Picking out lenses
I am very new to the digital world and just picked up my first camera (50d) :clap please forgive me as I know everyone asks this type of question, but i cannot find the thread i had been following on it.
I am looking at getting more lenses but I am uncertain what would be the best. I like to take landscapes/cityscapes, portraits, and participate in the challenges on here..... I will eventually be doing sport photos but not right now. I travel for a job so i need to be able to travel with my equip but not carry a whole 3 suitcases with me! So please think multiple use for now...
Remember I am a beginner, so I am looking to not spend all I have on lenses at once (boring I know) as I feel I need to know how to use one lens before i go buy another one.
Based on what i know i am thinking
50mm 1.8 II
70-200 2.8 (at somepoint in the next year)
What else should I be thinking of and why?
I am looking at getting more lenses but I am uncertain what would be the best. I like to take landscapes/cityscapes, portraits, and participate in the challenges on here..... I will eventually be doing sport photos but not right now. I travel for a job so i need to be able to travel with my equip but not carry a whole 3 suitcases with me! So please think multiple use for now...
Remember I am a beginner, so I am looking to not spend all I have on lenses at once (boring I know) as I feel I need to know how to use one lens before i go buy another one.
Based on what i know i am thinking
50mm 1.8 II
70-200 2.8 (at somepoint in the next year)
What else should I be thinking of and why?
Erica
Still Learning.......
Still Learning.......
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Comments
Welcome to DGRIN!!!
It seems you have several interest that require a few different types of lenses. I would ask you do you have a budget, and what kind of photography do you plan on doing the most out of the ones you stated?
There are a lot of nice lenses out there both OEM and off brand. Many of the off brand lenses are just as good as the OEM ones they replace in their price range.
A nice lens that could do landscapes and portraits is the Tamron 17-50mm 2.8. It has a constant aperture and is reported to be nice and sharp. For landscapes however, like I'm finding, you may have to o wider. Canon makes a 10-20mm, as does Sigma, and a few other manufactures. I use a Sigma 17-70mm 2.8-4.5 for my landscapes and I am finding I would like a wider lens. The reason is that the 50D and like XXD cameras are crop cameras, therefore those cameras actually eat up a bit of the focal length and leave with less to work with. To convert the crop factor you multiple the factor (1.6x) by the lens mm.
The Canon 70-200mm 2.8 would make a good sports lens if the action is close enough, but then again I'm not sure as to what sports you are going to photograph. You may want to look into also a canon 300mm f4 IS.
A tripod is a must for almost every landscape shot! Using small apertures and trying to handhold is almost impossible. I would look into buying a decent Manforotto. You may question paying a few hundred shots for a tripod, but I did and trust me you will thank yourself, as I do every time I shoot. A sturdy tripod is almost a requirement.
The 50D is looking like an awesome camera from what I've seen, but that is mostly nature stuff I have looked at!
I will look at the lens you mentioned, I am really still trying to figure this camera out still, and there are sooo many buttons. As for sports, i used to race motorcycles so i guess that would be where i started with my friends as subjects.
I am very hapy so far with the 50d, now if i could only get what is in my head to come out on the screen. But I am havign fun with the mini challenges and it helps to strech my knowledge and try to figure out somethign new to do.
Still Learning.......
I don't see if you mentioned this before, but did you get the 28-135mm kit with your 50D? That is a great all-around lens for shooting durring the daylight hours and works well for long tripod exosures too. You might check into picking one up - they are available all over the forums and online (don't pay over $300 for it though).
Still Learning.......
You're welcome.
My suggestion is to spend the money for the 1.4 and just use that and the kit lens for now. You need a good tripod (as already stated) and probably a flash. The kit lens has a really nice range for starting out without having to waste a lot of money on lenses you don't need. by adding the 50mm 1.4 you will have a nice kit that gives you the ability to get lowlight images.
The $600 you mentioned will almost cover the lens and tripod, look around for used and store sales.
Sigma 10-20, Tokina 12-24 and 11-16, Tamron 10-24, and Canon 10-22 are ultrawides made especially for cropped sensor bodies like the 50D. The Tamron is going to come out soon but all the others are very good in their own right with it's own quirks and such.
I apprechiate all of your suggestions. I can't wait to shoot more!!! here is what i was able to do withthe 40d that i had for 2 days before the 50d was annouced and I decided I had to have
I still have no idea how to use photoshop and such so this is strraight out of the camera
Still Learning.......