Canon Lens question

Cowboyblue31

I recently purchased the canon 50D. The question I have is, If I want to start doing some family portrait shots and weddings and other kinds of photography, what lenses should I look into.

I already know that I am going to purchase the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS USM lens for sports photography.

I searched the forum up and down and read some posts, but I just wanted to ask for some more advice before I decide to make some buys.

So far, I have looked at the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM $1,099.00 at Amazon.com and the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 $379 at Amazon.

Any other lenses I should be looking at or considering?

I currently have the 28-135mm that came with the 50D.

Any help would be appreciated!

Thank You

craig_d

For the 50D, the best choice for a portrait lens is probably the EF 85mm f/1.8 USM.

I'd recommend the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM as well, though the 50mm f/1.8 is a fair substitute if your budget is tight. On the 50D, 50mm can serve as a portrait lens for those situations where you find it necessary to shoot a portrait from only four feet away (which is too close, really, but sometimes you have no choice).

Are you planning to get the new II version of the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS, or the original 2001 version (which is apparently still in production)? The new one is getting very enthusiastic reviews, but the older one is a superb lens too. The price difference is pretty significant.

For wedding work, I'm sure you'll want a good flash. Canon's 580EX II is a good choice, but there are alternatives from other makers as well.

ElectricDreams

Two words, Nifty Fifty. I've had it since March and I haven't taken it off my camera yet. Granted, I haven't shot sports at all but it can be used in pretty much every situation. When it comes to glass, invest for the future. I know a few professional photographers that say their favorite lens is the 50mm 1.4 and these guys have been shooting for 8+ years. For weddings you may want to check out something with a little more range than 55. In my opinion, 55 might not be long enough to get some key shots that couples look for. For portraits, you cannot beat the 85mm 1.2, but not everyone has 2k laying around to drop on a lens, so i imagine the 1.8 version will work just fine. It's all about what you are going to do in the future.

Try renting some of them from a photo place like Calumet. They have stores all over the place and decent rental prices. It has helped me a ton in deciding what lenses/accessories are necessary for the stuff that i usually shoot.

chrisjohnson

I find this a bit of a silly question. Sorry Cowboy.

First you buy a great camera kit. Now you intend to buy a couple of the best zoom lenses available. (Kit I can hardly afford even though I am far from being poor and needy).

Then you ask about a special portrait lens. Clearly money is no problem.

Personally, in your position, I would be taking portraits with your state-of-the-art kit lens and then trying to figure what I want to do even better. Which focal length do I prefer? Is there a prime at this length for even sharper resolution? Do I want bokeh or all-round resolution? How many people are in my family shots? At what distance from me do they behave naturally? Do I want the nose hair in high resolution at 4 feet or a softer effect?

A traditional answer points towards an 85mm prime - the 35mm portrait lens of choice for 50 years.

A modern answer would be to challenge what you want to achieve. You can take portraits with a fish-eye if that is what you like.

cmason

There is nothing like experience to help you choose a lens. Believe me, what would previously sound like a ridiculous idea (why would anyone spend $1600 on a lens??) makes complete sense after shooting for a while and finding limitations.

My suggestion is to use your 28-135...its a good lens, and then find where you are limited. If you find your shots are not as sharp as you like or not as sharp as you 70-200 produces, then try our the 24-105L or 17-40L.

I personally would skip the 50m, and either choose the 85 or just wait. I find the 50 great for low light, but incredibly challenging to shoot with, as I constantly run into DOF focus issues. Again, experience is best here.

Cowboyblue31

craig_d wrote: »

For the 50D, the best choice for a portrait lens is probably the EF 85mm f/1.8 USM.

I'd recommend the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM as well, though the 50mm f/1.8 is a fair substitute if your budget is tight. On the 50D, 50mm can serve as a portrait lens for those situations where you find it necessary to shoot a portrait from only four feet away (which is too close, really, but sometimes you have no choice).

Are you planning to get the new II version of the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS, or the original 2001 version (which is apparently still in production)? The new one is getting very enthusiastic reviews, but the older one is a superb lens too. The price difference is pretty significant.

For wedding work, I'm sure you'll want a good flash. Canon's 580EX II is a good choice, but there are alternatives from other makers as well.

Craig_D, thanks for the advice.

First of all, I've had several people tell me about the 50mm f/1.4 and the 50mm f/1.8 looks like a great lens. I might give that one a try.

