New Prime Lens and Possibly a New Camera?

sapphire73 · December 28, 2013

I am considering getting the 70d and a new lens that is relatively light and fast. I need to keep my equipment on the lighter side - especially when traveling overseas - as I just can't carry and use the heavier equipment.

I have the Canon 7d and T4i and these lenses: Canon 10-22, 18-135 STM, 18-200, 24-105L, 50 1.8, 60 macro, 70-300 and the Tamron 18-270 PZD

Looking at getting one of these lenses:

Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 IS (9.9 oz)
Canon EF 28mm f/2.8 IS (9.2 oz)
Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS (11.82 oz)
Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di-II VC (20oz)

The 35mm with its f/2 and IS has a lot of appeal for me. I would want to have a wider lens in my bag if shooting landscapes (in the Lake District, Maroon Bells wilderness near Aspen, etc.). The 24mm or 28mm lens might be a good compromise as they are a bit wider. The Tamron lens would complement my new 70-300 lens and give me a faster zoom than what I currently have but the reviews are mixed. What do you think of these options?

I would like to have 2 camera bodies to take to Masai Mara this summer and have grown used to the T4i (accessing menu through touch LCD, etc.) which I purchased as a lighter option to the 7D. The 70D is just about the same weight as the 7D but looks like there would be some advantages to shooting with it. If I get the 70D, my husband (who only pulls out a camera for bird photography in places like Sanibel or Masai Mara) could use the 7D with his 100-400 L lens instead of his 50D camera.

I can also hold off on both decisions and see what Andy posts after his trip to Tanzania. Much as it makes sense to stay in the Canon family, a mirrorless camera might make some sense for me at some point in the future....

Thanks,
Gretchen

(Here are some of the photos I've shared recently on smugmug as a sample of what I have shot on recent trips. But I hope to take a lot of photographs at an orphanage in Kenya this summer, so this doesn't fully represent my subjects.)

Ostravaczech · December 28, 2013

I have the 35mm f/2 lens and I think it is a very good lens. It may not be wide enough on 7D for what you want to do with it but both my 7D and 5D love it.

divamum · December 28, 2013

I just sold my Tamron 17-50 mk 1 as I wasn't using it now I've gone full frame but it was one of the best lenses in my bag. It is a WONDERFUL lens. You can pick one up for not much money. The other terrific small, light, inexpensive lens is the 40mm 2.8 pancake - I've seen outstanding shots from it.

The 70d is a splendid camera, but I'm not sure that it offers so much over a 7d to make it worth the investment. What will it offer that your current 2 (3?) bodies don't?

sapphire73 · December 29, 2013

Thank you both for your input!

I am leaning toward the Tamron 17-50 but still considering options. Divamum, I had considered the 40mm 2.8 pancake lens - especially when the price dipped - but wondered whether it would feel wide enough with a crop sensor and saw reviews about it being slow to focus. Good to know that you have seen outstanding shots taken with it!

divamum wrote: »

The 70d is a splendid camera, but I'm not sure that it offers so much over a 7d to make it worth the investment. What will it offer that your current 2 (3?) bodies don't?

I have been using the T4i for much of the past year because of knee problems and some tendinitis. I have come to like the articulated LCD screen and use the touchscreen to make quick menu changes, manually select the AF point for different shots, etc. It has served me well, but I would want to take the 7D or a 70D (with 19 cross type focal points) as my main camera to Masai Mara in July and use the T4i for landscape shots, etc.

The touchscreen on the 70D would be convenient (and function in a similar way to the T4i) but it is not essential. I am often shooting in low light conditions - especially in Africa - and being able to shoot at higher ISOs with less noise is always a plus. Some of the other innovations with the 70D might come in handy for shooting video - more likely in Kenya perhaps than the other places we visit.

A Masai Mara anecdote: I missed getting any good shots of a leap of leopards we encountered one night after sundowners because none of us had a flashlight to help us change camera settings. And I hadn't yet discovered the "light bulb" button on the 7D that would have helped me see what I was doing. It would probably be easier to make changes on the T4i or 70D in a similar situation.

Any other thoughts on the 70D and lens options?

Thanks,
Gretchen

insanefred · December 29, 2013

sapphire73 wrote: »

Thank you both for your input!

