Young photographer with tight budget needs advice about new lenses

Hey everyone! I

the first question anyone

Would the 55-250 would be sold to go with the other option? I'm assuming your aim here is for focal length versatility.


You may not want to go with the one lens fits all approach. Although, I know you're on a budget. How about the 50 f/1.8, keep the 55-250, and possibly purchase a wider lens as well? Seems like a better option to me. After spending thousands on glass I'm still more than happy with my 1.8 and have yet to replace it.


Another question: how often do you find yourself zooming more than 135 with the 250? If you're anything like me, my Tamron 70-300mm stays in the 300mm range more often than not. Maybe take a look at your existing photos and see what focal length you find yourself at most often.

If there wasn't a choice between A and B, here's the route I took, and often recommend to others:


Upgrade glass before your camera body.


That is arguably the single best investment you can make in terms of increasing the image quality of your shots. I say keep the XSI for the time being and get some high quality glass on that thing. Maybe something like this: ?


Canon XSI + 55-250mm + EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM


That would give you a wide range of focal lengths to work with, some extremely sharp glass in what many consider to be the best all purpose focal range, and it's fast to boot. (can stay @ f/2.8 from 17mm all the way to 55mm. I've found that to be one of my favorite features of my copy)


Here's a review on this site if you're unfamiliar with that lens:http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-S-17-55mm-f-2.8-IS-USM-Lens-Review.aspx

Hey Salazar,


You just missed a deal on a refurb 60d for $680 at the Canon store:( What are you going to be taking pictures of mostly? Hate to see you buying slow lenses if you are doing concert stuff.

Thanks to everyone for the quick responses.


Andnowimbroke: I wish I had known about that earlier!


Rocco+ Dr Croubie: Unfortunately I already sold my Xsi and 18-55mm kit lens that came with it. I might try and sell the 50-250?


To all: I guess it is a good idea to start with what I take pictures of. I just realized now that with the first option, I would not have a focal length under 50mm, which from using the 55-250 I know is really inconvenient sometimes. The only reason I was going for the fixed 50 was because I had heard they produced a great image quality. In terms of what I take pictures of, its very varied. I take a lot of landscape, architecture, sports, and events on stage like plays, but also love to take portraits. Going the second option would kind of eliminate the ability to take portraits of people.


Rocco: I would agree that my 55-250 stays on the 250 end more often than naught. What wider lens would you recommend?

He recommended the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS. It certainly isn't cheap, but it is undoubtedly the best general purpose zoom for a crop sensor camera (that is, for the XSi, T2i, 60D, 7D, etc). Personally, if I were limited to one lens, it would certainly be my choice.


Here's the last thing I shot with my 17-55mm f/2.8 IS. Your results may vary, though.... :-)


http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6135/...e51f44da_z.jpg

well, the 17-55 f/2.8 is a good lens, yeah, but the word 'budget' in the title pretty much precludes it, seeing as it's the most expensive EF-S lens.


the 15-85 is also highly recommended in these parts, longer and wider zoom range for less low-light capability. but it's not much cheaper than the 17-55, so probably not affordable either.


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so back to basics. you have no camera, and you only have 55-250.


option: sell the 55-250 on ebay ( ie completed.shop.ebay.com.au/i.html ). not many there, the 2nd hand ones go for $120-150, new ones go as low as $160, not much margin in there, you could get unlucky and only get $90. still, on a good day, you could trade it for a 50 f/1.8 ii.


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Not sure wher you're shopping, so i've looked up my favourite dutch shop. prices may be different to yours, but should be the same as each other in your part of the world.


60D + 18-135 = €1100.


sell the 55-250 and you could get €100 more in the budget.


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for that price, you could also get:


60D + 18-55 IS II €980 + 50 f/1.8 ii €110 = €1090 and keep the 55-250


60D + 18-55 IS II €980 + 50 f/1.4 ii €350 = €1330 (ie sell 55-250 and save a bit more)


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Have you considered the 600D? same sensor as 60D, smaller, lighter, but less professional features, i'll try find the link to the comparison i wrote a while ago.


600D + 18-135 €920 + 50 f/1.4 = €1280 and sell the 55-250


600D + 18-55 IS II €760 + 50 f/1.4 = €1100 and keep the 55-250


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or upgrade the glass and get the cheapest camera around. hmm.


1100D body €400 + 15-85 €690 = €1090 (just to prove to you the 15-85 is out of your league)


17-55 f/2.8 €900 and whatever body you can get off ebay for €200


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personally i'd think the 600d, 18-55, and 50 1.4 is the best deal. but i know the 600D is a bit lower on the quality and the specs than the 60D.


