What lenses would you choose?

Zascar

Say you had to start from scratch and buy an entire set of lenses again - assuming it was over a period of time and you want to do it right - which lenses would you choose if you wanted a group of lenses that covers most of what you need... You can't go bananas on budget but you want quality, or best value type thing.

I'm fairly happy with mine (Canon 24-105mm F4 is, 70-200mm f4, 50mm f1.8) - but I'm wondering what to get next. Really I feel a wide angle would be most useful right now as I'm on a crop sensor. After that I'm not sure where to go.

How did you guys build your collections and what way would you suggest to others?

flyingsnail

I have a fairly similar lens setup to yours (24-70 2.8, 70-200 F4, 50 1.8). I have been looking at the canon 17-40 F4 as my next lens, they can be had second hand for about 450-500 but I have also been thinking instead of the new (to me) lens I might pick up a second hand 5D to cover my wide angle needs. The only thing holding me back on the 17-40 (apart from lack of funds) is the F4. I really like the 2.8 on the 24-70 and I have a feeling it might be same at that focal length but the 16-35 is much more expensive second hand at about 900-1000. In and ideal world I would have a 16-35 F2.8, 24-70 F2.8 and a 70-200 F2.8 along with some fast 35, 50 and 85mm primes.

You could of course go really wide with something like the 10-22

Zascar

Yeah I was considering a Sigma 10-20mm - I would like something a lot wider than the 24mm which is my max rifht now. It's not expensive so I could probably put the money towards something else like a macro lens. Potentially Sigma 105mm but preferably the Canon 100mm f2.8L..

Rainbowsend

I have been extremely lucky with lenses and started off with the usual "stop gap" lenses that I have been able to sell on or trade in for my "dream" lenses. I am now at the stage where I have all the lenses I lusted after in the early days.
I have the 14-24 2.8, 24-70 2.8, 80-200 2.8 and 300 2.8 also a 105 2.8 macro and a 15mm fisheye, all bar the fisheye are Nikon lenses, it has taken me about 15 years and a lot of saving but it has been worth it. I take immense pleasure in using all of the lenses and unless I win the lotto so that I can buy a 500mm prime then I am more than happy with my lot. All of them have been purchased second hand except the 300mm and if I had to do it all over again I dont think I would have done anything differently, some say wait until you can afford the lens you really want but I wouldnt have had the patience! if you look after your gear you will nearly always break even or maybe even make a few bob when upgrading. Now all I have to do is learn how to use them....:)

sebphoto

Zascar what kind photography you do? Do you work for hire? Maybe it's just a hobby?
Also you didn't mention anything about the body you are using i.e. whether it is full frame or crop?
In my humble opinion if photography is only a hobby then nothing will stop you and sooner or later you'll have a lot of toys tools, however if this is your full time job then I would get only those lenses which are really necessary to fulfill my needs.

flyingsnail

sebphoto wrote: »

Also you didn't mention anything about the body you are using i.e. whether it is full frame or crop?

OP says they are using a crop

sebphoto

flyingsnail wrote: »

OP says they are using a crop

I'm blind. Sorry

Rew

Have Canon 50 f1.4, 24-104 f4 and 70-200 f2.8 IS II. Really want the 16-35 f2.8 and id be pretty happy with that set. Borrowed a 50m 2.8 macro to play with which might put a want on me.

mikka631

Would sell my soul for a Canon 300mm f2.8L IS II USM but the "Divil" says I would come up short:(
Honestly, I have a lot of f4 lenses with the exception of my f2.8 Macro. If money were no object and the spend could be justified (Return On Investment) it would be f2.8 IS across the board but for now it will have to be bumping up the iso and playing with noise reduction.
I built my collection of 24-105mm f4L, 70-200mm f4L, 300mm f4L, 100mm f2.8 Macro based on the best I could afford at the time and they have served me well.

flyingsnail

mikka631 wrote: »

Would sell my soul for a Canon 300mm f2.8L IS II USM but the "Divil" says I would come up short:(

Your not alone

Zascar

Do you guys have crop or full frame sensor's?

flyingsnail

I have a crop

Zascar

If you are on a crop and already have a 24-x or similar, is there any point in getting a 17-40? On a crop its still really not all that wide. Looking more into the Sigma 10-20mm I think its a no brainer for about €325 second hand. At least after that I'll have most bases covered. Looking forward to doing some proper landscape which I have done very little of so far.

flyingsnail

At 24mm (38mm equivalent) I have often wanted to go a bit wider but not that much wider and I think that 17mm (27mm equivalent) may be wide enough for what I want. As with most things in photography I think it’s a combination of compromise and personal choice in how I like to take my photos.

