help needed please (lens choice)

leerolo · Aug 25, 2007

hi there,

im just getting back into photography after a break because i had to sell my gear when i got laid off from my last job :grumpy:

. however now i am back on my feet i have decided to invest in a new dslr and a few lenses so i can take up my hobby again. i am buying an eos 40d but i cant make my mind up between the below lenses.
my interests are weddings,landscapes,celebrity photos,portraits and im not sure which lenses will be best for the type of photo's i like to take and also which lens is most capable of taking very high quality images. so can someone please help me choose between of the following.

i need one of the following

canon 24-105 f/4L IS USM
sigma 14-70 2.8 EX DG MACRO

and also one of the following

sigma 70-200 f2.8 EX DG MACRO
canon 70-200 f/4L IS USM

many thanks in advance
lee

Don Simon · Aug 25, 2007

For weddings you may want a fast lens - so one with max aperture f/2.8 rather than f/4. A wider max aperture would also be useful for portraits.

Having said that, I think I would be inclined to go for the Canon 24-105 in the first case. The Sigma 24-70 may have a wider max aperture, but the Canon has both IS and USM (allowing handheld shots in lower light, and having faster focusing), and is of the quality associated with "L" lenses. The Sigma 24-70 meanwhile is decent but IMO is not among their best lenses.

The 70-200 is another matter. Sigma's one is really excellent, in terms of optics and build, and unlike the other Sigma it does have HSM (equivalent of Canon's USM)... it may not have IS, but it does have the advantage of the wider aperture. And it costs about the same as the Canon f4 IS.
... the excellent Canon f4 has an advantage of its own though (apart from IS)... requiring less glass for a max aperture of f4, it is smaller and lighter. That could make a difference to how long you are willing to carry the lens around. Personally I would find it very hard to choose between these two lenses; each are of a very high quality. It's a question of considering which is more important to you: A larger maximum aperture, or IS and a lighter lens. That bit you have to decide yourself.

leerolo · Aug 25, 2007

thanks for the reply,
its the toughest decision ive had to make regarding lenses :lol:

and i still dont know which would be best for me. To be honest im not 100% bothered about IS although it would be nice to have its not as important as getting really high quality professional looking images. on the other hand as i live near a tv studio and love taking celebrity pictures i think the IS would be very handy.

aaaaaaahhhhhhhh this decision is driving me crazy...

Big Mike · Aug 25, 2007

I agree with what ZaphodB has said, if you want to get into shooting weddings professionally, F2.8 lenses should be your priority. IS, is good too, but not as important at a large aperture. Although, IS on a telephoto is an amazing thing.

I would also say that 24mm (on a 40D body) isn't wide enough...not for me anyway.

My suggestion for the 'best' normal range lens for weddings would be the 17-55 F2.8 IS. Couple this with the 70-200 F2.8 L IS and you have the best two lens kit. They are both rather expensive though.

If weddings aren't your priority, then the F4 lenses listed above, would be very good choices.

soylentgreen · Aug 25, 2007

Yeah, definitely go with the faster lens over the f/4. Me personally, I would avoid the Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 until they upgrade the HSM and optics. Rather go with the Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8 L. The AF on the 24-105 is slow in low-light, usable, but slow. Excellent image quality though and range. Same goes for the telephoto. f/2.8 would be nice, but if you want IS be prepared for the weight on the Canon model. I think Sigma just released Optic Stabilzation on that lens now. Haven't heard any reviews though.