Buying advice - replace lens, go prime, or just get another camera?

[JamesV]

I'm not an expert, but I like taking photos while I hike and camp. A few years ago I bought a Canon T3 with the kit lens (18-55mm IS), but that lens bit the dust after a week of torrential rain in Allegheny National Forest. I still have a 55-250mm lens, but I want something that is better for landscape photos, because I'm leaving for the Smoky Mountains in about a week.

I could replace the kit lens (18-55mm IS) for around $200, but the T5 is on sale (with the same lens) for $400. I've seen the T3 body used for $200-$300.

I was also looking at the prime 50mm F/1.8 to replace the kit lens for $125, and like how it's better at low light, but some people say it sucks for landscapes, while others say it works great. I'm also unsure if I'll get any good pics without image stabilization (I don't use a tripod). This the cheapest option, and I'm tempted to just do it.

So, I'm looking at :
1. Just buy a replacement 18-55mm lens for $200
2. Buy a 50mm F/1.8 for $125
3. Buy a T5 for $400 which comes with the standard lens, and sell my T3 body

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Scooby Doo]

Never hurts to have a nifty fifty...
Also the T6i and T6s are coming very soon, with some descent upgrades (24Mp, 19 point AF)

 

[carlton_fritz]

I'd go with the new camera. New tech and warranty. IS isn't as critical on wide shots. Having said that, I hope your 55-200 has IS for the wildlife you will see. if not, make sure you use 1/300 second or faster for best results. the newer camera should be better at higher ISO. Experiment how high you can go before the image quality drops below your acceptable limit. Are you looking at the T5 due to monetary concerns? If money is not an issue, consider a FF camera so you can get really wide. I also agree with Scooby Doo about the 50.

 

[JamesV]

My 55-250mm does have IS. It's a cheap lens ($250) but I've gotten some great shots with it.

Since I'm not planning on being a professional, and rarely upload pics (generally just for me and to have on my desktop), I don't want to drop big money on expensive equipment.

I listed the T5, because at $400 it seems like I can get a better camera and the kit lens, then sell my T3 body for $200. In the end it would be the same price as buying a replacement 18-55mm for my T3, but I'd end up with a better camera.

 

[carlton_fritz]

Make sure to take an extra battery and flash card. Nobody wants to run out of juice or storage space.

 

[ControlD]

I think every Canon owner gets a nifty fifty at some point, and it is a pretty decent lens to have around. However, on a 1.6x crop body a 50mm makes a really poor choice for landscapes. It really isn't even a great walking around lens IMO because with the crop factor it is like walking around with a 80mm lens.

Might as well go for the newer body + kit lens and throw in a fifty too!

 

[Trombe]

If you're going to buy a new body I would step up to aT5i/SL1, much better than the non-i versions thanks to tilting and higher resolution screen, touchscreen on T5i, etc. If you want to just replace the lens, check out eBay, very good likelihood of scoring an 18-55mm STM (stepper motor) for less than $100 because people are constantly breaking up kits they buy and selling off the kit lenses.

Canon refurbished site here with sales if refurbished doesn't bother you: http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/c...&pageView:grid&minPrice:&maxPrice:&pageSize:& I dunno how much longer they'll last (maybe just today since it's supposedly for Mother's Day), but $350 for SL1 with kit lens, $480 for T5i with kits lens are pretty solid deals. If you must, the T5 with kit lens is available for $300 there too, but IMO for $50 more for the SL1 it's basically a no brainer in comparison.

 

[Scooby Doo]

The Canon Loyalty Program is pretty much useless, they made changes and the % off just isn't worth it anymore. The 55-250 IS is a pretty good zoom, especially given the price. The T5 is just a neutered version of T5i. I've heard the T6 series is having sensor issues at the moment, but beside that it's basically a 70D-lite.

