Is the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 a Good Upgrade for Automotive Photography?
When considering an upgrade to your camera lens for automotive photography, the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 becomes a focal point. This lens offers a wider range of options compared to your current Canon 18-55mm II and 50mm II lenses. However, it also comes with additional weight and bulk. Let’s break down the pros and cons to help you decide if this lens is truly a good upgrade.
Weight, Range, and Depth of Field
The Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 will be larger and heavier than your existing lenses, but it offers the same range, making it a potential alternative. It is a one-stop faster, meaning it opens up a world of opportunities for capturing automotive photographs with a shallow depth of field. While the depth of field is narrower, you can always reduce the aperture to f/4 or f/5.6 to achieve a similar effect to the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens.
Comparing Bokeh and Speed
One of the most significant advantages of the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 is its bokeh and speed. The faster aperture allows for better background separation and faster shutter speeds, which can be crucial in dynamic situations like car shows or pit stops. However, the 50mm f/2.8 lens remains a fixed focal length but is faster, providing more control over the depth of field and additional speed.
Between the two existing lenses, you already cover most of the advantages offered by the Sigma. However, if you are looking for lighter and more versatile options, bringing a single lens like the Sigma can indeed help with portability and convenience. If your priority is not to carry less equipment but to enjoy the benefits of a wider aperture and faster lens, the upgrade might be worth considering.
Lens Attributes and Image Quality
The two key attributes that the Sigma lens offers over a kit lens are overall image quality and a fast f/2.8 aperture. While higher image quality is a definite advantage, the faster aperture is where things get interesting.
Framing a Rich Data of Automotive Photography
From an automotive photography standpoint, an f/2.8 lens in that range is a valuable asset. While you may not use it frequently for on-track coverage, it can be incredibly useful in the pits or at car shows. The shallow depth of field can help in isolating details on cars and people, which is a common task in these environments. For example, when shooting at 95mm with an f/2.8 lens, you can see the subject isolation clearly.
However, as you get closer to your subject, a shallow depth of field can work against you. Stopping down to f/4 or f/5.6 can help keep your entire subject in focus. In my own experience, it was surprising to find that I had a hard time finding a detail shot at f/2.8 in my automotive photos. Often, achieving the shallow DoF effect in automotive photography requires stopping down to a narrower aperture.
Panning and Stopping Down
Automotive photography frequently involves panning, which may appear to have a shallow depth of field but is usually achieved by stopping down to maintain a slower shutter speed while following a moving subject. In most cases, you’ll find that you need to stop down to achieve the desired framing and focus.
While the improved image quality is a positive attribute, you are likely to use the lens wide-open on occasion, but not as frequently as you might think. The value comes from the combination of image quality and the fast aperture, making it a versatile tool for automotive photographers.
In conclusion, the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 is indeed a promising lens for automotive photography. It offers a wider range, faster aperture, and better depth of field control, but the decision to upgrade should also consider the additional weight and bulk. If you value image quality and the ability to capture sharp, isolated details with a fast aperture, this lens can be a significant upgrade.