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Digital SLR Camera Lenses - Advice Request

Q2UnME

Q2UnME

Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Hi All!

A little OT, but I just recently purchased a Canon Rebel EOS XTI digital SLR camera. I'm not impressed with 18-55mm auto-focus (etc.) lens that came with the camera. Anyone use something similar and can suggest a decent 2nd. lens to buy? Back in my 35mm film days, my favorite lens was a 35 - 80mm zoom. That covered 90% of my needs. I also had a 70-210mm zoom that I loved for concerts and sporting events. Any help or recommendations would be appreciated. Not a big Canon buff, this is my 1st. camera by them and I have zero experience with these digital SLR auto-focus lenses. Aftermarket lenses too, for that matter .... Suggestions?

Q2UnME
 
I have the Canon EF-S 18-135mm, which I use as an everyday lens. Most important of all, it is not too heavy, like the 18-200mm, which I found to be a little excessive for regular use. I don't think my neck would be able to take it for prolonged days out, and you don't want to be constantly rummaging in and out of your bag and missing a particular moment while you're at it.

I've used the 18-135mm in all kinds of situations, and did not find myself wanting more range, as I had thought might happen before I bought it. I wanted to get only one multi-purpose lens to start with, and it did that job very well. Some people have complained about the quality of the image at the extreme ends of range, but I have not really noticed anything like that. Still, I am a beginner, and if you are more exacting in your standards, you may notice something I didn't. I didn't find myself often needing to use the extreme ends though, so it's been a bit of a non-issue.

It's perfect for someone who doesn't want to have to switch lenses too often, but if you have more specific needs... maybe The Seeker will step in and comment. He also has the Rebel, and a few Canon lenses, I believe.

Hope you will have a lot of happy shooting with your new camera! Please share some of your images, would love to see them. :D
 
Thanks for the suggestion and feedback, An Officer. That lens is on my short list, but it's gotten very mixed reviews. I'm also looking at the EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS. It's received very good reviews, but it's rather pricey. I'm also considering the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS. It also has mixed reviews, but the price is more in-line with my meager budget. I was hoping The Seeker would pop by and lend some advice too.

Q2UnME
 
Generally I suggest people buy a fast 50mm as their second lens, but if you're not happy with the kit lens, you have several options depending on your budget. My go-to lens is the Canon 17-40mm f/4L. It only comes off my camera when I put a telephoto lens on it. The 17-40mm is a bit pricey but it can be had for around $500 used.
 
I have to say some of my favourite shots have been taken with my cheap Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 lens. It takes really clear pictures for such a cheap lens. It took a bit of getting used to not having a zoom but I think the results are well worth it. The rest of the time I use my kit 18-55mm lens which is one of the older ones without image stabilization. It gets the job done but I do wish I had more.

Rumour has it I'll be getting a Sigma 18-200mm for my birthday next month from my parents. My mother has the same lens and I've borrowed it a few times and it seems pretty good but I don't have enough experience with it to recommend it one way or the other.
 
Hubby has the Canon Rebel XSI, it came with two lenses. He likes it but is not really a gung-ho photographer. He wanted something that would be good and that he could expand if he really got into it. Additional lenses, new, are quite expensive. He can't justify that right now.
 
Thanks, all, for the pointers and feedback. propita, I'm basically in the same boat as your Hubby: I want another lense, but the price has to be right (aka "cheap").. ;)

This may sound stupid, but what's the difference between the EF and the EF-S series? One has image stabilization and one does not? What about the "L" series?

So far, it looks like there only two or three manufacturers of lenses for this camera of varying price and quality: Canon, Sigma and some other one who's name escapes me at the moment (looked low end). I used to own a Sigma rile scope and the optics were amazing. Is a Sigma lens better quality than the Canon offering? Does Sigma provide the same features as Canon for the camera/lens?

Q2
 
The "S" in EF-S stands for short back focus. Basically, EF-S lenses are made to work only with crop frame cameras like the Rebel's, the x0D's and the 7D whereas the EF lenses will work with any Canon camera. The difference has to do with the distance between the back of the lens and the camera's sensor. It doesn't have anything to do with Image Stabilization, you can find both EF and EF-S lenses with it... though the EF-S lenses are newer so it's more likely to find IS on them as Canon still sells some older EF lens designs. L lenses are just Canon's highest quality (and thus highest price!) lenses.

Since you have an XTI then it doesn't really matter for you... all of Canon's lenses will work on your camera without fuss.

As for 3rd party lenses, the two big names are Sigma and Tamron. Their best lenses are pretty much on par with Canon IMO, but of course if you have a particular lens in mind it's best to read reviews! I myself have a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 for my T1i and I love it.
 
EDIT: Ah, didn't notice Arrgh had already stepped in. :)

From what I understood when I was reading up about mine... the EF was the earlier range and the EF-S are a later improved version. Apparently, they primarily allow for a wider angle, plus they've fine-tuned everything else as well, including size.

The L series, I was drooling at! :drool: The L stands for luxury, with no expense spared on quality, and are the best Canon lenses money can buy. Have you seen the prices though? :eek: Goodness me. Most of these seem to get 5 out of 5 stars from Amazon buyers. Plus their white colour is a bit flashy, not to mention it's going to show every spec of dust and dirt, who cares though, with performance like that! :drool:

I have found Amazon to be thieves on some of these lenses though, I have seen the Canon 18-200mm lens for a full £100 less at a couple of local stores. Unbelievable! There seems to be quite big differences in lens pricing depending on who you buy from. I guess Amazon take advantage of their now out of date reputation for being cheaper than the high street.

