What Canon Lens to Choose for 550D (Rebel T2i)

[iandp]

Hi, I have just booked a course in photography and I am looking for a camera. I know absolutely nothing about cameras, what lenses are good, etc. and I need help with choosing my first camera plus lens kit. I will mainly be using the camera to shoot family, holidays, etc. I have about 600 pounds to spend and I am considering the Canon 550d and the below lens 2 options which cost approximately the same amount. i hope someone can help me which one is better:
1. Canon EOS 550D Digital SLR Camera (inc 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens Kit), costs 598.95 GBP on Amazon at the moment
2. Canon EOS 550D Digital SLR Camera body only. Costs 513.60 GBP. Plus Canon EF 50 mm f/1.8 II Lens, costs 79.78 gbp at the moment.

Many thanks!!

 

[subscuck]

You may find the 50mm alone too limiting. I would maybe check with the instructor and see what he/she recommends. The 50 is, optically, better than the 18-55 kit, but the requirements of the course may require a more versatile lens.

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

Get the kit lens. You will want the versatility. Its not really an argument of which is better. Yes the 50mm will be a little sharper I am sure and work better in low light, but its stuck at 50mm which isn't very wide on a crop-body camera like the one you are buying. You will not be able to shoot in close quarters, get very wide landscape shots etc. The kit lens also has "IS" which will help in low light shooting as long as your subjects are not moving quickly.

 

[vtf]

I agree with Goonies for now, the 50 mm is good for your next lens.

 

[tyler_h]

Kit lens is good to start so you get learn how its limiting you and when you come to spending more on a lens you can have better certainty that you are getting what will go what you want later. I have 550D with kit lens and have the nifty fifty as well; and I would certainly say the 50 is too tight as the only lens but great for portraits and getting to play around with the shallow DoF you can get with f/1.8 (not that you should use it all the time!).

A decent cheap setup would be the 18-55 IS + 55-200 (250?) + 50 f/1.8 to cover a decent range and a prime for shallow DoF etc effects to learn.

 

[Jengimann]

Check out Cameta Camera (also sell on Amazon)... I bought a T3i 18-55mm kit with a 55-250mm lens as well... They have a bunch of kits with memory cards and cases too. Fair price compared to other sites and I did a ton of searching before pulling the trigger on my purchase. The only thing I did not like was the fact that it took them 2 business days to fulfill and ship my order.

 

[iandp]

Thank you so much for all the advice. I will indeed go for the kit lens initially.
@Jengimann: will check out Cameta Camera, thanks very much for the tip.