Which Wide Lens to buy?

photodad1photodad1 Registered Users Posts: 566 Major grins
edited February 24, 2011 in Accessories
I currently own a Canon 50D with a Canon 70-200mm 2.8L for taking photos of sports. I am looking to purchase a wide angle lens for taking photos of portraits and everything else. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Comments

  • angevin1angevin1 Registered Users Posts: 3,403 Major grins
    edited February 21, 2011
    photodad1 wrote: »
    I currently own a Canon 50D with a Canon 70-200mm 2.8L for taking photos of sports. I am looking to purchase a wide angle lens for taking photos of portraits and everything else. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


    Everything else sounds right! But for portraits many many folks like the range of your present go-to piece: 70-200mm!~
    tom wise
  • ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 24,133 moderator
    edited February 21, 2011
    A very good complimentary zoom lens to the EF 70-200mm range is the EF-S 17-55mm, f2.8 IS USM. It's a pretty good "walk-a-round" lens and works well for interior social events too. Couple the 17-55mm with an appropriate flash and flash modifier and you have an excellent small kit that is capable of paying jobs. Those 2 lenses are also a great combination for travel too.
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
  • JohnRogJohnRog Registered Users Posts: 173 Major grins
    edited February 21, 2011
    If you're budget conscious, the tamron 17-50 2.8 is a very nice option as well... I think there's one in the dgrin flea market right now for $299... I just bought a used one myself for $375 and I'm very pleased with its focus accuracy and IQ...

    Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk
  • photodad1photodad1 Registered Users Posts: 566 Major grins
    edited February 22, 2011
    Should I go with the Canon 24-70mm F2.8L or the Canon EF-S 17-55mm F2.8 IS USM?
  • ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 24,133 moderator
    edited February 22, 2011
    photodad1 wrote: »
    Should I go with the Canon 24-70mm F2.8L or the Canon EF-S 17-55mm F2.8 IS USM?

    In your original post you mentioned that you were, "looking to purchase a wide angle lens for taking photos of portraits and everything else." The 24-70mm zoom on a crop camera is not very wide. While you really don't need the width for most portraits the 17mm end of the EF-S 17-55mm, f2.8 IS USM is very handy for lots of things like group portraits, other social situations, house interiors, wide angle landscapes, etc.
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
  • photodad1photodad1 Registered Users Posts: 566 Major grins
    edited February 22, 2011
    I totally forgot about the 50D being a crop camera. The EF-S 17-55mm, F2.8 IS USM makes perfect sense. Thanks, Ziggy53!!
  • Village IdiotVillage Idiot Registered Users Posts: 215 Major grins
    edited February 24, 2011
    Is 17mm going to be wide enough for you? I don't really consider that very wide with the 1.6x APS-C
    On a scale of 1 to 10, my awesomeness goes all the way to 11.
  • bgarlandbgarland Registered Users Posts: 761 Major grins
    edited February 24, 2011
    I have a 50D and like you have the 70-200mm 2.8L.

    My primary walk around lens is the EF-S 17-55mm, f2.8 IS USM. I love the image quality of this lens. It does have a tendency to suck in a little dust from time to time but as long as you are comfortable removing the front lens it's very easy to clean out. I have done that on mine about once a year. The glass quality outweighs that minor problem IMO.

    For non portrait wide angle I have the Canon 10-22 and have been very happy with it. A little too wide with associated expected WA distortion for portrait work but a very nice WA for when you want to go wide. :D
    Brad

    http://bgarland.smugmug.com/
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