First lense purchase for ocean / nature

[DMR921]

hey everyone, I'm new to photography and got my first DSLR as a gift, a Canon 60D with kit lense (new). I just moved to Oregon this week, right on the coast and want to doocean scape and nature photography, also some astrophotography. What would be a good lense for this? I guess budget would be $650.

 

[beagle100]

hey everyone, I'm new to photography and got my first DSLR as a gift, a Canon 60D with kit lense (new). I just moved to Oregon this week, right on the coast and want to doocean scape and nature photography, also some astrophotography. What would be a good lense for this? I guess budget would be $650.

A wide angle lens would be good for coastal 'ocean scapes' - Canon 10-18, 10-22, etc. with an 'ND' filter and tripod
a prime would be probably better for astrophotography - 50mm, 100mm, etc.
And for nature (birds or wildlife?) then a longer zoom is useful like the Tamron/ sigma 150-600 or 100-400, etc.

Canon 60D

 

[petrochemist]

That's a wide variety of interesting subjects, requiring different things from your lenses.

Nature photography can cover quite a wide range. Your kit lens will manage OK for close up of flowers and most landscape use (though a wider lens could be useful). If by nature you mean birds & wildlife you will need a longer lens, and loads of practice. Beagle100's list of options are about the best you'll get for your budget but will probably need all of it! There are many older options around 100 to 300mm which should be more affordable but won't get you as close. If you want to get really close and shoot insects you'll be into another field altogether - macro photography with another set of lens requirements.

Astrophotography also come in many guises. Fast primes are easiest to use but many won't be wide enough to get a whole constellation in. On APS-C 35mm is about right for the constellation Orion on it's own. Deep sky shots will need much more (typically connection to a motorised telescope) and starscapes - with scenery in the foreground & the milky way (or just loads of stars) above a much wider lens is needed, which requires compromise on lens speed. I quite like my fish-eye for stars.

It's a slippery slope where you can constantly be wanting to add a new lens. I'd recommend taking a month or more getting used to your camera and finding the limits of your lens before buying another lens. It might be a good idea to rent lenses of interest before splashing out too.

From the sounds of it both ultra wide angle & extreme telephoto lenses could be useful to you. You might find tricks like panoramic stitching allow you to manage without the wide angle whilst the telephoto end put high demands on your technique. I've seen some excellent shots of small birds done with a 135mm lens, while I struggle to get close enough with a 500mm.