Through the Looking Glass: Lens Help

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Joey D

Joey D

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So my parents said they'd buy me a lens for xmas, so I need to figure out what would be good.

I would like a macro lens, but I'm unsure of which one to get. I've thought about a 50mm macro or a normal 50mm lens to shoot portraits and what not with. I would like to shoot various macro things and my job does require me to shoot jewellery which a macro lens would help out with. Past that I don't really have anything in particular I like to shoot, just whatever comes along.

In terms of lens I have a 18-55mm EF-S lens that came with the camera and a EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM autofocus lens.

I have a Canon 1000D and I seem to remember someone along the way telling me only to get EF or greater lens because the EF-S lens won't work with higher end cameras if I ever choose to go that route.
 
Joey D
I have a Canon 1000D and I seem to remember someone along the way telling me only to get EF or greater lens because the EF-S lens won't work with higher end cameras if I ever choose to go that route.
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This is correct. The EF-S lenses give you the correct value for a crop sensor, and do not work will full frame sensors. You do have to account for the adjustment in zoom/crop with a EF lens, so keep that in mind.

As for a 50mm lens, I've been using this and for its price, it is quite nice. Great for bokeh (blah) and low light situations where you want the higher shutter speed.
 
If your parents are paying for it, get that new 100m Canon L macro.
 
Cody I'll probably pick that 50mm lens up for myself just because it's cheap and looks like it will work. I won't be using a 50mm standard lens all that much but something like that would be nice to have in my bag for various situations.

Now it's down to macros I guess. I like SweetshopUnion's idea of the inverse normal lens but I think I'd rather just have a straight up macro. The only choice now is the 50mm with the add on ring to make it 1x life size or the 100mm macro. The lens PT posted is something to think about too.

And I would like to keep the price reasonable for my parents.
 
Joey D
Cody I'll probably pick that 50mm lens up for myself just because it's cheap and looks like it will work. I won't be using a 50mm standard lens all that much but something like that would be nice to have in my bag for various situations.

Now it's down to macros I guess. I like SweetshopUnion's idea of the inverse normal lens but I think I'd rather just have a straight up macro. The only choice now is the 50mm with the add on ring to make it 1x life size or the 100mm macro. The lens PT posted is something to think about too.

And I would like to keep the price reasonable for my parents.
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Define reasonable. If you want macro, just get some kenko tubes and use them with the lenses you have now. Otherwise get a nice ultra-wide or telephoto lens.
 
Forget the EF-S lenses. The don't work on the XXD series camera either so if you ever consider upgrading even to a 50D, you'll be stuck with no lenses.

As for macro lenses, I assume the budget is not particularity large so the Canon Lens 50mm EF f2.5 Compact Macro is very cost effective option.
 
Hmm that is a good point because if I continue to like photography I'll probably be getting a 50D next year (or whatever is similar).

The 50mm macro does half life size right? Then there is some attachment you can get that will full life size? Or am I just making this up?
 
The 100mm macro (non-L) is a nice lens. Great as a macro and also usable as a portrait lens. It's fairly quick to focus, especially if you use the focus limiter switch. I think that at longer ranges it needs a sniff of saturation in post, but as a macro it's excellent.

If you're thinking 50mm, save yourself the hassle and buy the 50/1.4. It's heaps better than the 1.8. The 1.8 is marvellous because it's so cheap, but the 1.4 is a much better lens. Much faster and more accurate to focus in any light, whereas the F/1.8 lens will often have you reaching to the MF slider because it's hunting.
 
Thanks Giles 👍.

The more I think about it, I'd probably use a 50mm normal lens more than I would a macro. I don't really want to shoot jewellery for the rest of my life and I can't really think of anything else I would really use the macro for.

Other than the 50mm lens, I've begun to think about a wide angle. Either a 24mm or a 28mm, not really sure on that either.

Is there a good place to go to figure out what I want? I feel like a bit of a spaz jumping all over the place like this.
 
Well, you wrote:

Joey D
In terms of lens I have a 18-55mm EF-S lens that came with the camera and a EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM autofocus lens.
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So, my advice is to review your shoots. When you had the 18-55 on, was it too short? Or are you spending more time down at the wider end? Similarly, is the 28-105 too long? If you've some library software like Lightroom, it will tell you your zoom length. Have a look at what you're shooting, and let that inform you.

Personally, I think that 50mm is a perfect length for a 1.6 crop camera like yours (incidentally, I'm really not feeling it on the 1d or 5d, which is why I'm selling mine). But let your shooting tell you.
 
Unfortunately I don't have Lightroom, so I had to do it a rather round about way, but I took time last night to review some of my better shots (while letting Windows 7 do its thing) and it looks like most of them are between 35mm and 75mm. I find that range to be the best, so probably a 50mm lens would be pretty good.

There are times I find that 105mm isn't long enough so perhaps a 100mm-300mm telephoto wouldn't be a bad investment.