Also don't forget the 40mm 2.8 STM. I haven't touched my 50mm 1.8 since I got the 40, sharp even at 2.8

 

[CuriousMike]

I want something that is better for landscape photos

The 50 is a great lens for lots and lots and lots of reasons. Landscapes ... not so much.
35mm... not so much.
24mm... not so much.
18mm ... that's where you want to be ( or wider - I think Canon has a good 17-40.)

I'd be looking on CL for the kit 18-55 - I have to believe you can find it for $100.

 

[Paladin3]

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Auto Focus Lens at Adorama is $104 used in E+ condition.

You can't really compare a 50/1.8 prime to an 18-55/3.5-5.6 wide-zoom. One is a wide and the other is a short telephoto, completely different lenses. The 50mm will give you better image quality, and it opens up to f/1.8 for low light shooting. The zoom only opens up to f/3.5 and is relatively soft at that maximum aperture compared to the 50mm wide open.

Primes are always nice to have for their speed and image quality, but you need to carry a few of them to replace a general purpose wide zoom like the 18-55mm. But if you need the speed of a prime, a slow zoom just won't do. And if you need to be at 18mm to get the shot, then a 50mm just won't do.

New camera? Unless it has features that will get you photos you otherwise couldn't get, just stick with what you have and invest in glass instead.

 

[CuriousMike]

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Auto Focus Lens at Adorama is $104 used in E+ condition.

BAM !

 

[Scooby Doo]

The 50 is a great lens for lots and lots and lots of reasons. Landscapes ... not so much.
35mm... not so much.
24mm... not so much.
18mm ... that's where you want to be ( or wider - I think Canon has a good 17-40.)

I'd be looking on CL for the kit 18-55 - I have to believe you can find it for $100.

The 11-18 is also a pretty good wide angle starter-kit and it complements the 18-55.

 

[carlton_fritz]

If you want wide, 1.8 and high image quality, spend a few more $$, About 600 of them, and get http://www.adorama.com/SG1835DCEOS.html

http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/sigma-18-35-1-8

 

[Scooby Doo]

Apparently Canon just released a replacement for the nifty fifty... a pancaked nifty fifty.
About the same price as the cheapie plastic version this looks good.

http://www.canonrumors.com/2015/05/canon-u-s-a-introduces-new-ef-50mm-f1-8-stm-lens/

 

[artemicion]

At the risk of sounding like a Pentax fanboy for making the second recommendation in this forum, you could sell both your T3 and your 55-250 and buy a Pentax K-50 kit with a 18-55 mm lens ($400) or with both a 18-55 lens and 50-200 mm lens ($500).

The K-50 is a better camera (at least for stills) than the T3 or the T5 and both the body and the lenses are weather sealed so you'll never have to worry about torrential rains again.

 

[Imp]

This Canon prime came out fairly recently:
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-EF-S-24mm-2-8-Lens/dp/B00NI3BZ5K/

Not sure if it works for the T3 though. It's an STM.

 

[Gooberlx2]

At the risk of sounding like a Pentax fanboy for making the second recommendation in this forum, you could sell both your T3 and your 55-250 and buy a Pentax K-50 kit with a 18-55 mm lens ($400) or with both a 18-55 lens and 50-200 mm lens ($500).

The K-50 is a better camera (at least for stills) than the T3 or the T5 and both the body and the lenses are weather sealed so you'll never have to worry about torrential rains again.

I'll second this recommendation, in particular because of the hiking/camping requirement.

To also avoid sounding like a fanboy (as a Pentaxian myself), for hiking and camping, I'd actually say go with something m43s, like the Oly OMD EM5, to save on bulk and weight, but the body + any m43 weathersealed lens blows the budget by a long shot. The K50 + 18-55WR is a great kit for $400.

 

[tdawg]

If your primary interest is in landscape photography, why go for anything but a wide angle lens, like the 11-18 someone mentioned earlier? None of the other purchases you listed really facilitate that interest and are just things to buy for the sake of buying.