ImagenEstilo

Rainbowsend wrote: »

I have been extremely lucky with lenses and started off with the usual "stop gap" lenses that I have been able to sell on or trade in for my "dream" lenses. I am now at the stage where I have all the lenses I lusted after in the early days.
I have the 14-24 2.8, 24-70 2.8, 80-200 2.8 and 300 2.8 also a 105 2.8 macro and a 15mm fisheye, all bar the fisheye are Nikon lenses, it has taken me about 15 years and a lot of saving but it has been worth it. I take immense pleasure in using all of the lenses and unless I win the lotto so that I can buy a 500mm prime then I am more than happy with my lot. All of them have been purchased second hand except the 300mm and if I had to do it all over again I dont think I would have done anything differently, some say wait until you can afford the lens you really want but I wouldnt have had the patience! if you look after your gear you will nearly always break even or maybe even make a few bob when upgrading. Now all I have to do is learn how to use them....:)

Nice lens set Rainbowsend. The 14-24 is some yoke aint it. Not many people out there with one and I dont use mine as often as I should but what a lens. I'd say that 300 f/2.8 is something else. Never used one.

Nerro

Zascar wrote: »

Looking more into the Sigma 10-20mm I think its a no brainer for about €325 second hand. At least after that I'll have most bases covered. Looking forward to doing some proper landscape which I have done very little of so far.

i would be very carefull in buying one of these second hand...unless its under warranty.i was in the market for it but after doing some reading and actually testing it in camera centre went for canon 10-22.you have to see it to believe it how much sharper it is.tho brand new costs nearly twice as much as sigma, went for second hand and it was only 150 more as second hand sigma.
its actually sharper then my canon 17-85 IS...

Zascar

Oops, too late, picked one up last night! Very happy with it so far anyway - but yet to try it out properly.

flyingsnail

No matter what you got don’t forget the most important thing, go take pictures and enjoy.:)

chrispin

Hi all I have a canon 10/22mm for sale on photography ireland at the moment, here is a link.


http://www.photographyireland.net/canon-10-22mm-f-3-5-4-5-usm-t51936.html#p305853

condra

I've tried a number of lenses, but settled on two which fit my budget and requirements:

Canon 40 2.8 (190 euro)
Slightly better image quality than the 50 1.8.
Discreet for street photography.
Great focal length for environmental portraits (FF)
Takes a great "almost-macro" too (12" MFD)

Samyang 85 1.4 (280 euro)
Manual focus doesn't bother me much for posed shots
Fantastic image quality, better than the Canon 85 1.8 up to around f4.

Those 2 cover a lot of bases for me on FF. If I was using a crop I'd probably go with the Canon 50 1.4 for headshots, and something around 24mm for environmental but that's just me.

My next lens will probably be an affordable travel/wedding zoom with reasonable IQ, most likely the Tamron 28-75.

(FWIW I shoot mostly environmental portraits, but also some street photography. Not into sports or wildlife. Image quality is important to me. Being broke, I'm very budget conscious. )

BumbleB

I have a 550 D which is a crop sensor. I swear by the 10-22 mm ef s lens and if I was you I would get a 50 mm 1.4 canon. As of late I'm shooting with a lot of vintage russian lenses.

BumbleB

chrispin wrote: »

Hi all I have a canon 10/22mm for sale on photography ireland at the moment, here is a link.


http://www.photographyireland.net/canon-10-22mm-f-3-5-4-5-usm-t51936.html#p305853

Great lense!.

Zascar

Thanks. I just picked up the Sigma 10-20mm the other day, great so far but I'm dying to get out and use it properly. I already have the 50mm 1.8, not sure if for me right now it's worth upgrading to the 1.4 to be honest, I'd prefer another lens really! I think...