Canon Lenses, what to buy first.

EvanCalo · Jan 8, 2013

So i am getting ready to make my first DSLR purchase. I have decided on the Canon 60D, a great camera to learn and grow with.

I have heard mixes reviews from many different people regarding the kit lenses available with this camera. They offer a 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS UD standard zoom lens kit and a 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6. I know that with kit lenses you get what you pay for and they arnt fantastic. Is there anyone here who has had personal experience with either lens and can help shed some light on the pros and cons of either of them.

I will be photographing Landscapes, portraiture, family activities, indoor photography, sports and architecture. I know for the indoor and portraits i am going to want a faster lens and have been considering the Canon 50mm 1.8. would that 50mm be best for portraits or should i get a longer lens for that. I have a very limited budget just getting started here so a multi-use lens would be awesome but also expensive for a fixed aperature.

This might be a totally noob question to ask here and hopefully no one bites my head off for asking it, soooooo... If i invest in good glass for my 60D and a few years from now upgrade to the 5d mkIII or mkIIII by than lol will my lenses still work. I know the 60D is a crop sensor and the 5d is a full frame but i am unsure if that effects the lenses i buy.

Thanks
Evan

Robin_Usagani · Jan 8, 2013

50mm is your best bet. 50mm 1.4 was my first lens purchase after kit lenses. I still use it today! I personally would skip the 50 1.8 and try and find 50 1.4 used on craigslist. You should be able to get one around $240.

irfan.in.tx · Jan 8, 2013

The 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 is a decent lens.

If you want to buy prime lenses, the 50mm f/1.8 is a good and inexpensive starting point. However, it is not suitable to all the photography that you say you plan to do. On your 60D, it will effectively be 80mm or so. Good for portraits and general outdoor use; it will be cramped for indoor family activities (you'll struggle even at a birthday with more than a few guests), and it is too short for sports. If you need a longer lens, the EF-S 55-250 can serve you well at a low price, or the EF 70-300 f4 - 5.6 ISM at 3 times the price.

Any lens designated EF will fit both crop and full frame cameras; lenses designated "EF-S" will fit only crop sensor cameras. If you are not planning to upgrade shortly, you might want to go the EF-S route with zoom lenses.

Big Mike · Jan 8, 2013

I'd suggest starting with whatever kit lens it comes with. Use that for a while and get a feel for what you like best. For example, if you are often wishing for a wider view, then you'll want to look at wider (shorter) focal length lenses. If you are often wishing for a closer view, then you'll want a longer lens.

I do agree that you'll likely want a 'faster' lens (larger maximum aperture) because that is something that all the kit lenses lack. Maybe you'll want a prime (non zoom) lens like the 50mm F1.4 or 85mm F1.8 but maybe you won't. Maybe you would want a fast zoom lens, something in the range of 17-50(55)mm F2.8. Canon makes a good one, but it's fairly expensive. Check out the Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 (non VC) for a good quality yet affordable fast 'normal' zoom for your camera.

But either way, I still think that you should just use the kit lens for a while, until you figure things out.

EvanCalo · Jan 8, 2013

yeah I was wondering about just going right into the 50mm 1.4 is there much difference between the 50mm 1.8 and the 1.4?

Overread · Jan 8, 2013

The f1.8 has a good optical quality and a cheap price, and there its qualities end. It's build is plastic and a weak plastic at that (it has a barrel separation problem and can easily break) and its AF is nothing amazing. It's popular and often suggested because its the most affordable prime lens and can often introduce people to the high quality DSLRs are capable of with a prime lens as opposed to them just sticking to cheap zooms.

That said I agree with Big Mike in that, at the start, sometimes its best to start with the kit lens and then see how, after a month or so, you feel limited by it (even if you do at all). From there you'll have some actual real world experiences to help guide your needs and show what you really need - you might find that you want something utterly different. Good lenses are good, but they can be heavy paperweights unless you've a need to use them .

EvanCalo · Jan 8, 2013

Thank you for your input guys i greatly appreciate it. I have only one question!
is there any reason why i wouldnt just buy the 18 - 200 kit rather than the 18-135? they both have the same f stops, both include IS and they are very close in price.

I read up on the 50mm 1.4 L lens you mentioned and it definately looks like it is worth the money. I wish there was a camera shop around where i live so after i buy my DSLR i can take it in a shoot samples with the different lenses i am looking at.

Overread · Jan 8, 2013

If you're serious about the 50mm f1.4 have a look at the Sigma version as well, the Sigma is a newer design and optically better than the current older Canon design.

As for the 18-135mm and 18-200mm remember the longer the zoom range the more complex the optical setup as to be. Though they might share the same price I would expect you to see far more softness in the longer focal lengths of the 18-200mm. The 18-200mm lenses are a good "one lens does all" lens, but they are optically challenged because of their cheap market price and the massive zoom range that they cover.

bratkinson · Jan 9, 2013

I used to have the EF-S 18-135 f3.5-5.6 and thought it was a great all-around lens. It was a surprisingly good kit lens, especially outdoors where the zoom range was most usable. Paired with an external flash for indoor work, the lens also did well.

For me, it was a good 'starter' lens to learn with and discover what areas of photography I was most interested in. As I found most of my photography leaning towards low light, indoor work without a flash, I upgraded to f2.8 and 'faster' lenses to get shutter speeds fast enough to stop subject movement.

As for a 50mm lens, I've read both positive and negative concerns about the 1.8, some voiced above. A friend just picked up the 1.4 and is exceedingly happy with it. So it's probably worth the extra $$ for the 1.4, should you want a 50mm.

Before buying any lenses, do a Google on them like: Canon 18-135 review or something similar and read up on what professional reviewers thought of each lens you're interested in.