Canon Users: Please help me with a lens recommendation.

[jwbryson1]

A friend's husband owns a Canon Rebel XSi and the 70-300mm lens and she is looking for another lens to get him for his birthday. Her budget is $500.

What would you recommend? My first reaction was either the Canon 50mm f/1.4 or the Sigma 50mm f/1.4, but I am not a Canon user so it is hard for me to offer suggestions.

What would you suggest as a nice lens for under $500?

Thanks.

 

[Dao]

I do not think anyone can recommend anything.

A lens is a tool to complete a task. Without knowing what task he like to do, it is hard to recommend a tool.

You can suggest a 50mm f/1.4, but he maybe always want to take a close up photo of a spider. Or you can suggest him a macro lens and find that he like ultra wide landscape photos. Then you suggest a ultrawide angle lens but actually he was looking for a hotshoe flash.

 

[macpro88]

I would say the Canon 50mm f/1.4 if he doesn't already have a prime lens (fixed focal length). Its a great lens to have around because its pretty quick and is a great portrait lens and is also a great all around lens. The Sigma variant maybe a little bit better a quality over the Canon, but not enough to justify spending an extra $150-$200. The Sigma is $500 and the Canon is $369 on B&H Photo.

 

[jwbryson1]

I would say the Canon 50mm f/1.4 if he doesn't already have a prime lens (fixed focal length). Its a great lens to have around because its pretty quick and is a great portrait lens and is also a great all around lens. The Sigma variant maybe a little bit better a quality over the Canon, but not enough to justify spending an extra $150-$200. The Sigma is $500 and the Canon is $369 on B&H Photo.

Macpro88, these were my thoughts exactly. I have read that people love their Sigma 50 1.4, but I wonder why they pay more than the Canon version of this lens?

Dao, I understand your point but my friend has asked for a suggestion which is all I am giving her.

 

[thestereoeffect]

I do not think anyone can recommend anything.

A lens is a tool to complete a task. Without knowing what task he like to do, it is hard to recommend a tool.

You can suggest a 50mm f/1.4, but he maybe always want to take a close up photo of a spider. Or you can suggest him a macro lens and find that he like ultra wide landscape photos. Then you suggest a ultrawide angle lens but actually he was looking for a hotshoe flash.

You make a great point, which I second.. I just had to quote because the way you phrased it made me chuckle.

 

[thestereoeffect]

Can you ask her what he typically likes to shoot? It would help greatly in making an educated suggestion.

 

[macpro88]

For the price, I don't think you can beat the Canon 50 f/1.4, and since he has an entry level DSLR, no need to really spend a ton of money on glass unless he really plans to take photography seriously in the near future.

The 50mm is a great all around lens, its going to be more like an 85mm cause of the corp sensor, so he'll have to move around a bit to get his shots in, but moving is part of them game.

If he wants something wider to get more in the shot at a closer range, maybe a 28-135 or around that focal length would be good as well.

 

[jwbryson1]

Can you ask her what he typically likes to shoot? It would help greatly in making an educated suggestion.

I am going to do just that and make several suggestions for her to choose from. She's clueless and I'm not familiar with Canon because I shoot Nikon.

 

[jaomul]

If I only had a 70-300 i would like a general walk around lens in the wide to small telephoto. The canon 15-85mm IS or sigma 17-70mm lenses may suffice, it would mean they have all focal lengths from 15 or 17 to 300 covered, how bad

 

[Derrel]

I dunno....I own the Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF lens....it is NICE and uber-sharp and SMALL and lightweight, and has a wide aperture that really,really makes it good in poor light. The 50mm f/1.4 EF is also a nice lens, but it's just not as "cool" as the 85mm. The 85 is decidedly a medium telephoto lens, and is good for events where the light is poor, and it is good for portraiture, focuses fast enough for action shots, and is really not much bigger than the 18-55 kit zoom is. That would be a nice, lifetime grade lens that he could always have, and it well worth migrating forward with, for years on end. The 85mm is great for events where one is seated or standing back from the action a ways--school plays, shooting from the stands, etc.. The images are so sharp, that even at f/2, one can shoot a bit "loose" and then crop-in at the computer and get a tight shot that was made with a FAST shutter speed, so the shot will actually be crisp.