The new version of the 70-200mm would be great, but since I am on a budget, the original version still seems to be a pretty solid peice of glass. And you are right, the price difference is pretty steep. I am trying to stay on a budget.

Cowboyblue31

ElectricDreams wrote: »

Two words, Nifty Fifty. I've had it since March and I haven't taken it off my camera yet. Granted, I haven't shot sports at all but it can be used in pretty much every situation. When it comes to glass, invest for the future. I know a few professional photographers that say their favorite lens is the 50mm 1.4 and these guys have been shooting for 8+ years. For weddings you may want to check out something with a little more range than 55. In my opinion, 55 might not be long enough to get some key shots that couples look for. For portraits, you cannot beat the 85mm 1.2, but not everyone has 2k laying around to drop on a lens, so i imagine the 1.8 version will work just fine. It's all about what you are going to do in the future.

Yeah, the 85mm is nice, but wow! The price is high!

Try renting some of them from a photo place like Calumet. They have stores all over the place and decent rental prices. It has helped me a ton in deciding what lenses/accessories are necessary for the stuff that i usually shoot.

I have heard about the rental websites. Never used one though. I might have to go that route.

Cowboyblue31

goldenballs wrote: »

I find this a bit of a silly question. Sorry Cowboy.

sorry for the silly question.

First you buy a great camera kit. Now you intend to buy a couple of the best zoom lenses available. (Kit I can hardly afford even though I am far from being poor and needy).

Then you ask about a special portrait lens. Clearly money is no problem.

I wish that was the case, but I am on a budget.

Personally, in your position, I would be taking portraits with your state-of-the-art kit lens and then trying to figure what I want to do even better. Which focal length do I prefer? Is there a prime at this length for even sharper resolution? Do I want bokeh or all-round resolution? How many people are in my family shots? At what distance from me do they behave naturally? Do I want the nose hair in high resolution at 4 feet or a softer effect?

This is what I am trying to do. I have been using my camera and the lens it came with, but I want to do more and needed some advice on some lenses.

A traditional answer points towards an 85mm prime - the 35mm portrait lens of choice for 50 years.


A modern answer would be to challenge what you want to achieve. You can take portraits with a fish-eye if that is what you like.

Thanks for taking the time to give some advice,

Cowboyblue31

cmason wrote: »

There is nothing like experience to help you choose a lens. Believe me, what would previously sound like a ridiculous idea (why would anyone spend $1600 on a lens??) makes complete sense after shooting for a while and finding limitations.

My suggestion is to use your 28-135...its a good lens, and then find where you are limited. If you find your shots are not as sharp as you like or not as sharp as you 70-200 produces, then try our the 24-105L or 17-40L.

I have been, its a great lens. I just needed something I could use in low light settings. Also, I wanted to get some sharper shots.

I personally would skip the 50m, and either choose the 85 or just wait. I find the 50 great for low light, but incredibly challenging to shoot with, as I constantly run into DOF focus issues. Again, experience is best here.

Thanks for the info cmason!

ziggy53

For wedding work a couple of very fast zoom lenses are usually beneficial. They give you a combination of versatility and speed of use that you don't get with primes. For a Canon crop 1.6x camera, like the Canon 50D, I believe the best choice is:

Canon EF-S 17-55mm, f2.8 IS USM
Canon EF 70-200mm, f2.8L IS USM

Both of these have a fast, constant aperture, and that f2.8 aperture will trigger all 9 AF points of the camera to work as high precision. The longer zoom will also work as a pretty good head shot and head-and-shoulders lens for portraiture and the long end of the 17-55mm zoom will do for 3/4 length and full-length portraits. Use the wider settings for group images, where you will often stop down to f4-f5.6, and f5.6-f8 is the "sweet spot" of the 17-55mm zoom.

The 17-55mm range is also very nice range for a wedding reception.

Eventually, I also suggest a 50mm, f1.4 for the ceremony if flash is not allowed (very common). That lens also helps to control DOF and has very nice bokeh. Then you may also want something in the 85mm - 135mm focal lengths, again with a very fast aperture, for the same qualities (low light without flash and DOF/bokeh control) when you need more intimacy with the subject.

If you start with the 2 zooms and then add the primes I think you will grow nicely into a full system.

Remember that lighting is extremely important and for both wedding and portrait work you will need appropriate flashes and modifiers. A backup camera and backup lenses are also extremely important for a principal photographer.