choosing a lens -help please

[nyamy]

I'm a real newbie here, got a canon xsi about a month ago, with the kit lens.

my obsession lately is getting close up shots of my kids doing their kid-thing, capturing their expressions, etc
the kit lens doesn't seem to have enough telephoto for my purpose, if I'm right on top of them, the kids stop being gorgeously spontaneous and make dorky 'say cheese' type faces.

what lens do you recommend?
budget is in the $400 ballpark

 

[icassell]

kit is 18-55? maybe the sigma 18-125mm?

 

[Dao]

Are the photos you like to take are mostly indoor photos?

If they are indoor type photos and you may need to use a fast lens. Which is a lens with a lower Aperture number (wider the aperture) that allow you to take a photo with faster shutter speed and still have enough exposure.

i.e.

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM AutoFocus Telephoto Lens
Canon EF 100mm f/2 USM
Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG AF Telephoto Macro Lens


As for the zoom lens, this is not a bad choice, but this lens is not a fast lens but it is a IS lens. So it helps camera shake. If your kids are not a FAST moving kids, the IS may help.

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS Image Stabilizer Telephoto Zoom Lens

If you like to capture a indoor photo of your kids running around, I will try the 85mm f1.8 USM or the 100mm f2 USM. Since they are fast and USM (faster autofocus) lenses. However, I am not sure if 85mm is far enough for you or not. It is certainly better than your 18-55mm in terms of range and image quality.

For outdoor, that 55-250mm is not a bad choice.

Again, if you can spend more money (about $600 now since rebate is not available now), the 70-200mm f4L is not a bad choice either.

Also looks for used lens market.

 

[scastro]

Hello,

I got a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II to take pictures of my kid and it has worked great so far. The fast f/1.8 aperture can give you nice looking portraits at a very afordable price (less than 90 bucks!).

In regards to the distance, on a cropped chip camera it will be similar to the telephoto on the kit lens. But due to price, and quality of the resulting images it is a good addition to your kit.

Check out the pic below, it was taken with this lens. Hope this helps...

 

[johan.sie]

nice pic

are you getting the lens mostly due to its 1.8 stop? just wondering how would a fixed focal length comparable to zoom lens

thanks

Hello,

I got a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II to take pictures of my kid and it has worked great so far. The fast f/1.8 aperture can give you nice looking portraits at a very afordable price (less than 90 bucks!).

In regards to the distance, on a cropped chip camera it will be similar to the telephoto on the kit lens. But due to price, and quality of the resulting images it is a good addition to your kit.

Check out the pic below, it was taken with this lens. Hope this helps...

 

[reg]

nice pic

are you getting the lens mostly due to its 1.8 stop? just wondering how would a fixed focal length comparable to zoom lens

thanks

A fixed focal length is sharper than a zoom, this particular lens goes to f/1.8 which will allow you a shutter speed MULTIPLE TIMES FASTER than any lens you have now.

But... it doesn't zoom.

But it's only $100, which is about as cheap as any lens gets.

 

[prodigy2k7]

I think a zoom is better for a new guy. Hes not trying to go pro here, i dont think he/she wants to move forward and backward to get a shot of the kids. Sigma or Canon EF-S will suit you well

Or...

Canon EF 28-200mm
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/206435-USA/Canon_6470A006_Zoom_Wide_Angle_Telephoto_EF.html

 

[reg]

You don't need to "go pro" to be able to justify the purchase of a $100 lens.

Primes might not be right for them, but going pro has nothing to do with it.

 

[nyamy]

most of the shots I take are outdoors, I just love natural light and backgrounds. a few are in front of windows (we have three walls of windows in the living room, so that's been my indoor 'studio')
for 'kids in the tub' shots and other goofy inside things they do, I'm still using my point & shoot, as I'm still learning how to work with the dslr. It seems easier to be successful with outdoor shots, so for now that's what I'm sticking to. obviously, I plan to learn more and expand, but as a mom of four youngins, there is a limit to how much time I have to devote to my newest hobby.

anyway, that's a great shot. and for $100 lens too.

I don't mind moving forward and back to photograph the kids. Its not like I ever get a chance to sit still anyway.

thank you all for the input, I value all of your comments.
and it didn't occur to me to look for a used lens. how would I know its in good condition? I mean I guess its like anything else (seller reputation) but, what key words would I be looking for and are there any specific questions I would ask. maybe that should be its own post...

 

[icassell]

how would I know its in good condition? I mean I guess its like anything else (seller reputation) but, what key words would I be looking for and are there any specific questions I would ask. maybe that should be its own post...

Alot of camera shops (local and online) sell used lenses with a warranty. You'll pay more than on e-bay but less than new, and you have some semblance of protection if it is coming from a reputable place.

 

[nyamy]

so this lens doesnt have more telephoto than the kit lens, but allows greater shutter speed resulting in better quality images? am I understanding that correctly?

what is a cropped chip camera?

Hello,

I got a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II to take pictures of my kid and it has worked great so far. The fast f/1.8 aperture can give you nice looking portraits at a very afordable price (less than 90 bucks!).

In regards to the distance, on a cropped chip camera it will be similar to the telephoto on the kit lens. But due to price, and quality of the resulting images it is a good addition to your kit.

Check out the pic below, it was taken with this lens. Hope this helps...

 

[prodigy2k7]

You don't need to "go pro" to be able to justify the purchase of a $100 lens.

Primes might not be right for them, but going pro has nothing to do with it.

I meant pro as in sharper images that primes produce. I dont think he cares a whole lot about super sharp images..

 

[Copacetic]

so this lens doesnt have more telephoto than the kit lens, but allows greater shutter speed resulting in better quality images? am I understanding that correctly?

what is a cropped chip camera?

That is correct, nyamy. I'm guessing your kit lens is 18-55mm? So the 50mm f/1.8 would be just a bit shorter than the kit lens zoomed all the way in. However it has much better low-light capabilities, and will be sharper, as primes (fixed focal-length lenses) usually are.

Most DSLRs besides the pro full-frame DSLRs have a smaller sensor chip (CMOS), resulting in a 1.5x to 1.6x or so crop factor. Basically, the lens more than covers the sensor, so the sensor sees a smaller area of the image as seen by the lens. This results in the image as seen by the lens being cropped a bit, hence the term 'crop factor'. What this means to the photographer is that for a given lens, the focal length is multiplied by 1.5x-1.6x when used on these DSLRs. So a 50mm lens will have an actual focal length of around 75-80mm. Your Rebel XSi has a crop factor of 1.6x, so the your 18-55mm zoom is an effective 28.8-88mm, and the 50mm f/1.8 would be an effective 80mm.

On a full-frame DSLR with a full-sized (35mm equivalent) sensor, the focal length remains as quoted on the lens.

Hope that makes sense, and isn't too confusing.

 

[nyamy]

thank you, copacetic
that does make sense
slowly slowly I'm learning....

and not to sound pretentious, because I'm really really new and ignorant about alot of this, but I DO appreciate sharp images. and that is one of my goals.

 

[Copacetic]

You'll get there. I'm learning, too!

And hey, we all want sharp images. That's not pretentious at all! If it helps any, I'll be getting Nikon's version of the 50mm f/1.8 as my next lens. For the price, there's really no reason not to, by my reckoning.