Lens Clarifications

leeanne

Please bear with me here as I have some questions with regards to the type of pictures/uses of the lenses that came with my package I purchased yesterday.

I now have a Canon 450D Eos and with it came the following lenses:

EF 24-70 mm 1:2.8 L USM
EF 16-35 mm 1:2.8 L II USM lens,
EFS 18-55 mm lens

Can someone perhaps clarify what type of pictures/uses each lens could be used for?

Much appreciated!

craig_d

I think if you experiment a bit you will see the differences in field of view between the lenses. The 16-35mm is a wide-angle zoom lens and the 24-70mm is a standard zoom (that is, it's in between wide-angle and telephoto). These two are much higher quality (and price!) than the EF-S 18-55mm. Between them, they cover the range of 16-70mm, which is a bit wider than 18-55mm, though at the minor inconvenience of having to change lenses occasionally.

You will also note that the 18-55mm lens says "1:3.5-5.6" on the black ring that surrounds the glass at the front end. This means its maximum aperture ranges between f/3.5 at the wide end (18mm) to f/5.6 at the long end (55mm). In contrast, the 16-35mm and 24-70mm lenses can go to f/2.8 at all focal lengths. What this basically means is that the more expensive lenses can let in much more light, and take pictures in correspondingly less time, than the slower 18-55mm lens. In my experience, the 18-55mm lens is pretty much useless for indoor or evening photography (unless using a flash or photographing something that is motionless), while the f/2.8 lenses are more usable under those circumstances.

There are a few different versions of the 18-55mm lens, the best of which will have the words "Image Stabilizer" on the body near the mount. This means that the lens attempts to correct for small motions of the lens during hand-held photography that ordinarily would result in a blurred image. This is a feature that was first introduced in the mid-1990s and has gradually spread across Canon's product line, though they still sell a number of lenses that do not have IS, including the 16-35mm and 24-70mm lenses you have.

ziggy53

Both the EF 16-35mm, f2.8L USM and the EF-S 18-55mm, f/3.5-5.6 IS would be considered "standard" zoom lenses for that camera. The difference is that the 16-35mm is one of Canon's best lenses and usable wide open, so more usable for many (if not most) subjects in low light. Both are suitable outdoors. The 18-55mm is more versatile with a longer range, but the build quality is entry level and if it's dropped or even banged on a door jam it can be broken.

The EF 24-70mm, f2.8L USM would be more "intimate" with people indoors and can be used for head shot portraits indoors and out. Again, it is an excellent quality professional lens with very high quality wide open, but by f4 it becomes extremely crisp. Outdoors at 24mm it is a very nice full-length portrait lens as well as group portrait lens.

Both lenses that allow f2.8 have potentially faster and more accurate focus in low-light. Ring USM AF motor technology is the best that Canon offers, and both of those lenses have that technology.

Indoors, with any of the lenses, I do recommend the use of the 580 EX flash and an appropriate modifier. It is the use of a flash and modifier that generally makes a tremendous difference in the image quality, more so than either lens or camera. Also look for "window light" possibilities and use the flash for fill light.

You can create your own light modifiers (DIY). A couple that I can recommend are:

http://www.fototime.com/inv/908195739C4C0D3

http://abetterbouncecard.com/

Joe Demb also makes an interesting device for sale (reasonable):

http://www.dembflashproducts.com/flipit/

I own a FlipIt product and it works well and is very well made.

A site showing various modifiers in use:

http://www.the-meissners.org/2006-small-albums/2006-flashmod/index.html

Awais Yaqub

450D is crop camera body, with crop factor of 1.6. You multiply 1.6 with actual focal length mentioned on lens to get effective focal length on crop factor cameras

EF 24-70 mm 1:2.8 L USM Standard zoom lens on Full frame cameras( cams with 1 crop factor camera)
EF 16-35 mm 1:2.8 L II USM lens Ultra wide angle lens on full frame cameras

EFS 18-55 mm lens aka kit lens, standard focal length on crop body used only with 1.6 crop bodies.

Each lens could be used for variety of subjects, but 24-70 is mostly used for walk around street photos and portraits,16-35 is used for interiors or landscapes on full frame. 18-55 is very basic and entry level lens by canon and used as standard lens on crop body. In terms of focal length 18-55 and 16-35 are almost same on crop sensor.

Hope this helps.
Wish i could elaborate more

Awais Yaqub

Oh, i just saw Ziggy and Craig already posted reply in great detail !

leeanne

Thanks! I will sit and ponder over all of your replies and if any other questions will ask.

You people are so helpful!