Some Q's re: lens and "industry folks"

[Gavjenks]

Your teacher sounds obnoxious. You don't tell a student to buy a $400 prime lens when they have something that can work perfectly well and still need to learn the basics. And ESPECIALLY not when there's also another 50mm prime lens available on the market that is probably just as sharp and almost as fast for $100... (50mm f/1.8)

Your lens you have already could take National Geographic level photos if you knew what you were doing and were in the right place at the right time and worked within its parameters. It's not NECESSARY to get any upgrade to simply learn photography. And even if you are a great photographer, your lens is still sufficient for most things.

 

[vimwiz]

Anyway, the Elan isn't that old! LOL but common enough you could find a prime lens.

The elan is pretty new, its an EOS! - Ive had a few film EOSes and they work fine with modern full-frame EF Canon (not third party often, danger!) lenses (I put a 50mm mk II on an 80s body, it and it "just worked")

Frankly, unless you care about AF, ditch the EOS/EF system and get an older 70s/80s FD mount model (A T body with a much sturdier metal 50mm f/1.8 lens like the one in my avatar is like £30 whereas an 50mm EF lens to fit an EOS would be double. )