Which Lens?

[jonrayner]

I have a Canon 400D with the standard 18-55mm lens kit. I am looking at purchasing some extra lens (a wide angle lens, a telephotos lens, maybe a replacement for the standard lens). There are so many out there, that I am not getting any closer to a purchase. My obvious choice would be to go for Canon IS USM lens (I don't think I can afford the L series lens), but cost is a factor. There are other makes such as Sigma & Tamron which may be in my price range. My main questions are:

1. Are there any prferences over make of lens, Canon, Sigma &
Tamron?

2. Are there any other makes that people would consider?

3. If you went for a Canon, what features would you look for, eg IS, USM?

4. If you went for a Sigma lens, what features would you look for, eg APO?

5. If you went for a Tamron lens, what features would you look for?

6. Is secondhand an option?

7. Are there any specific lens' that anyone could recomend?

Many Thanks in advance

Jon

[Snappers]

Hi Jon,
I'm no expert on lenses, however, I have always been led to believe that if your camera is Cannon, then go for the Cannon lens if you can afford. I have the sigma lenes for my Camera (Nikon)

The Sigma lens are very good but perhaps not as good as the lenses made specific for the make of camera. If you can afford, a cannon lens, you are probably better going for that.

Second hand is always an option, but it goes without saying that you should be careful where you buy it from and make sure there is no damage to the lens that would affect the quality of the pic.

[gsrkarts]

Hey Jon...
Im only new to this site and i came on here to ask the exact same question. I also have a Canon 400D and am looking for a new lens other than the standard twin lens kit that came with it. L series would be good, but i cannot afford them. IS USM lens are what i am looking for. I will keep an eye out for threads here as i am interested in the answers to your questions that you have posted.
Graham

[Snappers]

Hi gsrkarts, Welcome to the forum. Feel free to join in and post away.

[jonrayner]

Hi gsrkarts, welcome to the forum, Are you starting the course?

It's good to know there someone else with the same quest as myself, I am not alone!!!
I have narrowed my search down (quality and price range being the key attributes, trying to get as best quality within my price range) to some of the Canon USM lenses (would like an IS lens if I can afford it) and some of the Sigma APO lenses.

Will have to see how we go!

[LensBaby]

I would help if I could but Lenses is something that I can say I know NOTHING about YET! hahah

[nikkirose]

I am only new and don't know that much about lenses and can only tell you what I have and find works for me. I use a Canon 20D and have recently purchased a 5D. I only buy Canon lenses as mentioned by someone else - they are the sharper ones than other brands, but I have a friend who uses Tamron lens on her Canon and she is quite content with it.

(All my lenses are EF series)The Canon telephoto 90-300mm I find fabulous (I would have liked to buy the 70-300mm IS USM but could not afford it at the time). Because my kit lens is 24-85mm I am only missing 5mm / but the pain is that I have to change lenses more often.

I love my 100mm macro prime lens, and also the 50mm macro prime lens. They both do justice to portrait shots as well. The prime lenses are sharper I believe.

My latest purchase was a 100-400mm IS USM telephoto. I really like the results I am getting but this is one big lens and I am still only learning how to use it properly - what I find most interesting is that when I have this lens on the amount of people who come over to me to discuss the lens is huge - and when I ask them can I take their photo they are more than willing to co-operate. Wonder why that is?

I am saving up for a wide ange lens and will be purchasing the 16-35mm, but we are talking serious dollars so it will be another long while before I can buy it. Also I need to finish my course at ProudPhotography and learn how to photograph properly first.

I know Canon has a printed book with all their lenses pictured and with an accompanying photo to show you their effect and all the details listed - when I bought my 100-400mm the shop keeper let me read all about this lens before I purchased it, I just looked to see if I had the name of the book, but sorry I can't find it - it was something like "The Complete Book of Lenses" and it is only on Canon Lenses. Maybe your retail outlet knows about it or has a copy for you to read.
Nikkirose

[jerryph]

The prime lenses are sharper I believe.


In the olden days, this may have been true, but its not that true now-a-days. If you invest in good high quality glass (Canon "L" or EF glass), that quality level zooms are indestinguishable from primes.

