FAQ: A starter guide to buying lenses for your Canon digital SLR camera.

[Aharami]

Thanks sully. I was really considering the Tokina, but I needed a UWA before my trip to India next week but B&H had it on back order. So i ended up going with the older Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6 from 47stphoto.com (sigma authorized dealer). It's a Brooklyn shop, but so far they gave me excellent customer service (courteous over the phone and paid for shipping back for 1st copy that was front-focusing). I just received the 2nd copy yesterday and this one is also front-focusing a little. Wish I had the time to send it in to Sigma to get it calibrated, but I'll have to live with it.

Maybe when I get back, I'll look into selling this one and getting the tokina. Im just not sure about the almost non-existent zoom range of the Tokina though

 

[yllus]

I owned the Sigma 10-20mm for years and thought it was a great lens - I just had to live with a couple of limitations. Mostly you have to keep in mind that low light situations will require a tripod.

I never really used the full range of the lens. The entire point, for me, was in making use of the extremeness of the wide end. (I bet I don't have many photos past 15mm.) And since it's probably the low end that you'll end up using, and considering the focal length of the lens, I doubt you're missing much from having a max aperture of f/4.0 instead of f/3.5. Enjoy your purchase!

 

[Aharami]

what did you replace the sigma 10-20 with?

 

[yllus]

I was going to get the Tokina 11-16mm, but got a little bit sidetracked with home furnishing purchases. I also ended up buying a telephoto in the form of the Canon EF 70-210mm f/3.5-4.5 USM and haven't really felt the push to finally plunk down the money for a replacement ultrawide.

 

[Tiamat]

That Tamron is a good purchase, it's a toss-up between that and the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC I mentioned in the post.

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD = $449.00 USD
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Autofocus = $359.00 USD

My bro just got a used 30D yesterday, he is a novice, I know near nothing about cameras. Would these be a safe upgrade from the 18-55 kit lens for all purpose shooting? I read about the Canon 50mm F1.4 Prime, seems to be well-liked, but I don't know how applicable that would be for a novice except that 50mm seems to be a nice focal range for normal everyday shots and the F1.4 helps with lower light environments without resorting to flash, higher ISO, slower shutter.

I don't think he has interests in telescopic shooting, but macro (bugs, flowers) will be an interest to him when Spring comes around. Any ideas? Frankly, I don't know how people get those nice detailed close-up shots of bugs without the bugs running away...

Also, I dunno how wide-angle he needs (below the 18mm of the aforementioned examples). I have a Panny Zr1 and the improvement from my older camera's 37mm to the Panny's 25mm is very welcome to me. I don't have to walk a city block away to get a picture of an architectural feature of a cathedral (for example) anymore. I noticed there might be some math involved with these lenses. Is the 18mm of the abovementioned lenses actually ~28 mm due to the body size?

Sorry for dumb questions, I didn't know what F-stop was until this morning lol.

 

[funks]

My bro just got a used 30D yesterday, he is a novice, I know near nothing about cameras. Would these be a safe upgrade from the 18-55 kit lens for all purpose shooting? I read about the Canon 50mm F1.4 Prime, seems to be well-liked, but I don't know how applicable that would be for a novice except that 50mm seems to be a nice focal range for normal everyday shots and the F1.4 helps with lower light environments without resorting to flash, higher ISO, slower shutter.

Considering the 30D is a crop camera, the 50 will be too narrow for a walkaround camera (mostly just useful for portraits). In the 35mm days, most cameras came with the 50mm as the standard lens.

Your camera has a 1.6x crop, so in order to get the same field of view as a 50mm lens on a full frame/film, you have to buy something in the 28 to 30 range.

1) Sigma EF 30mm f1.4 EX DC HSM lens has great build quality, and it's about a 48 mm in a FF (30 * 1.6 = 48), check the photo archive here

or

2) Canon has an EF 28 f/1.8 prime lens with great build quality, and USM. Ain't the sharpest wide open though but stopped down it's pretty good. the 28 is equivalent to a 44 mm lens in a FF (28 * 1.6 = 44.6). Check the photo archive here.

With the prime lenses, you have to zoom with your "feet" but they take sharp pictures but are regarded to have better image quality than their zoom counterparts.

As for a zoom lens, check out the Canon EF-S 17-55 f2.8 IS USM. It's pricey, for the price - doesn't have L build quality, and only works on crop cams but is regarded by many to have great image quality. Check the archive. If your bro finds that the 18-55 kit lens focal length range suits him, then he should take a look at said lens.

 

[Tiamat]

Thanks for your suggestions. I think though, that the prices for those lenses are 2 years ahead of where my bro is at. As the 30D cost 400$, I think the goal is to stay under 400$ for a reasonably good lens that is an improvement over the kit lens...

Considering the 30D is a crop camera, the 50 will be too narrow for a walkaround camera (mostly just useful for portraits). In the 35mm days, most cameras came with the 50mm as the standard lens.