I am leaning toward the Tamron 17-50 but still considering options. Divamum, I had considered the 40mm 2.8 pancake lens - especially when the price dipped - but wondered whether it would feel wide enough with a crop sensor and saw reviews about it being slow to focus. Good to know that you have seen outstanding shots taken with it!

I have been using the T4i for much of the past year because of knee problems and some tendinitis. I have come to like the articulated LCD screen and use the touchscreen to make quick menu changes, manually select the AF point for different shots, etc. It has served me well, but I would want to take the 7D or a 70D (with 19 cross type focal points) as my main camera to Masai Mara in July and use the T4i for landscape shots, etc.

The touchscreen on the 70D would be convenient (and function in a similar way to the T4i) but it is not essential. I am often shooting in low light conditions - especially in Africa - and being able to shoot at higher ISOs with less noise is always a plus. Some of the other innovations with the 70D might come in handy for shooting video - more likely in Kenya perhaps than the other places we visit.

A Masai Mara anecdote: I missed getting any good shots of a leap of leopards we encountered one night after sundowners because none of us had a flashlight to help us change camera settings. And I hadn't yet discovered the "light bulb" button on the 7D that would have helped me see what I was doing. It would probably be easier to make changes on the T4i or 70D in a similar situation.

Any other thoughts on the 70D and lens options?

Thanks,
Gretchen

Picking one lens for for trips like a prime will never be perfect but they can come close. For aps-c and FF, 28mm is really growing on me. I also really like 35mm prime lenses.
Some will disagree with me, but I found the Tamron 17-50mm slow and some times inaccurate too, especially in lower light; it has to micro-stutter into place.
Since you mentioned Africa, I would personally grab the Canon 28 2.8 IS (even though a 28 1.8 would be my first choice.) I rather not miss a shot because I had to take a few steps back than to not be able to get close enough. Also, like how the 28mm lenses can focus pretty close; I love this feature on my Nikon 28 1.8G.
Note: I have never been to Africa, or even shot with Canon lenses you mentioned, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

divamum · December 30, 2013

Wow - my Tam 17-50 was the most satisfactory standard zooms I have owned to date; one of my continued frustrations with finding a standard zoom for full frame is that they haven't quite measured up in sharpness. The Tamron wasn't as fast to focus as the best Canon lenses, but it was more than adequate. It wouldn't be my first choice in low light (although I managed to use it successfully even then), but I never found it to be lacking for all but the fastest scenarios. And even then, it would deliver, if not perfectly. Again, this was the MK - no stabilisation, but I gather it was sharper than its successor. I wish I'd known you were looking - I'd have sold you mine instead of taking it to KEH!

Gretchen, are the funds available for the Canon 17-55is? I'm not sure how it would fit your "lightweight" brief, but it's certainly a well-regarded and reliable lens. Altrnatively, I think the 18-135 is a somewhat forgotten lens - it's not as sharp as its L and higher-end siblings, but it's a lot better than people give it credit for. There was a point when I kept considering one; if you don't need a constant 2.8 aperture, it covers useful focal lengths.

The disadvantage of any SLR when traveling is that, no matter how small, it does call attention to itself. I find that I use my s95 an awful lot more when "on the road", saving the heavy kit for very specific occasions. When I was in France and California earlier this year I took the 5dII + 135L for when I would be shooting concerts in gothic churches (hence the need for fast lenses!), and considered my s95 my "walkabout lens". It worked out well.

sapphire73 · December 30, 2013

divamum wrote: »

The disadvantage of any SLR when traveling is that, no matter how small, it does call attention to itself. I find that I use my s95 an awful lot more when "on the road", saving the heavy kit for very specific occasions. When I was in France and California earlier this year I took the 5dII + 135L for when I would be shooting concerts in gothic churches (hence the need for fast lenses!), and considered my s95 my "walkabout lens". It worked out well.

Thank you for continuing the dialog about the lens, etc. I do need to focus on light lenses and be able to switch out what I take for different situations. I had a knee replacement a few months ago and am doing well, but want to keep it that way.

