Recommendations for camera lenses

[kendallt]

I know this has probably been asked before, so bear with me. Since there are some A-Mazing photographers here, and I'm in need of your advice. I have a Canon Rebel XS and am looking to upgrade from the kit lens. Ideally, I'd like something that will give me a fantastic shallow depth of field in my portrait-type shots.

I'll eventually also be looking for a good zoom lens, but for now, I want to start with more of a portrait-type. I've heard that the 50mm f/1.8 is good. I have never used a prime lens before though, so it makes me a bit nervous. I have no idea where to even start when it comes to the zoom lens. The options out there are soooo overwhelming! My head hurts. :(

[Jenn Barrette]

I love my 50mm lens, mind you I only have that and the kit lens to choose from right now!

[aggiefamily]

Go for the prime! It is affordable and is a good lens to learn with. You should also get Bryan Peterson's book. http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Photographs-Camera/dp/0817439390/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1283870321&sr=8-2-spell

The lens that stays on my camera is the Tamron 28-75 2.8. Love that lens. I also have the cheap Canon 75-300 but don't like it. I use it for sports or outdoors stuff.

My next lens will be a 35mm.

What do you want the zoom for? That might help you narrow it down.

[Gemma]

I'm no pro photog, or even a very good one, but I love my 35mm, it's been on my camera since I got it! :)

I researched it for months as I knew I wouldn't be able to afford another one once I'd bought it and I've been happy with my decision!

[kendallt]

What do you want the zoom for? That might help you narrow it down.

The zoom will be mainly to take pics of my DD's activities (dance, cheerleading, etc). More often than not, I'm seated a good distance away and would love to be able to get some closer shots.

[ColleenSwerb]

I would get a prime. If you have a small-ish house, some people feel like they don't have the space to use the 50mm indoors a lot, and that's why the 35mm has been gaining popularity (in my opinion anyway). You really can't go wrong with either one (the 50mm f/1.8 or the 35mm f/1.8).

Like Amanda, my Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 is my most used lens. My 40mm comes in a close seconds. My next lens purchase will be the 85mm f/1.8 I think. :)

[aggiefamily]

I totally understand on wanting to get the close shots! My problem was that the lens did not do good in low light and is horrible at its longest length. But hey the lens was free so I took it!

It is this one: http://www.amazon.com/Canon-75-300mm-4-5-6-Telephoto-Cameras/dp/B00004THD0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1283871451&sr=8-1-catcorr

[HeatherKS]

Here's what I have:
Canon 50 mm/1.8
Canon 75-300 mm (that Amanda linked to)
Sigma 30 mm/1.4

I just got the 30 mm back in June and it's only left my camera once or twice since then. I love it for indoor pictures and the slightly wider angle gives me a little more flexibility than the 50 mm. That said, I used the 50 pretty much exclusively for over a year and loved it too. :) I'm with Amanda on the zoom though, I really don't like my 75-300 and it takes sub-par pictures when it's completely zoomed. I'm generally disappointed with the pics I get from it and would love to upgrade to a better zoom lens at some point. :)

[sprauncey1]

The lens that stays on my camera is the Tamron 28-75 2.8. Love that lens. I also have the cheap Canon 75-300 but don't like it. I use it for sports or outdoors stuff.


You know I would skip the prime and go for the Tamron 28-75. It just is a more all around useful lens and still has a great depth of field for shots. I got a prime first but then got tired of not being able to zoom in or out, so then I got the 2.8 one and it does not come off my camera, unless I break out the 75-300. But I ONLY use that one with a tripod and for setting I cannot get closer (baseball, performances, etc) but again these don't typically work well in low light unless you get a high end one.

So now my prime sits there unused, because realistically I don't need that many shots that have an aperature of 1.8 vs 2.8. So I'd skip the extra $100 and put it towards a lens that you will LOVE. And yes Tamron does make good lenses, and significantly cheaper than Canon ones.

[mlewis]

I love my 50mm for indoor shots, but I've really liked using the Tamron 28-75 2.8 this summer. I've also got my eye on the 30mm and 85mm as well.

[MandaT]

Go for the prime! It is affordable and is a good lens to learn with. You should also get Bryan Peterson's book. http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-3rd-Photographs-Camera/dp/0817439390/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1283870321&sr=8-2-spell

The lens that stays on my camera is the Tamron 28-75 2.8. Love that lens. I also have the cheap Canon 75-300 but don't like it. I use it for sports or outdoors stuff.



