What to buy for a second and trird lense???

shachr6 · Feb 26, 2007

Bought a CanonXTI with the kit lens. I would now like to buy one or two new lenses. What should I go with. I mostly take outdoor pictures such as scenery and animals. I would also like to get into Wedding Photography. I have done a couple weddings and enjoy doin then. So what do you think i should go with. I dont want to really buy any flashes or lighting right yet. Would you go with a IS lens or a a Canon L series??? Thanks for all your help. If you think I should get a flash please also let me know why and what help it would do. Thanks cant wait to hear back from you guys.

theusher · Feb 26, 2007

For wedding you might try the very affordable Canon 50mm 1.8/f, I think it comes in around $70. If you take a lot of landscape you might want to invest in a super wide or fish eye lens? I'll defer to someone else for the rest of the lens questions, since I have a Nikon.

EOS_JD · Feb 26, 2007

The 50mm f1.8 is not a great wedding lens. It works but is inconsistent.

For weddings you need 2 of everything. Cameras, flash and lenses. if you do a wedding and you only have one camera and it stops working you will be in bother. My friend called me up after her film camera broke 6 images into a wedding shoot!! Luckily I was there to save the day.

lenses should be quality and fast. My most used lens is the 70-200 f2.8L IS followed closely by the 24-105 f4L IS and the 10-22 f3.5-4.5. If light is very low I use the 50 f1.4 or 85f1.8 and I use the 100 macro for detail shots. If i find shutter speeds to slow with the 24-105 (not happened yet) I'll switch to my Tamron 28-75 f2.8 (backup lens) I use a 20D and a 350D (XT).

Flash to be honest is one of the first accessories you need if shooting a wedding. Although mostly you won't use it, it's sometimes required for fill and is used at the reception. Get the 580EX. Eitherthe new version just out or the older one (you might get a good deal on these now).

A great lens for scenery and wedding photographyt is the EF-S 17-55 f2.8 IS and I would recommend this as your first buy. I would have got this before the 24-105L but the 17-55 wasn't out at the time I bought the 24-105!

The 17-55 IS is L quality. Next I'd buy the 70-200 f2.8L IS and then the 10-22 f3.5-4.5...... You'll need lots of memory, a diffuser for the flash and lots of practice.

shachr6 · Feb 26, 2007

Thank you that helps alot. The EF-S 17-55 f2.8 IS is the one i was thinking of buying but wasent sure if I should get this or a cheap L series one. Thank you again.

Big Mike · Feb 26, 2007

Welcome to the forum.

If weddings are you goal, then buying top end lenses now would be a good idea. I agree with the suggestions made by EOS JD. The ideal wedding photographer's lens for that camera is the 17-55 F2.8 IS, followed by the 70-200 F2.8 L IS. Of course, the first one is more expensive than your camera and the second lens is significantly more than that. The 24-70 F2.8 L, has been the work horse of the industry...but that range is best suited to 35mm film or full frame digital.

There are less expensive way to go though. I couldn't justify buying the 17-55 F2.8 IS just now, so I recently picked up the Tamron 17-50 F2.8 instead.

As mentioned, if you do plan to shoot weddings...you will need back up and more back up. So that's something to consider as you plan your new purchases.