last week I used 16-50mm for event pics... but I hadn't telephoto lens such as 60-250, 50-135, and 85mm....

I want to have telephoto lens for event pics...

between 85.4 and 60-250, which one should I buy??

[Chaos_Realm]

last week I used 16-50mm for event pics... but I hadn't telephoto lens such as 60-250, 50-135, and 85mm....

I want to have telephoto lens for event pics...

between 85.4 and 60-250, which one should I buy??

To start with, these are two completely differently lenses. Both are fantastic lenses in their own right. My personal opinion would be to look for a fast zoom for events such as the sigma/tamron 70-200 2.8 with sigma being my pick.
The 50-135 has WR and is a little smaller & lighter than the 70-200 2.8 range but you can get some really nice portraits at the 200mm end.
The 85 is fantastic for portraits and low light but doesn't have the flexibility of a zoom. The 60-250 might be a bit slow if you have to shoot in low light as its only F4, and realistically the extra 50mm reach isn't all that significant on the long end.
Just my two cents.
By the way I have the Sigma 70-200 F2.8 EX DG HSM Macro II and it is excellent. It has fast silent AF, it's good at 200mm F2.8 but becomes excellent when stopped down and in the 90-150mm range. PLus I like the colour over the Tamron.

[liukaitc]

indoor event or outdoor event
for indoor event, 50-135 is a better choice.

[lollypop]

Another vote for 50-135 although AF is a bit slow. It is small and lightweight. I had a SIGMA 70 200 but never regret replacing it although I miss extra 70 mm sometimes.

[snostorm]

I agree with liukaitc and lollypop.

IMO, the 50-135 is a much better choice for indoor events, especially if you are going to use an on-camera external flash for any of these. The significant extra weight of any of the 70-200 f2.8 zooms makes them unusable for me for this purpose, but YMMV -- the extra reach might be worthwhile if you are often forced to shoot from a fixed position that's farther away than ideal, but if you can move around, the smaller lens is physically a lot easier to handle for relatively high volume shooting during a long event.

Personally, I'd find an 85 prime to limiting for event shooting, and the 60-250 way too big and intimidating (as is the 70-200/2.8). Also, the f4 max aperture of the DA* 60-250 can sometimes be something of a handicap for focusing indoors, but that depends on the venue.

I'd also consider adding a fast 50 (f1.4 or f1.7) for those lower light situations that always seem to pop up. These are small and light, so not too much of an extra burden to carry.

Scott

[Frogfish]

An alternative to the excellent 50-135 is the even more excellent Sigma 50-150/2.8 HSM ! Faster AF and super sharp. I use it for events all the time.

Although discontinued in Pentax mount one comes up for sale on forums maybe once every 4-6 weeks. Get on as many Pentax forums as you can if you want to find one.

[Verglace]

I'm gonna go against the flow here and just say, 77ltd. The compression from 70-135 doesn't vary that much (to me anyway), and you can always zoom with your feet or crop, the difference magnification between those focal lengths aren't much too. If 77 is too short, maybe the Sigma 85? Or even the Tamron 90mm which is also an excellent portrait lens.

My opinion is only if you are using the lens purely for events, if you would like to use it for other purposes that require more magnification then something over 200 would be what I would recommend.

I'm not going to use the lens for event mostly.... just some moments...