Canon Lenses

jazzitupphotography · Feb 16, 2009

OK so I've been shopping around for lenses since December and still haven't found the right one. Right now all I have for my 450D is the 18-55 and I'm just not happy with it. I want softer images outside, and just overal better quality inside. I've decided to raise my budget from $300 to $600 but I need help on choosing the right one for me.

Any suggestions on good second hand lense websites? I'd prefer them to be Canadian.

thanks

Overread · Feb 16, 2009

Firstly is the 18-55mm range the range you definatly want to improve upon or is there a specific end of the lens that you find youself using (or do you find yourself wanting to go longer? - more zoom).
Also when you say softer shots outside what do you mean? Do you mean that the shots you get are too sharp - if so then you can add blur to a shot in editing (its a lot easier than adding sharpness

)

bigtwinky · Feb 16, 2009

I'm not sure what you are looking for.

Do you want a wider angle? Do you want a longer telephoto? When you say better indoor shots, do you mean you want to be able to shoot in lower light? I don't get the soft outdoors picture.

For $120 (new, CAD), you can get a 50mm 1.8 which will be great for indoor shooting. Great image quality too. But in terms of focal lenght, you already have 50 in your 18-55.

If you want a slightly longer focal lenght and still use one lens, for about $600, you can get a 17-85 f4-5.6 IS lens. Its an EF-S, so crop sensors only, but you have a crop sensor camera.

For about $550, you can get a 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS. Longer focal lenght, decent image quality, IS, and a wider aperture than the 17-85 at the wide end.

For a wide angle, you can look at the Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6. Sells for about $600 canadian, cheaper than the Canon 10-22 f/3.5-4.5 which is about $850.

The thing is, with Canon lenses (and most lenses), used won't be that much cheaper than new. You'll save a bit, but you have the uncertainty of the lens quality, if its been dropped, no warranty and so on. Good lenses keep their value on the market.

So it depends on what you want.

jazzitupphotography · Feb 16, 2009

I definitely need more zoom. I almost bought the 55-250mm but was told the quality isn't much better than my 18-55mm. I am so no Photoshop Savvy, the only thing I know how to do is play with the contrast and colors.

Here are the type of shots I like to take, all I did was up the contrast

Here are the type of shots I love, taken for me by a pro equine photographer

Jaszek · Feb 16, 2009

I think you need the 70-200 f/2.8L IS

. If you can buy it. its a great lens

jazzitupphotography · Feb 16, 2009

Uhm that's a thousand dollar lens.

what about the EF 70-300 F/4-5.6 IS USM? or the EF 70-200 F/4L USM

Is the EF 75-300 F/4-5.6 III USM any good?

Overread · Feb 16, 2009

first qustion (since you like the work) what was the pro using??

I agree that the 70-200mm lens would be a very good choice for you to consider, canon make 4 of these lenses:
70-200mm f4 - most basic lens and the cheapest
70-200mm f4 IS - same as above, but this time you have antishake technology built into the lens - costs more
70-200mm f2.8 - costs more yet agian, but this time you have a much wider max aperture which will help you greatly when shooting indoors in dimmer lighting conditions - note that this lens is bigger and heavier than the f4 variety, but its certainly handholdable for a day *you will know that you have used it, but its not massivly heavy - heck I get around with the next model up and I am by no means a strong person)
70-200mm f2.8 IS - top of the range and costs the most - same as the previous but this time with IS built in.

Overall all the 4 lenses are canon L brand, are very sharp lenses and well built. For your needs I would (personally) aim for the f2.8 makes for the added support when shooting inside and although you are shooting horses (which means you will generally be using a fast shutter speed) IS is worth the additional cost if you can afford it.
Sadly these lenses are not cheap, the only consolation is that they will keep their worth for many years and (if treated right) should last you decades worth of shooting.