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you can always get a lower body with good glass now, and upgrade the body later (the 650D will be out by xmas, 70D probably next year). lots of people recommend that route. but with the 18MP sensor, i don't think it's worth it. Unless you want to print bigger than A3, take a photo in a darkroom with no flash, or crop out a tiny portion of a photo because you can't afford a 1200mm lens, then 60D will service you for a long long time. so will the 600D, but i'd be guessing the 60D will last longer, better built and all that. I'm not planning to ditch my 7D ever, i'll keep it until it dies, even if i do get a 5D mk3 or used 5Dmk2 once the mk3 comes out and people sell their 5D2...


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as for the kit lens, the 18-55 IS (make sure it's the IS version) is good for the price and probably rivals the IQ/$ of the 50 f/1.8. i put one on my 7D, sure it was really unbalanced, the IQ was not as good as my 15-85, but not far off it. For the extra €90, it's better having it than not imho...

I also forgot to ask how big you make your prints.

I started with the xxxD body and also concluded that glass came before body. I only recently went to xxD because the xxxD was too small for my hands, and even then I only went to a 30D. As for glass I went for 17-55 IS + 50 1.8. This combo has been recommended above and I second it for quality, speed and range. From experience I can say that these two lenses would suit the subjects you shoot. If you can throw the 55-250 into the mix then you're cooking.


(I posted this after Sean's basket ball photo, it was there for a while, then is disappeared, now it's back again in this spot? I've noticed that other peoples posts went missing on Bryan's 'best toy photo' thread and one other of my posts disappeared on the 'Soft Photo' thread. Anyone know what's going on? Maybe I should start a new topic with this question.)


Great photo Sean BTW.

I would love to have the 17-55 but unfortunately it

it

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nick Salazar

Any thoughts on the 50 mm f/1.8 II vs the 50mm F/1.4 ? Its about 200 dollars price difference and I'm wondering if it's worth it.

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<div>I've had both in the past but neither any more. You will find some variety of opinion about the 50 f/1.4. My copy was fantastic stopped down but totally unreliable from f/2.5 and wider. Most likely it was the AF, but who knows. But I am not alone in having some issues with that lens. I found the 50 f/1.8 actually more reliable at wider apertures, but the bokeh is pretty harsh.</div>

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nick Salazar

<div>If not, I could go body + 18-135 kit lens + 50mm f/1.8 and still have the 55-250mm</div>

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If you are saving to upgrade in the near future, I'd skip the 18-135 and stick with the kit lens, which is a much better value.


For just a little more money than the 50 f/1.4, you could get the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 (non vc version):http://www.amazon.com/Tamron-17-50mm-Aspherical-Digital-Cameras/dp/B000EXR0SI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=13110 80401&amp;sr=1-1


This lens is fantastic and a great value at $450 (and there's often a rebate). Sharp, wide aperture, all purpose zoom for a fraction of the price of the Canon 17-55 f/2.8. The 60d body + Tamron would be about the same cost as the 60d + kit lens + 50 f/1.4. Then you can save up for a sharp prime as the next lens. Or sell the 55-250 and buy the 50 f/1.8.


Good luck!

www.adorama.com/.../50mm-lens-shoot-out-f18-or-f14


Hope this worked, and I hope this helps.


Greg

I would personally recommend a clean, low-mileage 50D, which gives you a great 15 MP body, including AF Microadjust, with which to advance your photography beyond the xxxD bodies, and it saves you enough money that you could get the 15-85. Keeping the 55-250 gives you overlapping range from 15-250mm in just two lenses. Then definitely "focus" on better glass. Until your budget expands substantially, that is all that matters. Except for a flash. And a remote transmitter. And of course you need a good/great tripod. ;)

..and insurance,...

Good point.

...and prolly another job to support your new addiction.

thekingb: the tamron lens you recommended looks very enticing. How inconvenient is not having IS on the lens?

Also; I

IS is always better than no IS, but it hasn

My recomended combination would be a 50D, Tamron 17-55 f/2.8, Tamron or Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 and a cheap third party flash. I know that this is above your mentionedprice range right now but you can add to it one thing at a time. I recomended the 50D for two reasons.


#1, less expensive the the 60D.


#2, has AF microadjusment, that is very important especially with third party lens brands.


If you can get a good focussing copy of these lenses than a 60D would be better overall. But that can be a chalenge.


I would not get the 18-135mm kit. That lens is not much or any better IQ wise and costs more. Its not going to improve your shots more than your old 18-55mm exept for IS which is only usefull in the 18-55mm range anyway. And larger focal length range, which is not a huge deal.


Cheers,


John.