Need help buying my first set of lenses

[mattgwinn]

I will be starting photography classes soon so I am buying my first DSLR camera (Canon Rebel T1i). Although the school has lenses I can borrow, I would like to have a set of my own.

I'm not quite sure what I will need as I take pictures of a wide variety of things. I guess I need a well rounded selection. Being inexperienced with buying separate lenses and being on a budget I was hoping you folks could help me.

If you had $1500 to spend on your first set of lenses. What would you buy?
Here are the Canon lenses that are in my price range:

Standard Zoom Lenses
EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (this is the lens that comes with the camera)
EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II - $390
EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 - $480

Telephoto Zoom Lenses
EF-S 55-250mm f/4.5-5.6 IS - $300
EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III - $270
EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM - $320
EF 100-300mm f/4-5.6 USM - $470

Wide Angle Lenses
EF 24mm f/2.8 - $490
EF 28mm f/2.8 - $290
EF 35mm f/2 - $390

Standard & Medium Telephoto Lenses
EF 50mm f/1.4 USM - $520
EF 50mm f/1.8 II - $150

Telephoto Lenses
EF 135mm f/2.8 w/ Softfocus - $470

Macro Lenses
EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact - $400
EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM - $470

 

[PhotoXopher]

I'd use the schools lenses first and see which ones you like the most, then go from there.

Hard to go wrong with a 50 1.8 though.

 

[Big Mike]

I agree with the idea of waiting to buy your additional lenses. The lenses that you use most, will probably be based a lot on personal style and preference. And you won't know that until you have been shooting for a while.

I'd suggest sticking with the EF-S 18-55mm lens and maybe adding the 50mm F1.8.

Most of your list is the lower end of Canon's lenses. They are the least expensive, but the quality won't be as good as a more expensive lens. You may find that you really want a high quality lens, rather than three cheaper ones.

There are still some great lenses, that don't cost as much. The 50mm F1.4 & the 85mm F1.8 are two examples. The EF-S 17-85mm IS or the EF 28-135mm IS are good 'all-around' lenses.

There are even some top quality lenses that are fairly inexpensive. The EF 17-40mm F4 L and the 70-200mm F4 L are two examples that are around $700 each. (yes, that is a good deal for the quality you get).

 

[bigtwinky]

Save your money and wait to see what you like photographing before making a purchase.

With $1500, you could get 1 L lens and a some accessories (flash for ex). But before making the plunge into an L lens, make sure you know what you want to do, and even that you want to do photography.

The only one I would consider is the 50mm 1.8 for now.

Why the T1i? One of my biggest regrets starting photography last year was buying a Rebel instead of the 40D.

 

[cfusionpm]

I think an excellent combo is the EF-S 17-85 IS and the 70-300mm IS. It covers a huge range and quality is very good for consumer lenses. These two have served me really well and can handle most photography situations. Combined, they should cost comfortably under $1500, which leaves room for a 50mm or some other accessory. I chose to add in a 50mm 1.8 and super-wide 10-22mm to give some more creative flexibility, but those first two are what I use the most.

 

[Montana]

My thoughts on the 50 1.8......garbage. Get the 1.4 if you want a 50mm. Fast primes are not as flexible as zooms, but you can be more "artistic", get excellent image quality and it kind of forces you to think. I am a prime lens fan, but sometimes zooms are darn near necessary.

 

[Josh66]

If you had $1500 to spend on your first set of lenses. What would you buy?

Easy.

50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.8, 100mm 2.8 Macro.

You should have a little left for a spare battery or memory card...

 

[Montana]

If you had $1500 to spend on your first set of lenses. What would you buy?

Easy.

50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.8, 100mm 2.8 Macro.

You should have a little left for a spare battery or memory card...

I would maybe trade that 50mm for something around a 35mm.