Ideal Lens for EOS 350D

adrian522

Hi,

I amabout to the Canon EOS350D Digital SLR.

I havent decided yet between getting the standard lens EF-S 18-55 along with the EF 55-200mm or else go for the more expensive EF-S 17-85 Lens.

Has anybody used any of the above lenses and if so is there a significant difference.

This will be my first DSLR upgrading from Fuji S602.

Thanks.

bp_me

The "ideal" lens is one that will best suit the type of photography you do most often. If you want the large zoom, then the 200mm is more useful. If you dont use this then maybe the 17-85mm lens is better suited to your needs.

rabbitinlights

I bought the 17-85mm Lense with my 350D, I find it brilliant and im very glad I opted for it, A friend has the kit lense and a larger zoom lense (70-300mm) and while he has the longer zoom, its alot of kit to carry around and swapping lenses gets a bit annoying for him.

The 17-85mm is expensive (€480) but its a billiant everyday lense and the IS makes a big difference for non-tripod shots. (3 x F-stops extra). The main reason I bought it was because Im going travelling for a couple of years and I may not have my tripod with me all the time (jungle treks etc) also it covers most of the range I need. If I was to get another zoom lense it would be probably the 90-300 USM lense (€249)

Hope this helps, if there is any particular questions fire away.
Sean

blather

It's like has already been said - depends on what you want to do. On a regular basis, I carry three lenses for my 20d

Sigma 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG ASPHERICAL HSM (about 800 euros)

Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 EX DC (about 500 euros)

Canon EF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 III (less than 200 euros).


Ideally, I'd be shooting with a better telephoto lens than that Canon - but I haven't yet been able to afford it!

So I'm covered, more or less, cos I have
12-24, 18-50, 75-300
Of course, there's a gap there, but that just means that I have to get closer sometimes. Bear in mind that with Canon digital cameras, you need to factor up the focal length by 1.6 to get the 'real' focal length.

12mm-24mm x1.6 = 19.2mm-38.4mm
18mm-50mm x1.6 = 28.8mm-80mm
75mm-300mm x1.6= 120mm-480mm



The lens you get with the 350D is fine - but damn, that Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 is a sharp lens. It's also faster, so you can get more done with less light.

Oriel

Blahter wrote:

Canon EF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 III (less than 200 euros).

I've heard a lot of bad things about this lens. If you can afford more, don't go for this.

blather

sinecurea wrote:

I've heard a lot of bad things about this lens. If you can afford more, don't go for this.

There's nothing wrong with it, for the money. The problem is, to make a jump up to a 2.8 of the same focal length, you're talking scary money.

adrian522

Hi,

Thanks for all the helpful info. Although I'm not really in a position to spend €800+ on a lens, I will be able to strech to maybe €500.

Telephoto lens isnt a big priority for me at the moment as the 17-85 would translate to a 135mm lens on a 35mm camera.

Dredd

Hi I have the sigma 28-70 ex 2.8, great lens far superior to the canon 18-55 kit lens. I use it all the time great for low light and when this fails I pull out the trusty canon 50mm 1.8 this baby will focus in really low light. Some people stay away from the EFs range because if u ever go to a full frame sensor u will not be able use these lenses. The 75-300 is OK for the money but eventually u will want something better.

Beano

rabbitinlights wrote:

I bought the 17-85mm Lense with my 350D, I find it brilliant and im very glad I opted for it, A friend has the kit lense and a larger zoom lense (70-300mm) and while he has the longer zoom, its alot of kit to carry around and swapping lenses gets a bit annoying for him.

The 17-85mm is expensive (€480) but its a billiant everyday lense and the IS makes a big difference for non-tripod shots. (3 x F-stops extra). The main reason I bought it was because Im going travelling for a couple of years and I may not have my tripod with me all the time (jungle treks etc) also it covers most of the range I need. If I was to get another zoom lense it would be probably the 90-300 USM lense (€249)

Hope this helps, if there is any particular questions fire away.
Sean

Where did you see the 17-85 for €480?

rymus

I have to stick in my two cents to stand up for the Canon 75-300 mentioned previously... I got one almost as soon as I got my 20D last year, just to have a telephoto...

