What Canon lenses to get?

snickerpuss

Hello!

I got myself a Canon 400D last year, I was a poor student then so it was the best I could afford. Maybe in the near future I'll go mad and buy something fancier but really it'll do for now anyway. I got a lens with it, 18-55mm and bought myself a 50mm cos I take gig pictures.

Now I'm working so I can afford some lovely lenses. However, I'm a bit lost. I like taking landscapes, urban pics, night scenes. What lens should I get for this? A wide angle? Does this allow you to get more into the shot? Or am I really thinking more fisheye?

I'm happy to spend some money on a decent lens. I'm also considering a flash so I can finally do the nifty 'bouncing it off the ceiling' trick when I take gig photos but I don't know which one of those to get either.

So if you guys have any advice or ideas I'd be so grateful. I have time and money now so I'm dying to get back into it!

Thanks in advance!

democrates

I'm kind of in the same boat.

If wide is a big priority it might be worth considering selling the 400d and kit lens and putting that towards a full frame as I'm about to do, the crop sensor is great for extra telephoto but you lose on the wide side. A second-hand 5d won't set you back too much compared with good lenses.

I've used the sigma 10-20mm f4-5.6 and it's ok but not very fast for indoor and not the same quality as the sigma 30mm f1.4. I'll be saying goodbye to both once the 5dII arrives as they're for crop sensors only (designated EF-S by canon and DC by sigma).

In a crowded gig a zoom has obvious advantages, but it's not an area I'm interested in, others here are experts though. From the brief experience I've had with portraits, landscapes, and streetcapes/architecture I'll be going for the max aperture canon primes I can afford. I already have the EF 85mm f1.2L, it allows stunning portraits, but damned expensive and it's easy to fluff the focus. Still not sure what to get for wide, the 14mm f2.8 II is another wallet emptyer as is the 50mm f1.2.

I've a 580exII flash, far better than the built-in and yes ceiling bounce gives gentler light. I'm in two minds about the flaghead ringflash adapter. It obviously can't compare to your bowens et al kit but as a cheap add-on for the 580 might be worthwhile for portraits, still not sure on the crescent catchlight though and by God it looks so odd.

charybdis

I'd recommend not using a flash, bounced of the ceiling or otherwise, at concerts as it's very intrusive and I'd imagine you don't really want to draw attention to yourself.

Borderfox

It all depends on budget, good wide angles like the 17-40L, 24-70L are very good at what they do but cost a lot of money

dazftw

Borderfox wrote: »

It all depends on budget, good wide angles like the 17-40L, 24-70L are very good at what they do but cost a lot of money

I was going to say the 17-40, it would be 27-64 on the 400D though.. The 30mm would be 48mm on that camera as well.

Id say go for the 10-20 sigma..

Isar

I agree on the sigma 10-20mm. You could also get a sigma 18-200mm. Sigma have alot of good lenses.

democrates

It's some co-incidence but the best shots I've ever got with the 10-20 sigma were just before this mornings sunrise, see shot #1 of the c&c posted earlier. I used a tripod and two-sec timer to minimise shake.