Which Lens(es) Should I Get?

Andrew_Smith · Mar 4, 2017

Hello all,

So I am in a bit of a dilemma in which lens or lenses (depending on the price) to get.

My current gear:
Canon 1200D
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM Macro Lens
Canon EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 III

Let me give you a backdrop for my story: I bought a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM Macro Lens secondhand in September last year. Really a fantastic lens! But... I am a passionate MTB'er and love to explore. Unfortunately, the EF 100mm limits me on this. Not getting the whole scene in the frame, especially when the subject(s) are very close, like for example when we went to the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. My kit lens isn't that bad (EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 III) but would like something better.

Here is an example of what type of shooting I would like to do:
Ewald Sadie (@ewaldsadie) • Instagram photos and videos

Also just want to add that I will not be shooting fast paced action shots like he does, only maybe once or twice. I am more focused on the landscape where the person (or me) is riding. I would like to capture that epic moment with you and your bike with the beautiful landscape surrounding you.

Basically, I would like to capture more landscapes shots.

Okay, so here is my questions:

1. Shouldn't I invest in a 70-200mm lens instead?
2. What about the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS?
3. Canon EF 24-70mm f/4 L IS USM Lens?
4. Would f/4 be enough for my needs?
5. One prime lens for landscape and one for portraits?
6. Camera body upgrade?
7. Should I keep my kit lens and sell my EF 100mm to save up for something decent?
8. Keep my EF 100mm and be happy with what I have?

Forgot to mention that I will be studying photography next year (currently in matric) and would like to make a good decision for going forward. Most probably I will go into wedding photography if there is a gap in the market here in South Africa. Would love to do sports photography too, due to my passion for MTB'ing.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

*I will be buying secondhand*

weepete · Mar 5, 2017

If it were me, I'd want three lenses to cover those type of shots. A 70-200mm to shoot the portraits of the riders on there bikes, a 35mm for semi wide shots with mountains in them and probably an ultrawide for the big sweeping foreground and big sky shots.

greybeard · Mar 5, 2017

For what you like to shoot, I'd go for a Canon 18-135

Andrew_Smith · Mar 9, 2017

Sorry guys, school was lately very busy. Thanks for the replies.

weepete said:
If it were me, I'd want three lenses to cover those type of shots. A 70-200mm to shoot the portraits of the riders on there bikes, a 35mm for semi wide shots with mountains in them and probably an ultrawide for the big sweeping foreground and big sky shots.

See, I also had this in my mind but with my budget (aka the money I will get from my EF 100mm) I will only be able to get a 70-200. Okay, so a 35mm prime and an even a wider prime? Or fisheye lens?
But this is a great set of lens choice, it will cover everything.

greybeard said:
For what you like to shoot, I'd go for a Canon 18-135

The ability to use this lens for everything is very appealing. But the f-stop range is a bummer for me. I would rather go for a 24-105 f/4 L IS instead. Yeah, I am losing a bit of range, but I like a constant f-stop throughout my zoom ranges.

So far I haven't got any interested buyers for my lens, so I still need to wait before I can hunt for other lenses.

weepete · Mar 9, 2017

Hmmm. Ok maybe a bit of a curve ball, what about a Sigma 17-70mm f2.8-4 OS HSM C?

Chances are that you'll want a reasonably deep depth of field most of the time to keep the background landscape in focus, so that will mean f8-16. If you pay attention to subject to background distance then blurring the background at f5.6 and longer focal lengths is possible too.

But it does sound to me like you need to have a think about what kind of shot you want to get most of the time and what that will mean for your focal lengths. I'd avoid fisheyes as a main lens as they are specialist.

Andrew_Smith · Mar 9, 2017

@weepete

That will make a perfect replacement for my kit lens! I definitely agree with you on that one. Surely I could also use this lens as for portraits? Also, want to add that the f-stop range offers a great possibility for different scenarios when shooting.

I just watched a video about lenses and the following got my attention: "For wedding photography, a macro lens is crucial for capturing detail."

So, I am leaning towards keeping my EF 100mm as it is really a fantastic lens and I personally feel I should rather keep it for going forward.
I will then save up until I have enough money for that Sigma 17 - 70 lens.

EDIT: Might rather look at the older Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM instead for better image sharpness and constant f/2.8.

mycarolinaphotography · Mar 10, 2017

I am a big fan of the EF 24-105 f/4 is. I have traveled all over the US and Europe taking thousands of photos. I use this lens on my 7d and 5d. It is a superb all around lens and is not terribly heavy. Another option is to get some extension tubes for the way out shots.

table1349 · Mar 10, 2017

mycarolinaphotography said:
Another option is to get some extension tubes for the way out shots.

