certainly not a requirement.

Quoting Aviopic (Reply 8): I think both criteria are not so important for cockpit shots, I've a 15mm/2.8 fisheye but never used it wider then +/- F7.1 inside an A/C as you do need some DOF.

True, if you were to take cockpit shots during day time you could still shoot around f/7.1-8 range and have nice results and if shooting at night the f/2.8 can still give you ok results but you can easily carry a small tripod around.