Plus, I like the fact when you make a face to face purchase, you can inspect your merchandise there and then if you want, ensure all is how it should be and all that, without having to box this and mail that, and loose unnecessary time.
 
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Let me third the suggestion for a good prime lens. It's hard to go wrong with a nifty fifty (50 mm). I got the 1.4 version of the Canon 50mm and it's one of my favorites. I generally buy L lenses but the Canon 50mm 1.4 is pretty much on par with the L lenses. What you get with the L lenses is top quality with the ability to zoom rather than a fixed focal length.

If I were forced to only have one lens, I'd choose the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L with IS. That has great image quality and a focal range that is usable for the vast majority of situations.

Other things to keep in mind. L lenses may be expensive but you do get the quality and they hold their value very well in case you need to sell them later. Also, with an L lens, you'll have little incentive to upgrade it later, saving you money that way.

Mr Awe
 
Hoser said:
If you can live without a zoom it's a thing of beauty.
Click to expand...

That's why I'm always packing multiple lenses at all times. :)

Basically, there are some very real differences between film and digital SLR shooting, especially at a lower megapixel body like the Rebel XTi, and I'm a firm believer that using a zoom as your regular lens in the early goings with dSLR work can create some bad habits.

Also, I just love the speed of prime lenses. :)
 
^^ Primes definitely give you a lot of image quality bang for the buck! Unfortunately, I find as a practical matter that for my shooting I'd be changing lenses all the time and missing shots! Guess it depends what you're shooting primarily. For stationary objects in which you can freely move about, primes seem great.

Usually, I and my subjects are moving around too fast to be switching primes. Yet, primes are inexpensive enough I still find that it's worth having several on hand.

Mr Awe
 
^ Do you stay dust-free even when you are changing lenses on the go? Do you take special measures at all, apart from a blower?
 
Mr Awe said:
Let me third the suggestion for a good prime lens. It's hard to go wrong with a nifty fifty (50 mm). I got the 1.4 version of the Canon 50mm and it's one of my favorites. I generally buy L lenses but the Canon 50mm 1.4 is pretty much on par with the L lenses. What you get with the L lenses is top quality with the ability to zoom rather than a fixed focal length.
Click to expand...

I think, for a first prime, the 1.4 is probably overboard. Not everyone really likes using primes and it also can take some time to get used to if you've only used zoom lenses. The 1.8 is so cheap that as glass goes it's practically disposable making it a great first prime for a beginner.

Personally, the 50mm f/1.8 was my first prime and after a few months I stopped using it. I found 50mm to be either too narrow or too wide for my shooting preferences. So now I own a prime on either end, a 30mm and a 100mm. If I had started out with the 1.4 that would have been $400 down the tube!
 
^ You're probably correct about all of that. But, the image quality of the 1.4 is remarkable. And, while the 1.8 is very good, I wouldn't call it remarkable.

You're right that you can't really use a 50mm in all situations, but if there is a portrait that I want to be really good, I invariably pull that out. It's an awesome portrait lens (because that focal length mimics the eyes the closest). Good portaits are important to me, ergo, so is the lens. But, obviously depends on what each person shoots.

Mr Awe
 
Mr Awe said:
It's an awesome portrait lens (because that focal length mimics the eyes the closest). Good portaits are important to me, ergo, so is the lens. But, obviously depends on what each person shoots.
Click to expand...

The bit about your eyes is only true on a full frame camera. Crop frame cameras (The Rebels, the x0D's and the 7D) have a crop factor of 1.6 so the 50mm has an equivalent focal length of 80mm making it a medium telephoto. An 80mm is quite typical for portraits on a full frame, so it certainly makes a lot of sense to use the 50mm for that on a crop. But to get close to your eye's field of view on a 1.6x crop frame, you need to be at about 30mm.

My point really wasn't to say that you can't use the 50mm in all situations... it's a prime, of course you can't! But rather, different people have different tastes in what and how they shoot and I don't think there's a perfect focal length (or set of focal lengths) for everyone. Which is why for a first prime I think it's better to go cheaper. Once you know more about how you want to shoot and you've learned to work with a prime then you can go and spend the money on the good stuff.
 
^^ That's a common mistake. The focal length remains the same despite the crop factor. So, the image is enlarged by that factor but the focal length and how that affects the appearance remains the same. In other words, if you move back just enough to counter the crop factor, it would look the same as a 50mm on a full frame (but closer to the subject).

Imagine the circle of light that goes through the lens. Now, the image in the light doesn't change based on the sensor in your camera. Rather, full frame and crop sensors just capture a different portion of that light without changing how the actual image in the light appears. It's difficult to explain but basically the sensor size isn't changing the information in the light from the lens.

In general, around that range is good. You're right 80mm is also common for portraits.

I agree that each person will have their own uses. Personally, my 50mm is awesome for portraits! So it stays even though it pretty much has just the one role! But, it's a valuable role to me so I'm OK with the extra cost in exchange for the better image quality.

You're totally right though, once you know more about how you shoot, your goals, priorities, and a good understanding of the technical knowledge to help you make your decisions, then you'll know what's best. Combined with hands-on testing of course.

Mr Awe
 
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