There is a cheaper 70-200mm f2.8 option from sigma, but I have no experience of using that lens so can't comment on it.

jazzitupphotography · Feb 16, 2009

OK there is no way I can afford an L brand lens. I'm graduating next year! haha

I just want an upgrade. When I'm done University and have money to spend on my hobbies, I'll look into the L brands. For now, my horse's food a little more important.

So anything between $300-$600?

Overread · Feb 16, 2009

hmmm going by prices on amazon (I have very little idea of the US market)

The sigma is $100 over your budget
[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-70-200mm-Aperture-Digital-Cameras/dp/B000F8PYJ4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1234807157&sr=8-2]Amazon.com: Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG APO HSM Large Aperture Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras: Electronics[/ame]

The canon f4 with no IS is about right on your budget:
[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Canon-70-200mm-Telephoto-Zoom-Cameras/dp/B000053HH5/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1234807194&sr=8-1]Amazon.com: Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras: Electronics[/ame]

The canon is a very good lens and well worth owning if its the best you can afford. The sigma has the advantage in a wide max apaerture, but I have no idea of its quality of image that it produces. Sigma can make some fantastic glass, but they also make some not so fantastic glass.

LarryD · Feb 16, 2009

I think that you would be happy with the Canon EF 28-135 IS lens..

Try it out... It may be the only lens you use for a while.........

ANDS! · Feb 16, 2009

jazzitupphotography said:
OK so I've been shopping around for lenses since December and still haven't found the right one. Right now all I have for my 450D is the 18-55 and I'm just not happy with it. I want softer images outside, and just overal better quality inside. I've decided to raise my budget from $300 to $600 but I need help on choosing the right one for me.

Any suggestions on good second hand lense websites? I'd prefer them to be Canadian.

thanks

If you are looking for quality outside, any pro lens used in direct sunlight will work. That's a non-issue. If you are looking for quality INSIDE - then you are looking for a wide F/stop constant ap lens. Canon's 50MM F/1.8 or 1.4 would do the trick, as well as opening up some interesting creative shots for you "outside".

Dao · Feb 16, 2009

I agree with the 50mm F/1.8 since it is very low cost. Also the EF 85mm F/1.8 should be a nice one as well.

Overread · Feb 16, 2009

hmm I seem to recall reading ( I think it was Lafoto that said it) that if you use a short focal length lens to get a horse to fill the fame in a shot that the horse (from the side) can appear to be much fatter than it really is because the belly is so much closer to the lens than the middle of the back is - whilst if your zoomed in on a tele the distances are (comparativly) much smaller. This will also impact your aperture and depth of field - you will need a much smaller aperture (bigger f number) to cover a whole horse in focus close up with a shorter lens than you will with a longer telephoto (long focal length lens)

Its a consideration but it depends on the style of photography that you are after in the end

Dao · Feb 16, 2009

Good point overread. the perspective distortion !!

TheOtherBob · Feb 16, 2009

jazzitupphotography said:
Uhm that's a thousand dollar lens.

what about the EF 70-300 F/4-5.6 IS USM? or the EF 70-200 F/4L USM

Is the EF 75-300 F/4-5.6 III USM any good?

To start with the last question, the 75-300 F/4-5.6 is probably about as good as your kit lens. Not unusable, but not super.

The 70-300 and 70-200 are both great lenses -- the 70-300 offers IS and a longer reach, but the 70-200 has better image quality (fantastic image quality, in my opinion) and is faster.

I'm not sure I agree that you need 2.8 aperture to get the shots you want -- faster glass never hurts, but 4.0 is almost certainly fast enough in bright sunlight (where most horses seem to be). Indoors it might not be fast enough -- but 70-200 is probably too long to shoot indoors anyways.

I think the answer is probably that you need two lenses -- a fast indoor normal-ish lens to complement your kit zoom and a high quality outdoor telephoto with good "bokeh." (I'm just guessing, but that may be what you mean by "softer.")

So it sounds like what you need is the 70-200 4L non-IS ($600), and the 50mm 1.8 ($90). Together they're maybe a little out of your range, but not by much.