Ef-S vs EF

[jowensphoto]

So my lens collection is slowly growing, and I want to make sure I'm getting "the most bang for my buck".

Eventually, I'd like to upgrade to a full frame, but am content with my crop sensor T2i for the time being.I know that the full frame cameras only accept the EF mount, so any EF-S lenses I have will pretty much get ignored.

All that being said, is there ever an advantage to using an EF-S? From what I've read, "experts notice little to no difference in end result" and it seems like the EF-S mounts are "cheaper".

Am I right to assume I should continue to purchase EF mounted lenses and forget about the EF-S mounts?

 

[o hey tyler]

So my lens collection is slowly growing, and I want to make sure I'm getting "the most bang for my buck".

Eventually, I'd like to upgrade to a full frame, but am content with my crop sensor T2i for the time being.I know that the full frame cameras only accept the EF mount, so any EF-S lenses I have will pretty much get ignored.

All that being said, is there ever an advantage to using an EF-S? From what I've read, "experts notice little to no difference in end result" and it seems like the EF-S mounts are "cheaper".

Am I right to assume I should continue to purchase EF mounted lenses and forget about the EF-S mounts?

As I see it... The EF-S mount is less desirable on the used market IMO. That's NOT to say they're bad or inadequate lenses, but you'll most likely re-sell them for a loss when/if you upgrade to FF. The EF mount lenses, especially the L's hold their value really well, and if you were to resell them you'd get practically equivalent coinage that you bought them for.

What lens are you looking to purchase next? The 85mm f/1.8 could work itself quite nicely into your collection, and it's an EF mount...

 

[jaomul]

The 85 f1.8 is a very nice lens, even on a crop camera, though if you use it for portraits you will probably be outside and/or a nice distance back from the subject.The quality is great.

One advantage of EF-S lenses is that they are lighter and smaller as well. EF lenses are a better investment. On the off chance you will keep your crop camera when you upgrade may also be a factor in whether they are worth buying now. I will probably eventually get a FF camera but I personally wouldn't get rid of my crop camera when I do.

 

[Overread]

The general bonus of EFS over EF lenses are:

1) Smaller and lighter - less glass needed to throw the smaller image circle and thus the lenses are smaller and lighter than similar EF options

2) Cheaper - less glass/componets means a cheaper production cost

3) Provides options that are not present in the EF line. 18-55mm type lenses are not present in the EF line similarly lenses like the 10-20mm. These help to give crop sensor users similar wide angle and walkaround lenses with angles of view typical to popular options in the EF line on 35mm sensor bodies.
In general this is the primary advantage for the EF-S line


As for investing in them it depends, if you're certainly going fullframe and won't ever use crop sensor again I'd say don't buy any more lenses. Buy the fullframe, selling off any crop sensor parts that you no longer need and then build your EF lens setup around your fullframe sensor. Otherwise you'll build a setup around the crop sensor angle of view and then suddenly when you shift to fullframe you'll have to adjust it all again.

If you're going to hold onto your crop sensor camera than having one or two EFS lenses is not a bad thing, they'll still get used and (as the examples above note) you'll have access to options that the EF line can't provide for your crop sensor.

 

[jowensphoto]

I really want a wide angle. Something I can use for creative effects AND portraiture. I'm looking at one particular fisheye, but I don't know if it's "practical" enough (meaning I don't know if I'll use it enough to make it count).

Been doing a lot of research re: crop factor. So I have a question: my T2i is CF 1.6. If I use an 8mm fish eye with this body, the output is roughly the same as what a 15mm would look like on a full frame (1.6*8=12.8mm... closest lens I could find was 15mm). Maybe there's another lens that I'm unaware of that's closer to that 12.8, but am I getting the idea at least?

Anyhoo, here's what I'm looking at right now:

Rokinon 8mm Ultra Wide Angle f/3.5 Fisheye Lens FE8M-C B&H Photo (I keep coming back to this one, but it's the fisheye)

 

[Overread]

Most people use a fisheye lens once or twice for the effect and then dump it in the bag forever after. I'd only buy a fisheye if you really knew you wanted to work with that specific distorted effect.