I agree with all this. I have the Sigma version of the lens, & LOVE it.

I also thought I would like that exact Canon 75-300 & I don't, I almost never use it. It's really SLOW.

[nikkiARNGwife]

I have a 50 mm and 35 mm...I love them both :)

[AmyM]

Good advice you have here. I use my 50 for all my paid work (unless I rent an 85) and take out the 35 when I need a large group shot or am in a small room. I rented a tamron 28-75 once for a photo shoot and yes they turned out fine, but I think I would have had a lot less sharpening to do after the fact had I stuck with my inexpensive little 50. I'm used to that 50 nailing focus 100% of the time and really was disappointed with the focus on the tamron.
If your pocketbook can handle it, the 85mm would be my pick.
It took a few days to get used to moving my feet instead of my lens, but now I'm hooked on primes.
3 on my wish list- 85 1.4, 135 f2 and 105 f2 macro

[AmyM]

You could rent a few first to decide. I use borrowlenses.com

[heathergw]

my 50mm lives on my camera... I used to have the Tamron 28-75mm and maybe I just had a bad one but I also had focus problems and found myself spending more time editing the pics than I do with the 50mm... I guess it depends really what you are looking for. I think the Tamron is a great all-around lens if you're looking to replace the kit lens. But, if you're planning on keeping the kit lens then I'd look into a prime lens. I also suggest going to the store or renting and trying them out to see which you like better, using prime lenses are quite different as you zoom with your feet instead of with your hands.

[Megan Turnidge]

The 50 1.8 is a good starter lens. I don't love mine though, because it hunts A LOT for focus in low light, it's loud, and my lens tends to focus a bit beyond where it should. I rented the 85mm 1.8 and I am in LOVE with that lens! It's far superior to my 50mm in terms of quality, build, and the clarity and color from that lens far exceeds the images produced with my 50mm. The 85 also produces beautiful bokeh and is sharp when shooting wide open (my 50 is not very sharp wide open). However, the 85mm is not at all practical indoors on a crop sensor. After I add the 85mm to my bag I will be getting the Sigma 30mm 1.4 and then upgrading my 50 to the 50mm 1.4. I'm definitely a prime girl!

[nikkiARNGwife]

The 50 1.8 is a good starter lens. I don't love mine though, because it hunts A LOT for focus in low light, it's loud, and my lens tends to focus a bit beyond where it should. I rented the 85mm 1.8 and I am in LOVE with that lens! It's far superior to my 50mm in terms of quality, build, and the clarity and color from that lens far exceeds the images produces with my 50mm. The 85 also produces beautiful bokeh and is sharp when shooting wide open (my 50 is not very sharp wide open). However, the 85mm is not at all practical indoors on a crop sensor. After I add the 85mm to my bag I will be getting the Sigma 30mm 1.4 and then upgrading my 50 to the 50mm 1.4. I'm definitely a prime girl!

The 85 mm 1.8 is next on my list...I'm hoping it will be a Christmas/anniversary gift this year :)

[Inkspots]

Love, love, love my 50mm! When my camera strap broke this summer, I was devastated because my lens broke too. Had to go get it replaced right away. Once you get used to the prime and not being able to zoom, I'm sure you'll love it. We also LOVE our Tamron 28-250. It's not very fast but it gives us fantastic range when out traveling. Between DH and myself, we usually have out bases covered, he with the range, me with indoor capabilities.

[scrappurple]

I have all Canon IS lens:

17-85mm - I use this most of the time and LOVE it. (http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/ef_lens_lineup/ef_s_17_85mm_f4_5_6_is_usm)
50 mm f/1/4 (http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/ef_lens_lineup/ef_50mm_f_1_4_usm)- creative use for photos.
70-300mm (http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/ef_lens_lineup/ef_70_300mm_f_4_5_6_is_usm)- love this for sports when I am sitting far away and need to zoom up.

