Travel Lens
CloudOnMyTongue
Registered Users Posts: 27 Big grins
I shoot with a Canon T3i, mostly travel and landscape. I've also been making a few videos, mostly just documentry type travel shots.
I currently have a 17-40mm L /50mm 1.4 and a 28-135mm.
I want to upgrade the 28-135mm. Any suggestions for a good zoom lens that would be in my bag with the 50 and the 17-40?
I currently have a 17-40mm L /50mm 1.4 and a 28-135mm.
I want to upgrade the 28-135mm. Any suggestions for a good zoom lens that would be in my bag with the 50 and the 17-40?
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Comments
The cheap and 18-55IS and 55-250IS are sharper than the 28-135 if you don't mind changing lens. Otherwise there is the 18-135 (the STM version better for video), Canon 15-85, etc. and non-Canon wide zooms like the Tamron 18-270
I can also suggest that sometime you may wish to add:
A 2 - element close-up diopter, close-focus converter lens.
The teleconverter cuts the lens efficiency by one stop, and it will degrade image quality a bit, but it's often a useful compromise for distant subjects or to provide better landscape framing optically (as opposed to post-production cropping of the image).
The diopter, in a suitable size, can fit either the prime 50mm, f1.4 that you have or the zoom telephoto that I recommend.
In the case of the EF 50mm, f1.4 I can recommend a Sony VCL-3358 Close-Up lens (designed for some of their older advanced digicams). It has the correct 58mm threads and the 330mm diopter works OK with the focal length of the 50mm host lens.
An even better choice would be a close focus diopter for the 70-200mm I recommend. I use a Canon 500D in 77mm size for both the 70-200mm, f2.8 and the 70-200mm, f4 versions of that lens. The f4 version requires a 67mm-77mm step-up ring, of course.
While I do think that image quality is a bit better on the 70-200mm zooms with the 500D than the prime 50mm, f1.4 with the Sony diopter, the 500D is a lot more expensive and a lot more weight too. Since the quality difference is really pretty small, I often use the Sony diopter on the Canon 50mm and the results are perfectly saleable.
A set of extension tubes can also be used on the 50mm prime with very good results. The problem is the amount of space that they occupy in the bag and how dark the image can get at full extension. Still, it's a potentially inexpensive way to go. I don't recommend extension tubes on zoom lenses, however.
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I wouldn't mind replacing a lens, that 55-250 IS looks like an amazing one lens only option for a good pricepoint. Sometimes I just end up using my S95 because I don't want to carry my SLR and it's lens with me.
I only have the budget for one lens, and would be okay with replaince the 18-135 as it seems to be my weakest lens.
Thank you everyone for your help, I've had a DSR for awhile. I now realize it's a passion worth a little more investment, but I'm still pretty much a beginner.