Since then I've got some beautiful sharp images with it, I do alot of surfing & sports photography with it and it's never let me down. The only time I've ever been disappointed with it is at the Red Bull air race last year; the focus hunted around alot but that could just have been me. It's served me well for almost a year and I'll keep it in my bag long after I get my Sigma 70-200 2.8 in a month or so.

blather

These were shot with a 20D and a Canon 75-300.

Emden Goose


Redbill Gull


Gannett


Albatross

rabbitinlights

Beano wrote:

Where did you see the 17-85 for €480?

www.ac-foto.com

Postage is about €30 insured, but I bought mine with my 350D so I didnt notice the postage too much.

Blather, those shots are amazing. I think you have just sold me on that lense, is it the USM version or not? the USM one is about €260 on ac-foto.com,

How big/heavy is the lense?

S.

blather

rabbitinlights wrote:

www.ac-foto.com

Blather, those shots are amazing. I think you have just sold me on that lense, is it the USM version or not? the USM one is about €260 on ac-foto.com,

How big/heavy is the lense?

S.

It's weighing in at 538g. And it's not the USM, it's the III:
http://www.canon.co.uk/for_home/product_finder/cameras/ef_lenses/zoom_lenses/ef_75300mm_f456iii/index.asp

It's pretty compact - when it's not zoomed in, it's 15cm long. For most work, it's dead handy, because it's so portable If you're doing specialised sports or nature photography, a faster lens is crucial - but also more expensive.

Thanks for the comments on the photos. More here:

http://blather.net/abroad

JackKelly

The Tamron 28-75 is a great walkaround lens. I did a load of research when looking for a good allrounder and decided on the tamron. Fairly cheap too. Have a look at http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum for more opinions

blather

rabbitinlights wrote:

www.ac-foto.com

Blather, those shots are amazing.

S.

More from that lens:

DotOrg

web sized shots, which have been resized to 500pixels wide, do not accurately show how good a lens is. read dpreview.com and other review sites wher they do 100% crops of different lenses next to each other

jlang

I've tried to take a few shots of birds flying round over the last few days and I've found a new respect for the pros who do it when they used film and had to wait to get the photos developed. It's damn hard to get the bird to stop in the middle of the frame!

blather

DotOrg wrote:

web sized shots, which have been resized to 500pixels wide, do not accurately show how good a lens is. read dpreview.com and other review sites wher they do 100% crops of different lenses next to each other

True, but I didn't want to be postig up 25MB tifs!

440Hz

I was all set to buy the EF-S 17-85 USM. I think it is a great lens, and have used someone elses already. I am in the middle of pricing a 350D package to include this lens and just when I have made my mind up a really good friend of mine whose opinion I value said the following:

For me I would not pay the extra for the 17-85... the difference will be negligible in the photos. Don't get carried away by the tech specs! It may have better glass, but the extra mm on the zoom end is not really that useful. Even the better glass will not produce noticeable quality improvements for most shots. Depends on the budget though. If the 1299 is buring a hole... however it it were me, I would get the kit, and shop for a proper wide angle lens (prime) with the balance. Is there not a new-ish EFS around 15mm or so?

Now Im confused again... anyone agree with this sentiment, or should I just go for broke (literally) and splash out on the lens now.

All opinions appreciated

adrian522

I'd probably agree with that....The quality difference does not seem to be that great to my (untrained) eye.

€500 seems excessive for what you get, a friend has the kit lens and it seems to perform ok. I'll probably get that and the 55mm pime lens for around €100 for use in low light situations.

After that I would be looking for something more Wide angle rather than a telephoto but that would be alittle down the line.

Hope this helps you with your decision.

Enygma

If you want a proper wide angle then go for the kit lens and save up for an EF-S 10-20 or something similar (~€500)

If you want something for walkabout and general use I'd get the 17-85. I got it two weeks ago and I'm loving it. I love the range, the IS and the sharpness of the lens. It does flare in bright sunlight however. It's fast focussing and really quiet too. For me the 17mm is wide enough, but as I said, if you want a proper wide angle go for the 10-20mm.

Up to you. I'm not really into extremely wide angles anyway so the 17-85 does me just fine.

