HELP! Im a newbie!

[LisaMelton]

This is my first post on a forum EVER!
I have a Canon EOS T2i (Kit lens, zoom lens & a 50mm 1.4 lens)
I would like to upgrade my lens for family & newborn photography.....
I have been advised that the Canon EF 35MM 1.4 is great....seen results & agree!
Also, been advised that the Canon 18-200MM is great....seen results & agree!
However, I haven't a clue which would is best for me.....one is a Prime & the other a zoom....other than that I do NOT know anything else about them.....And advice would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Lisa

 

[dannylightning]

personally i do not like prime lenses. i had 2 primes the 50mm on my crop sensor camera i felt like i had to stand way to far away from things to get the shot i wanted. my 35mm prime was very nice but there were time i was not able to get back far enough to get everything i wanted in the shot. i went with the sigma 18-35mm 1.8 lens which is just perfet IMO and gives me better quality photos than either of my nikon prime lenses did they were not expensive prime lenses but primes are known to have better image quality than zoom lenses.. but than again it depends on the lenses which you are comparing.. i also got the sigma 50-100mm 1.8 so now i have 2 lenses that can be used for general shooting and than i have my big lens for my wild life photos..

A 18-200 is a great walk around lens.. one lens that will do well for most types of shooting from things the are close to things that are pretty far away. a lens with that much range will often not be as good as other zooms that do not have as much range.. i have the nikon 18-200 and allot of people think its a horrible lens. my copy does pretty well, i cant say its a bad lens at all but its not as good as the other 3 lenses i have at the moment.. but its nice to have around for when i might just need to take one lens with me.

i cant really comment on canon lenses.. but those are some things to think about.. zooms and primes have their place so its hard to say whats gonna be better for you.

 

[tirediron]

I would say neither (Disclaimer: I'm a Nikonian, not a Canonite, so I can't comment with authority of the specifics of particular lenses). The 35mm focal length is generally considered too short for most portrait work (Unless you're doing large groups), and the 18-200 with a variable aperture of f3.5 at the short end and f5.6 at the long is not ideal unless you're in a studio environment where you have control of the background.

I would consider an 85mm f1.8, or a zoom in 70-200mm range, preferably with a constant aperture.

 

[Designer]

I haven't a clue which would is best for me.....one is a Prime & the other a zoom....other than that I do NOT know anything else about them.....

Hey! Congratulations on your first post! Welcome!

A wide angle lens can introduce distortion, something that portrait photographers try to avoid. The closer you get to your subjects, the more distortion. That is why most portrait photographers use a longer lens than the 35mm.

Your main issue is not zoom vs. prime so much as it is getting a focal length that makes sense for what you want to do. I'm not a Canon user either, but in Nikon the 85mm f/1.8 is a very good lens. Between the two choices, I would think the 18-200mm would be the better choice, and hold toward the upper end, of between 135 and 200 mm to limit the distortion.

 

[beagle100]

I haven't a clue which would is best for me.....one is a Prime & the other a zoom....other than that I do NOT know anything else about them.....

Hey! Congratulations on your first post! Welcome!

A wide angle lens can introduce distortion, something that portrait photographers try to avoid. The closer you get to your subjects, the more distortion. That is why most portrait photographers use a longer lens than the 35mm.

Your main issue is not zoom vs. prime so much as it is getting a focal length that makes sense for what you want to do. I'm not a Canon user either, but in Nikon the 85mm f/1.8 is a very good lens. Between the two choices, I would think the 18-200mm would be the better choice, and hold toward the upper end, of between 135 and 200 mm to limit the distortion.

I would agree about choosing a focal length that makes sense but not the 18-200
if you like portraits get something like the 85mm 1.8, 100mm, 135mm f2, etc. or maybe a 70-200 zoom.
Family and baby photos require good lighting - an umbrella, softbox, etc, and off-camera flash, wireless triggers

 

[Designer]

Please do not assume that I have made that recommendation out of the blue, as a fine first choice for a portrait lens. Instead; why not consider my answer to be a direct, concise response to her actual question, which was: (in effect) Of the two lenses, which one?