In another forum someone did a test and challenged people to to tell which was the prime and which was the zoom. Of course it was impossible to tell without cheating (looking at the EXIF data).

I can also give you an example of where 3rd party lenses are sharper than the OEM counterparts.

In the 18-(55 to 70) class, Tamron, Sigma and Nikkor (Nikon) all have lenses in this division. Nikkor is the most expensive at $1500, but the $500 Sigma HSM beats them all in sharpness and throws in macro for free. The Tamron is also very sharp and just a little less than the Nikkor.

Tests were done by several different photography magazines and the results always came out the same... 1 - Sigma, 2 - Nikkor and 3 - Tamron.

There are times to buy primes (the nifty 50 for example), and there are times to buy zooms... just like there are times to by original matching brand name lenses and times not to.

It is lens dependant.

[nikkirose]

Good to know, thanks. I had not thought to go outside using Canon lenses. Anyhow that book I was speaking about is called "EF Lens Work 111 - The Eyes of EOS". It was published by Canon, and any retailer that sells Canon lenses should have a file copy for you to read. It is a hard cover book with 247 pages of very useful information, and photos and explanations of every EF and EFS lenses that canon has produced. Not sure if you can buy it, but my retailer let me loan it for a week after purchasing my long lens.
cheers, Nikkirose

[jerryph]

Oh, for a very nice wide angle lens, I would suggest you take a glance at the Sigma 10-20mm. Its not a fast lens, so its not fantastic in low light without a tripod, but the pictures it takes are stunning.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1336/934994494_a971b19b7c.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2123/2264260296_ab7464de51.jpg

[jonrayner]

Many Thanks for your input.

I am currently looking at 3 lenses:
Canon 50mm 1.8 prime lens (cheap but good quality, good for potraits)
Canon 17-85mm IS (a replacement for my 18-55 kit kens)
Canon 70-300mm IS (to get better range on my 'zooming')

Not sure whether they are the best lenses to go for, but not sure otherwise. Everyone seems to have a different opinion which all contradict each other. It all became too confusing, so I have decided to pick 3 lenses, that I believe are good lenses, and save up for them! Unless of course anyone can recommend anything different!!!!

[dkippen]

Jon -

I think this is a good choice of lenses. My next lens I think will be the 75-300 and then get rid of the Tamron. I'm finding that as I age, it's tougher to hold the camera still, so I think the IS will be a huge benefit.

[perfectoarts]

Well I have finally received my new babies....

Canon 40D camera and the latest edition, another lens....CANON EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Standard Zoom Lens.
What a dream to use. Cannot wait to actually get out there and trial some more.

[Snappers]

Sounds Great Ingrid. I can't wait to see some of the results you get with them.

[perfectoarts]

Here are some samples Andy. Took the new camera and lens out for a quick photoshoot at the Botanical Gardens.

[LensBaby]

Beautiful Ingrid! The color is amazing.

[Snappers]

Very nice Ingrid, I love the second one, the colours in that are excellent.

[jerryph]

With the small cost of the 50mm F/1.8, its a wonder that this is not in every camera bag out there! Small, fast, sharp and cheap!

[LensBaby]

Jerry that is what I am looking to buy. I have not decided if I want to buy a new "sony" one for 349.00 or buy one off of ebay. I always get outbid on ebay, and I am not the one to sit there and wait until the last minute! I can use Minolta lenses, so I am still thinking this over.

[jerryph]

I know that the Canon and Nikon versions are under $120. I bought mine for $105US shipped to Canada, and it works VERY well. I am not sure if there is a Sony equivalent.

[LensBaby]

WOW thats a great price. Yeah the camera shop down the street wants 499.00 for that Sony lense. They are out of their minds! The one on the sony web site is 349.00 (I have heard this is an awesome lense from a pro photographer)

[ladyups]

Sue, I have the Minolta 50mm 1.7 lens and I gave less than 80.00. I love it! I used it yesterday at my grandsons birthday party...I was pleased with most of the pictures. I'm still having issues with my flash...nothing wrong with it but the operator, but the lens was great!

[LensBaby]

That is what I need to get, but everytime I bid on one I get outbid. Can I see a photo that was taken with it?