440Hz

To start with what I would like is a good all rounder lens. The kit lens would probably be ok, but I like the IS on the the 17-85, and think that I would probably end up buying it further down the line anyway. I have heard so many bad reviews of the kit lens, I think that is what turned me off in the first place.

rabbitinlights

I also have the 17-85mm and cant recommend it enough, a friend bought the same camera with the Kit lense and really wants the the 17-85mm instead, its just so handy and covers the everyday range perfectly, I do agree about the sun flare, but I got the lense hood (€27 bloody euros) and that finished that. I have tried both the sigma and the Canon 10-22mm lense and I cant justify €500 extra for that wider angle, I may if the future, but for me my next lense will be in the region of a 75-300mm.

Go into a shop and try out the 17mm verses the 10mm on the 2 lenses and see what you think. thats the only way you will be able to choose.

Sean.

randombassist

As far as I can see, nobody has mentioned the canon 50mm 1.8 yet. It's a brilliant lens to get with the camera in my experience. Takes really sharp pictures and with a low aperture, it's great for indoors stuff. It's also about the cheapest canon lens you can buy coming in somewhere in the region of €100, I'd really reccomend it!!

Having said that, I had the chance to try my friend's 70-200 f4l the other day, and it's a really great lens. The build quality is great, constant f4 is great, and the image quality is great! A bit more though at around €600!

blather

Talking of wide angles - I use a Sigma 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG (19mm-38mm) on a 1.6 factor) and I love it.

blather

randombassist wrote:

As far as I can see, nobody has mentioned the canon 50mm 1.8 yet.

Currently top of my wishlist.

rabbitinlights

I think alot of people on here who have any DSLR have that lense? its madness not to have it for the price, but It not exactly an everyday lense like the kit or 17-85mm, buts its defo an everybag lense.

Nice shots there blather, how much was that sigma?

S.

blather

Ta. It's 800 euro including VAT in Conns, last Feb. I think they have a 10-20mm now.

It's actually great for close-up 'crowd' work too, I was doing 'people' shots on Moore St. with it last week.


Reindeer Roundup...




My Lapland pics...

randombassist

rabbitinlights wrote:

I think alot of people on here who have any DSLR have that lense? its madness not to have it for the price, but It not exactly an everyday lense like the kit or 17-85mm, buts its defo an everybag lense.

Nice shots there blather, how much was that sigma?

S.

Actually, I must say the 50 1.8 would be my most used out of all my lenses! Once you start using it you realise that the kit lens is lacking in terms of sharpness and colour rendition at low aperatures (still very good for landscapes when stopped up a bit). You'd think that having a fixed lens is a massive disadvantage, but once you start using it you realise it's a very good focal length for portatiture and reportage.

Here are a few samples:

PaulieC

I love the canon 50 f/1.8 lens too. Got it last year for e75 from www.7dayshop.com, although I'm not sure they stock Canon any more and have heard thet their service is not so good these days. Here's a sample that shows the gorgeous colour that it produces

edit ...

adrian522

i havent seen this 50mm lens any cheaper than 94EUr + Postage. Is it cheaper anywhere else....

rabbitinlights

They are about €90 on Ebay including postage.

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Canon-EF-50mm-50-f-1-8-Mk-II-f1-8-Lens-Intl-Warranty_W0QQitemZ7583495091QQcategoryZ4687QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

kenmc

Would any of you recommend getting both the 50mm f1/8 AND the 28-135mm? Would you recommend the 17-85 over the 28-135????

I'm looking to pick up a new 350d and am at a complete loss as to what lens to get.

Help!

ChityWest

I think the canon 50m is a great all round lens. If I was in your position (not having spent any money yet) I would avoid the kit lens if possible- as your paying for it as part of the price and in the long run the kit lens may turn out to be the least used one in your collection. I think you may be better off putting that cash toward a good one instead & the canon 50m is a great choice imo.

Fionn

i got the kit lens a while back the EF-S 55 is pretty ok although i seem to get a little softness on one side of some of my shots, isn't too noticable in prints tho! i also have the EF 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6 II USM kit which i'm going to get rid of and save up for a 70 -200 f/4,0 L USM, i've a 50mm f/1.8 coming in from the states on Tues so i'm thinking that setup should do for some time to come.