I personally don't like using my prime lens all the time. It is to hard to get group shots or zoom in really quick. I like having my flexibility. :) BUT I do love using it for portraits sometimes. Also, I know from personal experience that Canon lenses are better than the "cheaper" versions. I know it saves $, but you really can see a difference in the pictures. I did a real life test with a friends lens and we both agreed that paying the extra $ up front is well worth it in the end. :) Have fun shopping!!! :D

[Shawna]

Here's what I have:
Canon 50mm 1.8
Tamron 28-75mm 2.8
Sigma 30mm 1.4
Canon 85mm 1.8

The 50mm was my first lens and I really loved it, but then I got the 28-75mm and it became my everyday, go-to lens but since getting the 30mm and 85mm lenses earlier this summer the other two lenses rarely leave my bag! I absolutely adore my 85mm and the 30mm is pretty great too, the only bad thing is it's not compatible with full-frame cameras (which I didn't know when I bought it) so when I *hopefully* upgrade to the 5DMkII in 6 months I will have to sell the 30mm and will probably get the 50mm 1.4 instead. I've definitely found that I'm a prime girl!

[lliella]

i have the Tamron 28-75. i'm not really a good photographer (maybe that's the case) but i find the photos are not as sharp (and it is heavy!!) i also have a Sigma 30mm, i love it for solo portraits. for more than 1 person, though, the person behind becomes blurry (again maybe because of my lack of photog skills) but it stays on my camera since i bought it.

[Ebony]

Saving this thread of future reference. Looking at getting me a nifty fifty lense but can't decide on whether to get a Canon 50mm 1.4 or save for a year and splash on the new 1.2.

Oh and Liella, you still have your click-a-sig in your siggy! :D Made me smile. I've come so far since Feb.

[lliella]

Oh and Liella, you still have your click-a-sig in your siggy! :D Made me smile. I've come so far since Feb.

LOL! i'm too lazy to change it hehe :) i really like the blinkie because it uses my Party Poppin' kit :p

[igloodwellerz]

I had my cousin who is an amazing photog recommend it to me;) However, there is one that is just like the nifty fifty but it's five hundred instead of 100... have my eye on that:) Good luck, I can see why you are over whelmed, I am too haha. But it seems like there's some really good advice on this thread. Always go with your gut;) Take care.

[Ebony]

Ohhhh so is the nifty fifty just the 1.8? Coz thats around 100bucks, whereas the 1.4 is yeah, closer to $500. And the 1.2 is pretty much 4x that! I'm lost :D

[ColleenSwerb]

I believe nifty fifty just refers to the length of the lens, as in 50mm.
The 1.8 is WAY cheaper than the 1.4 or 1.2. For most people, the 1.8 is plenty and that's what people usually get.

[sprauncey1]

Before you decide to get the 50mm 1.4 lens you may want to borrow/rent it. I've heard from several people that the 1.4 is really hard to get spot on for the focus (both eyes in focus) and they usually end up upping it to 1.8 anyway. The 1.4 would allow you to shoot in less light but requires more technical skill. Which is why I chose the 1.8 in the first place.

Lenses are so personal and dependent on your skills, your needs and just your personal preferences.

For me I thought having the 50mm lens looked silly on my big old camera and love the weight of my 18-50mm lens, but others find it heavy. So see it is all subjective. Oh and I bet if you shopped, you could find a used 50mm lens, a lot of people start with it and then change. Just make sure they protected it from scratches. I've bought two used lenses and have been very happy. I could talk lenses all day!

[kendallt]

Ladies, I am loving all the advice! Thank you all sooo much!! At this point, I'm fairly sure that I'm going to either get the 50 mm 1.8 or the 85. Obviously, there's a pretty big price difference, so I'm leaning towards the 50.

As for the zoom, here (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830998812) is the one that DH thinks I should get. It seems to have gotten pretty good reviews. Anyone have experience with this particular lens?

[nesser1981]

Ohhhh so is the nifty fifty just the 1.8? Coz thats around 100bucks, whereas the 1.4 is yeah, closer to $500. And the 1.2 is pretty much 4x that! I'm lost :D

It's just the aperature range. Unless your a pro or planning on going pro, I wouldn't put out the extra for a 1.4 or 1.2.

I wouldn't mind getting a 1.4, but I have an 85 1.8 and a 24-70 2.8, and I love both of them. But I'm also trying to start a photography business.

[g8rbeckie]

I have:

85mm 1.8
30mm 1.4
50mm 1.8
(and one of those zoom lenses I never use)


Kendall - I would NOT recommend the 85mm 1.8 as your first prime lens. The lens is AWESOME, and I LOVE it, but it's not a good all-around use lens for crop sensor cameras. I use it every chance I get outdoors because I need to be farther way from my subjects to be able to use it, but sill turn to my trusty "nifty fifty" most often because of the versatility.