[sophiesue]

Hi Guys
just wanted to say I have a great tamron 28-75mm lens that is really sharp If you read the online reviews it compares favourably with the canon L lens at less than half the price I am no expert but i love this lens

[ladyups]

That is what I need to get, but everytime I bid on one I get outbid. Can I see a photo that was taken with it?

Hi Sue,
I just took this one on Sat. The composition isn't great but it was a fast moving optical course for the army themed birthday party. It was super cloudy and spitting snow and light rain. I thought it did a great job of capturing this.

This second one was taken using all natural light from a north window.

[dkippen]

Mary - I think you did a great job on the first one, composition isn't that bad. It's something I'd be happy with.

[ladyups]

Thanks Debbie...if you had been there you would have been laughing your butt off. I was 'trying' to keep up with them as they ran the course and I was in about a foot of mud. It's a wonder I didn't fall face first in it..it was so funny!

[dkippen]

OMG - That would have been a Kodak moment. After I'm done playing with grandkids and they're still small, I realize I'm not 18 anymore. Takes me two days to recover for the crying out loud and I'm not that old.

[ladyups]

OMG - That would have been a Kodak moment. After I'm done playing with grandkids and they're still small, I realize I'm not 18 anymore. Takes me two days to recover for the crying out loud and I'm not that old.

Trust me...if I had fallen on my face, it WOULD have been a Kodak moment cause I'm right sure my daughter would have captured it! :D She was shooting right beside me. I'm out of here, got to deliver those dang brown boxes!

[dkippen]

Have a GREAT DAY!!

[LensBaby]

Thanks for the photos Mary. They are very good. I think you did a great job with both of them, and the first one is composed fine! As Debbie said, I would be happy with it. If that was me - I would have fell!

[brent-1986]

hi im looking at getting a nikon d300 and i would like to get a really really good lenes for it not a crap one is the nikon lenes good or is there better thanks

[perfectoarts]

Mary, I am just catching up on the forum (painting outside of house, so off the planet for sometime already)
The photos of the kids are lovely. How can anyone compete with them. The sheer innocense in their eyes is magic to me.
Here is grand daughter the other day having her first biscuit and apple. I took these all in one sitting testing out my new lens - Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM.
I must have been having a bored grandma day :)
Sorry I was trying to delete one of these images, but it did not work.

[jonrayner]

I have finally upgraded my kit lens, from the standard 18-55mm lens to the 17-85mm USM IS lens, and so far could not be happier. My shots, certainly in my opinion are much sharper and having the IS is helping a lot. One other thing that is noticeable is because the lens has USM, the autofocus is almost silent, it is fantastic! Now I just need to wait until Christmas to get the 70-300mm USM IS lens. There is always something else that I seem to need (or more acurately, want, I don't really need it, but it would be nice!!!)

[jerryph]

hi im looking at getting a nikon d300 and i would like to get a really really good lenes for it not a crap one is the nikon lenes good or is there better thanks

Brent, saying you want a Nikon lens is saying you want a vehicle. Do you need a:
- wide angle
- fast lens
- are you going to shoot birds from 2000 feet away
- 3/4" away from a bee
- Is your budget $50 or $50,000?

I already posted once in this thread that there is no such thing as a "best" lens. The best lens in a particular focal range, design or division is not always a brand name, they can be 3rd part lenses.

On top of that, sometimes the best choice is not always even the best lens. I own the Nikkor 18-200 VR and the twice as expensive Nikkor 70-200 VR ED IF F/2.8. The 18-200 is on my camera 5 times more often than the most expensive lens that I own... because of my needs. In this case, versatility over the need to get the best quality image. You know that if I go shoot weddings, though... the 18-200 stays at home.

Before asking about lenses... find out WHAT KIND of lenses you want based on your own specific needs. Also you can then give us more info to offer you an educated choice. You are asking the equivalent of "I need a vehicle, which one is good for me?". No one will be able to give you anything more than a ballpark guess.

Oh, as a small aside, it is considered bad form to ask another question in a thread where someone has opened a discussion based on their question. The polite thing is to start your own thread where the info offered is specific to your questions, and not someone else's. :)