If you just want wide angle go for one of these: Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens 203101 B&H
It's not fisheye, its just an ultrawide angle lens suitable for crop sensor. (it's also the widest you can currently go with crop sensor as well)

 

[o hey tyler]

I'd hesitate to use a fisheye for portraiture. Too much distortion, and the potential to make your subject look ridiculous and elongated is always there. You might want to look for something slightly longer than an 8mm fisheye for portraiture...

 

[jowensphoto]

Thanks! That's what I figured re: fisheye.

Just checked out the lens you suggested and was reading up on the specs. There was mention that vignetting will happen when used on a medium or full frame. Some vignetting is nice, but I wanted to ask if it's distracting or, in your opinion, degrades IQ.

 

[jowensphoto]

I'd hesitate to use a fisheye for portraiture. Too much distortion, and the potential to make your subject look ridiculous and elongated is always there. You might want to look for something slightly longer than an 8mm fisheye for portraiture...

Yeah, I know I love the effect of the fisheye, but I don't think it's really practical for me right now. Maybe in the future, once I hit the big time and have a larger disposable income

 

[jowensphoto]

Buy the fullframe, selling off any crop sensor parts that you no longer need and then build your EF lens setup around your fullframe sensor.

This would be ideal, but it's just not in my budget right now. I only have the kit lens that is EF-S, so I wouldn't be making much of a sale

Would the 85mm f/1.8 be a nice replacement for my kit lens?

 

[o hey tyler]

Buy the fullframe, selling off any crop sensor parts that you no longer need and then build your EF lens setup around your fullframe sensor.

This would be ideal, but it's just not in my budget right now. I only have the kit lens that is EF-S, so I wouldn't be making much of a sale

Would the 85mm f/1.8 be a nice replacement for my kit lens?

The 85mm f/1.8 would not be a replacement for how WIDE your kit lens can go, of course. But the 85mm f/1.8 would be an outstanding portrait lens on any digital body. It's got USM, a big honkin' aperture, and all the background control you could want.

I use the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 HSM... But that's a bit pricier, that's why I suggested the f/1.8 USM.

 

[Big Mike]

Would the 85mm f/1.8 be a nice replacement for my kit lens?

Probably not.
It's a great lens, but the field of view is pretty narrow, so shooting indoors would be particularly troublesome.

 

[jowensphoto]

So much to consider

Alright, so it looks like I'll be hanging on to the kit lens for now.

The list is now down to

Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens 203101 B&H (pending info re: vignetting)
Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens 2519A003 B&H Photo Video

The 85mm 1.8 is leading as of right now. The price is right, and it seems to be pretty respectable, judging from customer reviews.

But GD'it, my brain is stuck on a wide angle train. I'm diggin' that Sigma, just not sure if I'm ready to drop that much.

 

[Overread]

Far as I know the 8-16mm won't mount well to a fullframe body because of the recess of the back of the lens. If you can get it to mount to a fullframe body you will get vignetting. I'm not sure how much (I've not got one to test) but I would expect it to be fairly noticeable. It's a lens aimed at crop sensor so vignetting corners is expected (I'd also expect optical performance to drop off more quickly in the corner areas shown as well).

It's a great choice without any vignetting problems for 1.6 crop sensor.

 

[analog.universe]

So much to consider

Alright, so it looks like I'll be hanging on to the kit lens for now.

The list is now down to

Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens 203101 B&H (pending info re: vignetting)
Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens 2519A003 B&H Photo Video

The 85mm 1.8 is leading as of right now. The price is right, and it seems to be pretty respectable, judging from customer reviews.

But GD'it, my brain is stuck on a wide angle train. I'm diggin' that Sigma, just not sure if I'm ready to drop that much.

Those are both great lenses, with polar opposite applications.

I considered that Sigma for a while, and ended up getting a Tokina 11-16 for it's ability to take filters, but the Sigma 8-16 is really nice lens. Every wide angle is going to vignette, but that will improve if you stop down. If you're shooting a landscape or architecture or something you're going to be stopped down anyway.

And I love my 85 1.8. I pretty much agree with everything everyone's said about it. It's even ok indoors sometimes, depending on what you're going for. FOV is tight, but it can work. The autofocus on it is so good that it's my go-to action lens as well.