Ideo

i have a pentax 35-80mm that i was hoping to mount on a 350D. its a manual lense so would this be conpatable with a lens converter? and this would increase by the 1.6 factor so it would start off as 56mm(35 * 1.6) wouldnt it?

Fenster

I have my eye on picking up this when I'm in Las Vegas, and possible the 70-300mm Canon as well. Its a little big for my needs, but some of the photos I've seen from it here are impressive!

Fionn

Las Vegas eh?

well if you play your cards right, you might be able to afford lotsa stuff!!

Fenster

I wish!

Dimy

ChityWest wrote:

I think the canon 50m is a great all round lens. If I was in your position (not having spent any money yet) I would avoid the kit lens if possible- as your paying for it as part of the price and in the long run the kit lens may turn out to be the least used one in your collection. I think you may be better off putting that cash toward a good one instead & the canon 50m is a great choice imo.

I used the kit lens a lot on the trip in Trim! But that's because I'm lacking a decent wide-angle at the moment... Still I think the kitlens isn't that bad at all and it's only a few euro's extra on the body.

Here's an example of the 18-55mm kit lens

Fenster

Threade of olde, arise from thy grave...

I bought the Canon 90-300 and after using it for a few days, I've decided that its not for me. Among other reasons, I simply don't have a need for such a big lens, considering what I prefer to photograh. I'm going to take it back after the weekend and put my money toward a decent Sigma lens (I think I saw a 20-90mm with a reasonable price tag) when I go to America, in addition to the wide-angle lens.

Fenster

Well after visiting several stores I finally picked up a second-hand Tamron f/2.8 28-200mm lens and a Canon f/2.8 28mm wide-angle lens. I'm pretty happy with both lenses. I got a fair bit of use around the house I'm staying at, tonight, with the Canon lensalthough Photoshop on this laptop errors out if I try to load anything but jpg files so I can't put anything online. Bah.

The reviews I've seen so far have all read, "this lens is teh suq," but I'm honestly much happier with this than I was with the big 90-300 Canon behemoth I briefly had. Meh, I'm dead happy with some of the photos that I've taken with it. I haven't tried out the Tamron lens yet except to randomly photograph some cars when we were driving home, but from what I've seen its a few steps above the kit lens in sharpness, which is what I really wanted in truth.

311

Delighted for you fenster ,happy shootin.

Could i add that the sigma 30mm 1.4 DC is not as good as it sounds.
After using it for 8 months now ,it's useful but tempromental at times.
It's akward to use and is very heavy for it's size.

I love the sigma 10-20 lens ,it gets the most from the small sensor.

I still want to get a 50mm 1.8 ,so my 350D will be as handy as a point and shoot


Brian.

Fionn

for low light non flash situations that 50mm is a very capable lens


oh i forgot to add - the cheapest of all Canon lenses

Fenster

Well I was out around the desert today and had a good try about with the Canon 28mm lens - I normally keep the 18-55mm at the 18mm end so this suited me perfectly. It lets in loads of light, which is fantastic in a dark camper van and where its not that great for landscapes its incredibly sharp for photos of people, which is perfectly grand for me.

The plan today was to go to the Grand Canyon, but it went horribly wrong so we came back home. Mariah (the wonderful lady I'm staying with) and I might rent a car tomorrow and go driving around Utah and Arizona for a few days. I look forward to trying out the Tamron lens at length on my tripod.

JMcL

Fenster wrote:

The plan today was to go to the Grand Canyon, but it went horribly wrong so we came back home. Mariah (the wonderful lady I'm staying with) and I might rent a car tomorrow and go driving around Utah and Arizona for a few days. I look forward to trying out the Tamron lens at length on my tripod.

Cool, have fun, and post the pics.

Are you going to Antelope Canyon? That's very high on my list of places to see firsthand!

kenmc

Hello,
I've had the 350d for 2 days now - I got it with the IS 17-85mm and the 50mm 1/8 and I'm in love ....

I put up some pics (just using auto settings ..) and the shots are crystal clear and the contrast and colors are amazing (from an amatures point of view anyway!)

See the shots here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054951656

lucky15

Hi,

Check out www.bobatkins.com and it's sister site www.lensplay.com. It's got loads of advice and reviews on lenses for Canon cameras.

This article discusses various options for "packages" of lens that you could start out with.

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/10d300dlenses.html