So pretty much I've narrowed it down to one of these:

Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM Autofocus Lens:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...65A003_100_300mm_f_4_5_5_6_USM_Autofocus.html

or

Canon Normal EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Autofocus Lens
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/12140-USA/Canon_2515A003_50mm_f_1_4_USM_Autofocus.html
 
Joey D
Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM Autofocus Lens:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...65A003_100_300mm_f_4_5_5_6_USM_Autofocus.html
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I wouldn't recommend this lens. This is the zoom lens that comes with twin lens kit 450D & 100Ds. I had one and was happy when I finally departed with it. Cheap build quality, terrible even in sunny locations, I really struggled to get a shot with this handheld that wasn’t blurred (on the other hand my current 150-500 I can hold and still get a crisp shot at full extension so it’s not an issue of a hand that’s not steady).

The 70-200 F/4 L is a little more expensive but it is totally worth the extra money. For starters, it's not built out of that terrible plastic that the 100-300 is made from. The optics quality is amazing too for such a great price. I could bang on all day about the value for money that this lens is.
 
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The 70-200 F/4 L is a little more expensive but it is totally worth the extra money. For starters, it's not built out of that terrible plastic that the 100-300 is made from. The optics quality is amazing too for such a great price. I could bang on all day about the value for money that this lens is.
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I have this lens, and it is as amazing as you say. The only drawback: it makes you want more of it. ;) I'm thinking of trading in my Sigma 17-70 f/2.8-4.5 for a 17-40 F/4L.
 
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I wouldn't recommend this lens. This is the zoom lens that comes with twin lens kit 450D & 100Ds. I had one and was happy when I finally departed with it. Cheap build quality, terrible even in sunny locations, I really struggled to get a shot with this handheld that wasn’t blurred (on the other hand my current 150-500 I can hold and still get a crisp shot at full extension so it’s not an issue of a hand that’s not steady).

The 70-200 F/4 L is a little more expensive but it is totally worth the extra money. For starters, it's not built out of that terrible plastic that the 100-300 is made from. The optics quality is amazing too for such a great price. I could bang on all day about the value for money that this lens is.
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Absolutely. And as a 70-200 F/2.8L IS owner, I would advocate the L wherever I could. But "a little more expensive" translates to "twice the price". I'm not sure that Santa would be wanting to stretch that far!
 
GilesGuthrie
I'm not sure that Santa would be wanting to stretch that far!
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Probably not, but perhaps Joey would be willing to help Santa out a bit? In that case, the 70-200 F4/L may be an option.

Spending 600 dollars on a lens is a lot, but it doesn't hurt as much as spending 300 dollars on a lens you don't like in the end. Of course, you can say the same about a 5000 dollar lens, so where do you draw the line? ;)

And we can't look into Santa's wallet, 600 dollars may be way over his budget.
 
I'm not sure how big Santa's wallet is, he's brought me something as small as a Wii before and as big as a new TV. My mom errr Santa said they just wanted some ideas.

Thanks for the advice though, I think I'm going to ask for the 50mm prime lens and maybe some other goodies like a wireless remote, some filters, and a tripod that doesn't suck.
 
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Forget the EF-S lenses. The don't work on the XXD series camera either so if you ever consider upgrading even to a 50D, you'll be stuck with no lenses.
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EF-S lenses will work on any APS-C camera, which means that out of Canon's current range, the 5D MkII and the 1D in its various flavours are the ones that can't make use of them.
 
F1GTR
EF-S lenses will work on any APS-C camera, which means that out of Canon's current range, the 5D MkII and the 1D in its various flavours are the ones that can't make use of them.
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I stand corrected.

I note that the 20D's don't have the lens alignment markings for the EF-S, not sure about the 40 & 50Ds though, I assume they would have added that to the later models.
 
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I stand corrected.

I note that the 20D's don't have the lens alignment markings for the EF-S, not sure about the 40 & 50Ds though, I assume they would have added that to the later models.
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The 10d and 20d are not EF-S cameras, as far as I know. Certainly, as far up as the 7d (so that's 1000d, 350d, 400d, 450d, 30d, 40d, 50d and now 7d) are EF-S compatible, which means that the lens lineup is not as low-end focussed as it used to be.

Speedster502 has the 55-250IS, so talk to him about it. He's used his to good effect anyway.
 
Hmm that's good to know, I figured if I upgraded from my XS I' be sunk. Maybe I will look at the EF-S lens.
 
GilesGuthrie
The 10d and 20d are not EF-S cameras, as far as I know. Certainly, as far up as the 7d (so that's 1000d, 350d, 400d, 450d, 30d, 40d, 50d and now 7d) are EF-S compatible, which means that the lens lineup is not as low-end focussed as it used to be.
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It's only the 10D that cannot mount EF-S lenses, so stick the 20D on your list. :)
 

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