Your camera has a 1.6x crop, so in order to get the same field of view as a 50mm lens on a full frame/film, you have to buy something in the 28 to 30 range.

1) Sigma EF 30mm f1.4 EX DC HSM lens has great build quality, and it's about a 48 mm in a FF (30 * 1.6 = 48), check the photo archive here

or

2) Canon has an E F28 f/1.8 prime lens with great build quality, and USM. Ain't the sharpest wide open though but stopped down it's pretty good. the 28 is equivalent to a 44 mm lens in a FF (28 * 1.6 = 44.6). Check the photo archive here.

With the prime lenses, you have to zoom with your "feet" but they take sharp pictures but are regarded to have better image quality than their zoom counterparts.

As for a zoom lens, check out the Canon EF-S 17-55 f2.8 IS USM. It's pricey, for the price - doesn't have L build quality, and only works on crop cams but is regarded by many to have great image quality. Check the archive. If your bro finds that the 18-55 kit lens focal length range suits him, then he should take a look at said lens.

 

[funks]

Thanks for your suggestions. I think though, that the prices for those lenses are 2 years ahead of where my bro is at. As the 30D cost 400$, I think the goal is to stay under 400$ for a reasonably good lens that is an improvement over the kit lens...

In regards to what the 30D came with, is it the EF-S 18-55 IS (Image Stabilizer) model?

Note: the Stabilizer On/Off Slider Switch

Or the older one without? (no stabilizer On/Off slider switch). If it's the older one, have him snag a used copy of the Tamron AF 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di-II LD SP ZL Aspherical (IF) (can snag them between 300-330$ in photography-on-the.net forums - for sale section). On the other hand, if it's the newer one, might want to have him use it for a while and see what focal length he's using the most and try to get a prime instead.

If he's wishing to stay under 400$, I suggest he visit the photography-on-the-net - FOR SALE and see if he can score a used Sigma 30MM f/1.4 HSM lens (he'll be able to nab one for around 300-350$). It's pretty much a 50mm equivalent due to the crop factor, great for low light, good brokeh and takes great images. A prime lense IMO is a great way to start in photography, he'll be better off learning to foot zoom (gives him more time to think about composition) and be able to play around with the depth of field.

I've had the 50mm f1.8 and I really don't find the lens very useful indoors as it's a bit too long (around 80mm equiv) just in case you want to take pics at a party or something (with the 30, you can step back a bit and get a group shot if need be). And the build quality is just ridiculous - lol (look at it wrong and it'll fall apart, it's not that cheap nowadays -110$). Nevertheless, if he wants to try one - I suggest buying it used.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I'd like to state here that the 18-55mm IS is a very capable kit lens. If you look past the variable aperture, the lens itself is VERY sharp. Photozone.de shows that it can match many other great lenses like the Tamron 17-50 and Canon's 17-55mm IS f/2.8 which is easily 5x the cost.

I have both the kit 18-55 and the 17-55. The kit is just gathering dust and I only keep it in case I sell off my body one day, in which case I figure I'll just sell them together like a good beginner's bundle. So while it's not as good as other faster lenses and variable aperture and the lack of MTF or a rotating front element might piss some people off, the lens itself is great.

If you plan on doing flash photography in which case you would be stopping down a bit anyway and not shooting wide open at 2.8 a lot, the 17-55mm loses some usefulness. I admit that a lot of times when I go flash indoors, the 2.8 goes out the window. I realize a lot of my shots could've gone with the kit lens just fine. However, when you do need 2.8, its priceless. I love being able to hold at ISO400 and shoot without having to bump to 1600 which is questionable quality on a Rebel sometimes.

BTW, I just picked up a Tokina 11-16mm this past weekend after renting it a few months ago for vacation. Sharp at 2.8 is definitely something I love. While a Canon 10-22 might be more useful in terms of going 10% wider, and having some focal length overlap to reduce lens changing, I figure I'd be completing my f/2.8 lineup by going 11-16 and 17-55. Heh. Either way you can't go wrong with any of the 3 UWAs (Canon, Tokina, Sigma).

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

what does UWA stand for?

 

[BigSmooth]

Ultra wide angle.

 

[aimvideo]

wow wow ,so many posts here.

 

[Ozoned]

Any advice for a good tilt and shift lens for an xsi? I would like to experiment with one but canon's t&s lens are rather pricey. My area of interest is product photography.

 

[Ozoned]

After a set back (wife lost her job) and a lot of research, my wife has settled on a camera. She is going to get the Canon Rebel XSi. She has never owned a SLR or a DSLR so she will be learning with it. How are the included lenses for a hobby shooter taking landscapes and family gathering shots? We will need a telephoto for landscapes and something for indoor shooting at family events.
I am leaning towards just buying a body and a lens or two and a flash but want to stay under $1500 if that's possible.
Or just get the kit and a flash.
Camera example:
http://www.ritzcamera.com/product/SLR1197.htm
TIA

The XSI with the 18-55 kit lens were 599.00 on amazon about 2 months ago. They should go back down in price after the 1st of the year. Get that package and a 55-250 telephoto lens for another 250.00 and i think you would be very satisfied.

