kit lens question

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koffiejunkie

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For those who have it. I'm going to an event where I would like to take my camera but would also like to be able to pass it around some that I'm in at least some of the pictures.

The 40D doesn't have an AF assist lamp, instead it strobes the flash when you half press the shutter. This confuses people too much, so I have disabled that, so that AF works only on contrast. This works well enough with my fast primes, and mostly with my 24-105 f/4. But this lens gets in the way of the flash and I'm going to need something with a more usable range. I decided the Tarmon 17-50mm f/2.8 is now justified, but I can't get it in time. I can, however, get the regular kit lens delivered tomorrow morning.

So my question, is the kit lens too slow for unassisted AF in very low light situations?
 
I know from what I've experienced with my kit lens that when it gets a bit too dark it struggles to get focus and it just hunts. The other night i tried taking photo's in a hall with fluorescent lighting above white draping and there was enough light to see but the lens just struggled to focus. Ended up manually focusing most of the time
 
Thanks, I suspected as much. One thing I have figured out is that the USM in my 24-105L contributes enormously to AF performance in low light. My non-USM/HSM lenses just don't compare. I dare say my low light AF is better on the 24-105 f/4 L IS USM than on the nifty-fifty or my 35mm f/2 - despite the two stop difference.

Anyway, I have decided against it. I'll probably take my P&S or the 35mm f/2. Better save my money for the 17-55 f/2.8.
 
The kit lens hunts though no worse than the 50. Low light means low contrast. Why not use your sigma flash?

Btw. I tried to get my built in flash to strobe and failed. And yes,.it was enabled in the Cf. Very odd.
 
I don't really want to take the flash. I'm even reluctant to take the 24-105 - I am attending the party as a guest, not the event 'tog (there will be one). Passing the camera around when it's got the flash mounted makes me uneasy. And it gets pretty heavy. The pop-up flash is strong/good enough for the occasion - it's just not high enough above the camera to clear the end of the 24-105 :(
 
Put a piece of masking tape over the popup. :)
 
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