Best Lens for Canon 450D for shooting clothing

[mrwardoser]

I have a Canon 450D with the standard lens.

Which lens would you people recommend for shooting clothing for a web-site? What is the absolute best lens I could get for this as budget isn't really an issue, it is more about getting the best possible photos.

We will be shooting a mix of full length, mid length and close up shots similar to these photos Cleo Knit - Black - Motel Rocks

 

[Dwig]

... shooting clothing for a web-site? ...

A key word here is "web-site". In terms of image quality, Canon doesn't sell a single lens inferior enough to be detectable from their best lens when the images are reduced to sizes appropriate for web use. You lighting equipment if vastly more important for this type of work.

In order to get the best "drawing" (perspective, ...) you would want to use a moderately long lens. On a crop sensor body, something in the 50-100mm range would be most desirable. If you have adequate studio space, I would tend to suggest something towards the long end of that range. A lens that was moderately fast (e.g. f/2.8) would be desirable as it would allow you to shoot at a relatively wide f/stop to avoid having so much depth of field that the background begins to come into focus. Smooth backgrounds are much easier to achieve when they are out of focus.

 

[bigtwinky]

What Dwig said.

You want the least amount of distortion from the lens. So I'd go with a 50-85mm lens for an XSI. I'd invest in some decent backdrops and lights to ensure a constant a good exposure and look.

 

[cfusionpm]

Your cheapest bet would be a 50mm f/1.8. But if you have the money, the 50mm f/1.4 or 85mm f/1.8 would also make excellent choices.