 

[charles29]

Thank you, I have learned a lot.

 

[Zaap]

Didn't initially notice this thread is dead, so n/m.

 

[bigrash]

Considering the 30D is a crop camera, the 50 will be too narrow for a walkaround camera (mostly just useful for portraits). In the 35mm days, most cameras came with the 50mm as the standard lens.

Your camera has a 1.6x crop, so in order to get the same field of view as a 50mm lens on a full frame/film, you have to buy something in the 28 to 30 range.

1) Sigma EF 30mm f1.4 EX DC HSM lens has great build quality, and it's about a 48 mm in a FF (30 * 1.6 = 48), check the photo archive here

or

2) Canon has an EF 28 f/1.8 prime lens with great build quality, and USM. Ain't the sharpest wide open though but stopped down it's pretty good. the 28 is equivalent to a 44 mm lens in a FF (28 * 1.6 = 44.6). Check the photo archive here.

With the prime lenses, you have to zoom with your "feet" but they take sharp pictures but are regarded to have better image quality than their zoom counterparts.

As for a zoom lens, check out the Canon EF-S 17-55 f2.8 IS USM. It's pricey, for the price - doesn't have L build quality, and only works on crop cams but is regarded by many to have great image quality. Check the archive. If your bro finds that the 18-55 kit lens focal length range suits him, then he should take a look at said lens.

Great advice. Thanks!

 

[Juilesterry]

yeah, this article is quite useful for our SLR beginners, thanks a lot for your effort. But could you tell me which brand SLR camera is quite suitable for SLR beginners？

 

[FrankSchwab]

yeah, this article is quite useful for our SLR beginners, thanks a lot for your effort. But could you tell me which brand SLR camera is quite suitable for SLR beginners？

Having just gone through this for me this Christmas, I'd say that the Nikon D3100 (http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/recommended-cameras.htm) is an excellent choice. I made the choice for myself of a Canon T4i, but mostly because the price of used Canon T2i's and T3i's wasn't significantly different from the price of a new camera.

But this is only if you want the control of an SLR, and are willing to put up with the weight and awkwardness of carrying it.

 

[randomrogue]

Most important is the one that feels good in your hands. So pick up cameras from both brands and make sure the one you choose is a good fit ergonomically.

I'm a Nikon guy but one drawback of their D3x00 series cameras is that they're missing features like bracketing. I'd probably recommend their D5x00 series instead. Better yet if you think you're going to get into this just get a D7000 and be done with it. Plenty of room to grow.

 

[iGas]

Most important is the one that feels good in your hands. So pick up cameras from both brands and make sure the one you choose is a good fit ergonomically.

I'm a Nikon guy but one drawback of their D3x00 series cameras is that they're missing features like bracketing. I'd probably recommend their D5x00 series instead. Better yet if you think you're going to get into this just get a D7000 and be done with it. Plenty of room to grow.

I wouldn't sweat over the fact that a camera doesn't have auto bracketing. Most people rarely use bracketing, and if they do it is for landscape/architecture something that remain stationary, then multiple shots using manual mode with aperture or shutter switching will be more than adequate for bracketing.

IMHO, buy the cheapest camera that you can get (perhaps a used camera), with a 50mm lens. Your photography will improve, if you take the camera with you every where, shoot often and as much as you can. Spend as much time as you have at editing and manipulating the images that you get. Then upgrade once you know the type of photography that you are into.

 

[dstevod]

2) Canon has an EF 28 f/1.8 prime lens with great build quality, and USM. Ain't the sharpest wide open though but stopped down it's pretty good. the 28 is equivalent to a 44 mm lens in a FF (28 * 1.6 = 44.6). Check the photo archive here.

With the prime lenses, you have to zoom with your "feet" but they take sharp pictures but are regarded to have better image quality than their zoom counterparts.

Absolutely. This is my favourite lens with my 50D. Taught me so much about photography, and in particular the relationship between aperture and focal length.

IMHO, buy the cheapest camera that you can get (perhaps a used camera), with a 50mm lens. Your photography will improve, if you take the camera with you every where, shoot often and as much as you can. Spend as much time as you have at editing and manipulating the images that you get. Then upgrade once you know the type of photography that you are into.

The cheapo Canon 50mm is also great, and is under £100/$100 IIRC. I had this first, and had so much fun with it I upgraded to the 28/1.8. Partly for build and USM, and partly for the length on a cropped-sensor body. Still have the 50 though. Cannot recommend highly enough if you're starting out and learning about photography.

S

 

[joseph0042]

Thank you for the information in this thread, helped me buy my first DSLR.

 

[luv2liv]

where to buy used lenses for cheap?
is ebay the only place to go?