Rereading the reviews, it does look like the Tamron 17-50 with VC is not as sharp as the one without, and I value the IS. I do have the 18-135 IS STM lens, and it does pretty well as a general walk around lens as does the 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 IS. The 40mm STM lens is tempting with video in mind (with T4i or 70D) but I can't count on being able to use a tripod. I am hoping to try out the 28 f/2.8 IS at our local camera shop as it might be a good compromise lens - sharper I gather than the 26 f/2.8 IS. I would use it indoors for candids of my little grand-daughter as well as places in Africa where there is no electric light.

(Anecdote from the Ivory Coast: I was photographing a graduation in the Ivory Coast in a building built of cinder blocks and a metal roof during a thunder storm with no electric light. It was the first and only time I have been seated beside a local Imam in the guest of honor row of seats.)

I do take a Canon s90 with me as well when I am traveling and often have another point and shoot that I can hand local people to use while we are with them. Much of the time we are traveling in Africa, we are staying in hotels but being escorted by locals. I like to take photos to help with PR for some of the places we visit - like an orphanage in Kenya seeking sponsors for some of the children. Some of these photos end up in print publications, more on facebook, and some may eventually be used in books that could help raise funds for local efforts. So I am always taking some kind of dslr kit with me but avoiding long lenses. This is not expected of me but it is a way to share these experiences with others and support the people we visit.

So far, the worst that has happened is that a curious Masai picked up and dropped my 7D when I was handed a plate of food and had set it down beside me.

Gretchen

Sample from Kenya, showing shoes worn by children walking a long ways to a school in Kisii - not a great photo in that bright sunlight but tells a story.

pfb · January 6, 2014

I just picked up the new Canon EOS 40mm f2.8 STM pancake lens... Very sharp, extremely compact, a nearly perfect 60mm "normal" equivalent. It's tiny enough that you could carry it in addition to a wide prime if you wanted. 4.5 oz and less than an inch thick! Silent, fast autofocus as well...

This was really just a test shot, but it gives a sense of the sharpness and DOF qualities of the lens. ISO 3200, wide open (SL1 body). At $130 from Amazon (holiday price, might have gone up a bit) the 40mm 2.8 STM is definitely a keeper.

I'll also say that I'm digging the new SL1 I also picked up. I shoot a full size Canon DSLR as well, but couldn't resist the $370 holiday sale price for the SL1 as a second EOS body. *Very* small and light, great sensor, inexpensive, compatible with all my EOS lenses, what's not to love? With the 40mm pancake, it's a great take anywhere setup.

SL1 is 13oz, less than half the weight of a 70D, and about half the volume as well!

It's pretty cool to have a real APS-C DSLR setup this compact and inexpensive...

pfb · January 6, 2014

OK, just took a quick iPhone shot of the SL1/40mm vs the 40D/Sigma 24-60 F2.8 EX DG and threw them on a scale... [The Sigma 24-60 f2.8 is very similar in size and weight to the Tamron you are considering]

The 40D/Sigma zoom combo weighs in at 3 pounds 1 oz, while the SL1/40mm combo is a featherweight 1 pound 2 oz! Not bad for a 'real' APS-C sensor DSLR!

I was concerned that the handling would be awkward on the tiny SL1, but so far it feels pretty good. I do miss the second control dial, but pressing a button with the single control dial certainly isn't the end of the world.

insanefred · January 8, 2014

pfb wrote: »

OK, just took a quick iPhone shot of the SL1/40mm vs the 40D/Sigma 24-60 F2.8 EX DG and threw them on a scale... [The Sigma 24-60 f2.8 is very similar in size and weight to the Tamron you are considering]

The 40D/Sigma zoom combo weighs in at 3 pounds 1 oz, while the SL1/40mm combo is a featherweight 1 pound 2 oz! Not bad for a 'real' APS-C sensor DSLR!

I was concerned that the handling would be awkward on the tiny SL1, but so far it feels pretty good. I do miss the second control dial, but pressing a button with the single control dial certainly isn't the end of the world.

As much as I would love the weight and size of the 40mm pancake lens. On a APS-C sensor the angle is simply too tight for travel photos. It would need to be partnered with another lens.

sapphire73 · January 8, 2014

Thank you all for your input! I decided to go with the Canon 28mm f/2.8 IS lens and the Canon 70D. Haven't had a chance to try either one but looking forward to using them.

jmphotocraft · January 8, 2014

I'd go for the 24mm. You can always crop.

New Prime Lens and Possibly a New Camera?

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