Should I get the 23mm f2?

[DashingElegance]

A couple of shots taken with the 23mm f2 in the few weeks since I bought it. It's a nice lens for capturing daily life

 

 

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Thank you for sharing this. I'm also looking for a prime lens that can replace my kit lens when night came. I can see that this 23mm f2 can really shoot great photo with minimum light.

I'm just still wondering what focal length is best for me 23 or 27 or 35.

 

 

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[Warwick]

I like the 35, and use it a lot, especially for head-and-shoulders portraits - but I find it too restrictive indoors and in enclosed spaces to have as a do-it-all lens. You can't get enough background in. The 27 is nice too, and small, but the 23 gives you an extra stop of light, an aperture ring and weather resistance. Taken with the 35:

 

 

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Edited May 11, 2017 by Warwick

[DashingElegance]

Thanks for sharing. I'm wondering if no OIS will get me a blurry image since I'm new with photography.

 

 

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[Warwick]

It won't. Modern sensors allow you to take pictures in surprisingly dim light - especially with a wide-aperture lens. If you look further up the page there are some might-time/dim light shots I took with the F2 lenses. It really isn't a problem.

 

 

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Edited May 11, 2017 by Warwick

[Nero]

Thanks for sharing. I'm wondering if no OIS will get me a blurry image since I'm new with photography.

 

 

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As long as you can keep your hands even a little bit steady, you'll be fine without OIS, especially at 23mm focal length. The wider the lens, the slower the shutter speed you can get away with. Just watch your shutter speed in different lighting and situations as you get used to the lens. A very general rule is that you should try to keep your shutter speed at 1/(focal length of the lens in 35mm equivalent). So for the 23mm, you should aim for at least 1/35 second to be safe (that is assuming that your subject is not moving). If it's slower, then open up your aperture a little bit or increase your ISO.

 

I have pretty steady hands, so I've found that I can usually get away with down to 1/20 second using my 23mm. As I get older, that will probably change, but for now I can do it! If I'm running really close to my limit for handheld shots, I'll usually take 2 or 3, which isn't a bad idea anyhow regardless of shutter speed if you think it's a good shot.

 

About 85% of my photos are done with the 23 and 35mm primes and I have zero problems without OIS. You'll be fine once you shoot with it for a little bit and find your own limits for handheld shutter speeds.