 

[Syborg1211]

Take a look through your old photos and find your favorite shots then take a look at the focal length of those shots. This should help you figure out your natural favorite focal length though as most said landscapes are usually best with wide angle lenses. Check out the Tokina 11-16mm.

 

[zCypher]

Take a look through your old photos and find your favorite shots then take a look at the focal length of those shots. This should help you figure out your natural favorite focal length though as most said landscapes are usually best with wide angle lenses. Check out the Tokina 11-16mm.

This. taking time to put into numbers what you actually like can help. i always shot a lot of landscapes with my kit lens, and after borrowing a friend's ultrawide, I was sold. I got the 11-16 tokina, and I'm loving it so far.

You can't go wrong with a prime, i have a few shots that I love that I took with a prime and just wouldn't have been possible without it. I love having some flexibility though. After having a 18-55 kit lens and 11-16 ultrawide, and having played with a 50mm prime, I really don't see myself using a 50mm for landscapes. Ultrawides are where it's at for that. Look up on Flickr or other places the types of pics you see from users with lenses like the 11-16 tokina and others like it. you'll see ..

 

[JohnAlmighty]

If you looking for landscape photos don't even consider the 50. It crops a lot.

 

[elitejp]

I would just get a used 18-55. Within this 200 dollar price range you will not see anything better. If you want something better sigma and canon both have a 17-55 2.8 that are quite good but expensive. I would still recommend buying used though since many people upgrade to ff and then sell off there perfectly good crop lenses. No need to upgrade bodies for landscape photography, buy a cheap tripod and your set. Canon has not improved on sensor tech for over 5-6 years. So any noise improvement can be done in post processing.

I say skip any canon 50mm, sigma 50mm is both cheaper and better than canon. And then I would only buy a 50 if thats a focal length I actually need. I personally think the 50mm 1.8 is recommended out of habit, quoting things as it will make you a better photog, its the standard focal length that you should have etc. Lenses are tools and there isnt any reason to buy one unless you need that tool.

Just for an example I recently bought the 40mm pancake for my 6d since I was doing some traveling and didnt want to carry around a bunch of heavy lenses. I bought it for the reason of convenience and weight, so for me it is a good lens. If im wanting to take portraits than I use my 135L. My lenses all have a purpose. The 50mm outside of cost is an extremely overrated lens that is bought and then most often sold soon after.

 

[tdawg]

Not to get into an argument that status from the topic, but the 50 f1.8 is not overrated. The reason it's always recommended to new shoppers is because it is the cheapest and one of the sharper lenses one can buy with such a large f-stop. The value in learning what one can capture with such a wide range of depth of field and the practice of zooming with one's feet is priceless to conceptualizing photo technique, the exposure triangle, etc. Sure you could it for another lens that offers these lessons, but not at $100. It's a mistake to discuss the lens out of hand.

Now, for the topic at hand, since the OP is primarily interested in landscapes and has a finite budget, now doesn't seem like the time to add a 50 when it won't allow the OP to fully explore landscape photography. I'm in agreement that in this case the 50 probably isn't a sound recommendation and the poster should be looking at a used ultra wide lens, a la something that starts around 11 or 12mm in a crop lens.

 

[JamesV]

Did some local checking and got a used 18-55mm for $90 from a camera store. Saved about $5 over Adorama after taxes.

Will look into that Pentax after the trip.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[EOM]

This Canon prime came out fairly recently:
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-EF-S-24mm-2-8-Lens/dp/B00NI3BZ5K/

Not sure if it works for the T3 though. It's an STM.

It SHOULD work with the T3. At only $150 new this lens was a steal! It's the standard carry lens on my wife's Canon Xsi. It sounds tempting for landscape, as it's a 24mm and just starting to get wide, but the crop factor brings it up to a 38mm @ 35mm EFL.

The EF-S 10-18mm is another one we've got that lives in our bag. it's got image stabilization and was about $250. That puts you squarely in wide territory.