Why?

table1349 · Mar 11, 2017

Andrew_Smith Do not get extension tubes as suggested unless you are considering using them for macro work to get closer than 1:1 with your current 100mm. Extension tubes have no optics and do not help with "way out shots"

If you need extra reach a teleconverter can be a cheaper alternative to a longer lens, but they need to be used with high quality glass.

Destin · Mar 11, 2017

You could replicate nearly all of the photos on the IG account using the 24-104 f/4. Add in a cheap third party fisheye and you could replicate basically all of them.

Note that a good handful of them appear to use some off camera flash as well for more dramatic lighting.

Nice to see a fellow MTB'er here! Though admittedly I don't ride as much as I used to or would like to.

Andrew_Smith · Mar 12, 2017

gryphonslair99 said:
Andrew_Smith Do not get extension tubes as suggested unless you are considering using them for macro work to get closer than 1:1 with your current 100mm. Extension tubes have no optics and do not help with "way out shots"

If you need extra reach a teleconverter can be a cheaper alternative to a longer lens, but they need to be used with high quality glass.

Do not worry, I won't go near extension tubes. For the current macro work I do rarely, the 100mm is more than perfect.
I am not really into wildlife photography, but if I want to take it more seriously and need more range, I will get myself a teleconverter for my 100mm or even another lens.

Destin said:
You could replicate nearly all of the photos on the IG account using the 24-104 f/4. Add in a cheap third party fisheye and you could replicate basically all of them.

Note that a good handful of them appear to use some off camera flash as well for more dramatic lighting.

Nice to see a fellow MTB'er here! Though admittedly I don't ride as much as I used to or would like to.

100% agree with you. But for time being I am going to hold onto my 100mm lens. Was at my local camera store yesterday (ORMS) and spoke to one of the persons their for advice and such. He said personally I should hold on to my lens and save up for the Canon 10-18 EF-S lens. Great lens for my APS-C sensor and also in my budget which I can afford. I still need to save up for it though, because you probably know MTB'ing is expensive. But I really enjoy using my 100mm, yes the range is a flaw, but I know how to capture moments with it. For example, this weekend my sister had a marathon event at school and I took some nice shots. The f/2.8 come in handy with the tricky light conditions. And the detail I get from the lens is so incredible and just a blast to you it.

Yeah, he does. He is a very good photographer and well know here in South Africa. I admire his work.

Same here man, it is nice to combine photography and MTB'ing. You can capture that epic moments with you and your bike on the adventures. Sadly, I do not carry my camera with, due to the weight of my camera bag.

Destin · Mar 12, 2017

Andrew_Smith said:
gryphonslair99 said:

Andrew_Smith Do not get extension tubes as suggested unless you are considering using them for macro work to get closer than 1:1 with your current 100mm. Extension tubes have no optics and do not help with "way out shots"

If you need extra reach a teleconverter can be a cheaper alternative to a longer lens, but they need to be used with high quality glass.

Click to expand...

Do not worry, I won't go near extension tubes. For the current macro work I do rarely, the 100mm is more than perfect.
I am not really into wildlife photography, but if I want to take it more seriously and need more range, I will get myself a teleconverter for my 100mm or even another lens.

Destin said:

You could replicate nearly all of the photos on the IG account using the 24-104 f/4. Add in a cheap third party fisheye and you could replicate basically all of them.

Note that a good handful of them appear to use some off camera flash as well for more dramatic lighting.

Nice to see a fellow MTB'er here! Though admittedly I don't ride as much as I used to or would like to.

Click to expand...

100% agree with you. But for time being I am going to hold onto my 100mm lens. Was at my local camera store yesterday (ORMS) and spoke to one of the persons their for advice and such. He said personally I should hold on to my lens and save up for the Canon 10-18 EF-S lens. Great lens for my APS-C sensor and also in my budget which I can afford. I still need to save up for it though, because you probably know MTB'ing is expensive. But I really enjoy using my 100mm, yes the range is a flaw, but I know how to capture moments with it. For example, this weekend my sister had a marathon event at school and I took some nice shots. The f/2.8 come in handy with the tricky light conditions. And the detail I get from the lens is so incredible and just a blast to you it.

Yeah, he does. He is a very good photographer and well know here in South Africa. I admire his work.

Same here man, it is nice to combine photography and MTB'ing. You can capture that epic moments with you and your bike on the adventures. Sadly, I do not carry my camera with, due to the weight of my camera bag.

If you want wide angle on a budget, the tokina 11-16 2.8 has killer reviews and can be had on eBay for about $300. I recently bought one and am waiting for it to get here.

I don't carry a dslr when riding either. But I do have a waterproof Olympus point and shoot I keep on me.

Cheers, and have fun riding!