If you're narrowing it down to two to chose from, I'd pick between the 30mm and the 50mm :)

Also, for sports photography...if you're going to be in a gymnasium with crappy lighting, (or even outdoors at night?), you still won't get good pics, even with a zoom lens. If you'll be taking pics in good daylight, it might be worth it - I do use mine sometimes when I'm trying to "sneak up" on the kids to get pics outside.

Your best bet for action shots with challenging lighting is to go with something like the 30mm lens and try to get closer to your subjects. Your prime lens will let you open up your aperture to utilize more of the available light than what a "cheap" zoom lens will. And the 30mm will still let you get lots of action in the shot, even if you are close-up (which is why it is a favorite lens for most folks!!)

good luck!!!

[Shawna]

As for the zoom, here (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830998812) is the one that DH thinks I should get. It seems to have gotten pretty good reviews. Anyone have experience with this particular lens?

I'm not a fan on variable aperture zoom lenses, but that's mostly my own personal preference and because I shoot in manual and don't like not being able to use the same aperture at all focal lengths of the lens. This is also why I like my 28-75mm since I can shoot at 2.8 no matter if I'm shooting at 28mm or 75mm. Not too long after I got my camera I bought a 28-105mm f3.5-4.5 lens and it took great shots outdoors but at the time I was shooting mostly in P mode so the camera was choosing the ap for me so it wasn't an issue. Once I made the switch to Manual mode I just didn't like shooting with it so I bought the Tamron and then I ended up selling the 28-105mm earlier this summer along with my never used kit lens to fund my 85mm 1.8. So it's probably a perfectly good lens, but not one that I would buy for myself.

[AmyM]

As for the zoom, here (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830998812) is the one that DH thinks I should get.

If you shoot manual, or once you do, the variable aperture is going to be a real pain in the neck. It's slow (in terms of aperture, can't let much light in) and not gonna help you much indoors. Yes you can zoom in close but you'll have to bump the ISO way up on your camera to get a good exposure. That lens would be great for outdoor sports.
I'd rent it first, and try to take it into the same lighting scenario that you're thinking about buying it for.

[sprauncey1]

Yep, I agree with the others. Unless you are shooting outside or in a super brightly lit place, the zoom lens is not going to give you great photos. The more you zoom, the more it is going to close down your aperature (bigger number) and the less light is let in. This means either you are going to have super slow shutter speeds(blurr) or super high ISO (graininess). Now you could also get a bounce flash, but they only have a certain range and you would need to remember that (and if the subjects are close you will get harsh shadows/photos). But if you are going to get a variable aperature zoom, then you will need a bounce flash!!

I'd sell you mine but I'm a Nikon gal! Check out the used ones on ebay or camera shops. Seriously people most often get the 1.8 50mm and then move on to something else, but it is a good starting point into good glass.

[sassynsweet]

I want the 35mm and the 70-200 f2.8, but yeah that's uber-expensive. I have the 85 1.8, but I never use it, it's been used only a handful of times and I'm actually looking to sell it if any of you who mentioned you were interested in one wants it, just PM me :thumbup:

[loristm]

I am using Canon EF-S 17-85mm for almost 1 year and its been good as I expected. Canon's EF-S 17-85mm, a major improvement from Canon’s EF-S 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 II kit lens offers attractive features appropriate for individuals who are into photography while traveling light. Its extended focal length range, image stabilization (IS), good manual focus option for fast and silent autofocus, and essentially improved build quality makes it an ideal all-in-one “walk around” lens for Canon’s APS-C SLRs.

Here are some features of it:
• Powerful ring-type ultra-sonic monitor (USM) produces fast and silent autofocusing (1.15ft close)
• Standard zoom lens with f/4-5.6 maximum aperture
• Very handy weighing 475g (1 lb) measuring 78.5mm (3.1”) in diameter and 92mm (3.6”) long
• EF-S Lens mount ideal for EOS (Canon) bodies specifically in 20D and Rebel Series bodies
• Image Stabilization (IS) technology – for less-blurry photos as a result of shaky hands
• 1 year warranty

I found a full review of Canon EF-S 17-85mm (http://cameralensreviewssecrets.com/) here. Read it so you would know why I liked it so much. Hope it will help you!!