How well does the canon 10-22mm lens perform in low light?

Question

say when photographing a city or buildings like in LA, NY, or such at night. And then when photographing in environments such as a wedding

Answer 1

It works well for getting wedding shots of the chapel, interior shots, showing the guest seating, etc. when you can't back up enough. Obviously you're not going to shoot a wedding with ONLY this lens, but I find it very useful at most of the weddings and events I do. Since this is the widest lens you get, the low light performance isn't really the point, but it performs well wide open and is only about a stop slower than the best f2.8 zooms. You can handhold it at pretty low shutter speeds, but for buildings at night you still need a tripod.

Answer 2

I agree with jettoblack about how you'd use this lens at a wedding. Obviously you'll need a longer focal length for most of the photos - the Canon 85mm f1.2 or f1.7 comes to mind here.

Now as to using any lens in low light/night photography you will definitely need a tripod. You'll also need a cable release to hold the shutter open for long exposures unless the shutter on your camera has a 30 second minimum shutter speed (you can manage with a 15 second minimum shutter speed). Your camera will be in Manual Mode since you'll be setting everything.

Suppose you want to photograph the city skyline after dark in the distance. My trusty FotoSharp (fotosharp.com) Day & Night Exposure Guide suggests these settings:

ISO 50

f2.8 @ 8 sec.
f4 @ 15 sec.
f5.6 @ 30 sec.
f8 @ 60 sec.
f11 @ 120 sec.

ISO 100

f2.8 @ 4 sec.
f4 @ 8 sec.
f5.6 @ 15 sec.
f8 @ 30 sec.
f11 @ 60 sec.

ISO 200

f2.8 @ 2 sec.
f4 @ 4 sec.
f5.6 @ 8 sec.
f8 @ 15 sec.
f11 @ 30 sec.

You can also create "light trails" by finding a vantage point overlooking a busy highway. Headlights will be long streaks of white, taillights long streaks of red. If you're fortunate enough to have the city skyline in the background all the better.

You can create interesting effects by composing at a wider setting and then carefully zooming in during the exposure. Just be careful to not jar the camera. I like to use my 70-210 zoom for this.

I have been known to set up my tripod on the passenger side in my car and mount a camera with a motor drive, a long cable release and a 28mm lens at f8 and, using ISO 200, drive down well-lit streets while holding the shutter open for 15 to 20 seconds. This is especially neat after its rained.

IMO the Day & Night Exposure Guide is a worthwhile addition to any camera bag.

NOTE: Use a piece of dark cloth to cover the viewfinder to keep stray light from possibly affecting your exposure.

Answer 3

I wouldn't use the EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM for shooting at a wedding. You would probably want a lens with a longer focal range. And also one that either has IS, or is faster (f/2.8 or wider).

It's a good lens for landscapes and architectural shots etc. Night shots, mounted on a tripod would be ok.
Check out the links below for reviews of this lens, as well as recommendations...