What lenses for Canon?

jeljohns · Feb 9, 2009

I am new to photography and just got my first decent camera (Canon Rebel Xs). I am really confused about lenses! I mostly like to do portraits and candid shots so I know I need a zoom. I am also on a budget. What lenses do I need to have in my kit? Also, are there other companies that make Canon compatible lenses that may cost a little less?

Thanks!

bigtwinky · Feb 9, 2009

Lots of posts on the forum that discuss various lenses. Try some backpost searching to find alot of great info.

Other companies -> Sigma, Tamron, Tokina seem to be the top 3

What lens to have on a budget for portraits? The nifty-fifty! aka a 50mm 1.8 prime lens. Its not a zoom, but great image quality, wide aperture and all for a low price of $120 (CAD). Every bag has to have one

Big Mike · Feb 9, 2009

Welcome to the forum.

What's your budget? Lenses of these cameras range from $100 to $10,000.

You don't necessarily need a zoom lens. A 'prime' (non zoom) lens will often give you better image quality (for the price) than a zoom lens.

jeljohns · Feb 9, 2009

I did just buy the nifty fifty!

Haven't tried it out yet. My budget for an additonal zoom is $150-$200 right now. I was thinking zoom because then it would be like getting several lenses in one. Plus I like to take pictures of things further away.

bigtwinky · Feb 9, 2009

For that price, I wouldn't bother getting a new zoom lens. With your nifty fifty, I'd use your feet to zoom by moving closer to your subject.

All things the same, an 18-200 lens has a lower image quality than a 17-50 which has a lower image quality than a 50. The more a lens will have focal lenghts, the lower the quality of the image. Sometimes, its not noticable, but in many cases, it can be. Some people are happy with the trade off in lower image quality for the huge range of an 18-200, so it all depends on what you want.

So for the price, a zoom lens is not always the best choice. At $250, I think you can buy a 55-200 lens f4.0 to 5.6 which can be fun to play with, but the image quality and speed of the lens isn't all that great.

I assume you have the kit 18-55 lens?

jeljohns · Feb 9, 2009

I do have the kit lens. Ive noticed that when Im taking pictures of dogs, it is hard to get a good shot because I cant zoom in enough. If I try to get close to them it ruins what Im trying to catch them doing naturally. (sorry for the lack of apostrophes, my keyboard wont let me type them for some reason).

LarryD · Feb 9, 2009

Your budget is a little light, but if you double it, you can get the respectable Canon 28-135 IS zoom, or even the 28-200 EF zoom..

bigtwinky · Feb 9, 2009

LarryD said:
Your budget is a little light, but if you double it, you can get the respectable Canon 28-135 IS zoom, or even the 28-200 EF zoom..

I borrowed a 28-135 IS from someone a while ago and yes, it does take nice images. Could be a great compromise if you can up your budget.

But with $200 to spend, I'm not certain you'll find something remarkably better than what you have