Which lens is the best?

[mandabec]

I just recently bought a Canon 30D What is a good lens to purchase to start a small photography business?

 

[Mike_E]

Hello and welcome.

As to your question... would that it were so easy!

The first thing you need to know about a photography business is just business in general.

Then you need to decide on which type of photography suits your talents. Then you need to decide on which style within the type of photography. Then you need to decide on which price range within the style within the type of photography will be best suited to your talents and your native demographic. Then you need a business plan to pay for the lenses and any other equipment, insurance, incidentals, transportation, accounting, advertising, software, computers, high end monitors, monitor calibration devices cost of living, cost of studio space -even if you work at home, find suppliers and whatever I've missed and then-and only then should you decide on a lens for a photography business.

If you decide to just have a hobby for now then we just need to know what makes you most happy to shoot and how much you can spend.

mike

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome to the forum.

We are going to need more information than that. What do you want to shoot? People, cars, buildings, landscapes, bugs, events, weddings, sports?

Also, what is your budget? Often the 'best' lens is one that costs several thousand dollars. Do you want the best possible image quality? Or would you sacrifice some quality for convenience? A prime (non-zoom) lens will probably have the best quality and low light performance...but a zoom is more convenient.

 

[Neuner]

When I recently bought my camera, I should have first gotten a 50mm 1.8 lens. It is cheap and I think it's a great all-around lens for just figuring out what you can & can't do and use this as a guide for your future purchases. Just bought one and have been having fun playing around with it to figure out my cameras capabilities and what direction I would like to head.

 

[mandabec]

I realized after I posted I didn't give much information. I have basically started a hobby/business. I want to specialize in portraits. I also love landscapes. I know I know to different spectrums. I already have a job lined up to take pee wee football photos. Maybe that will help.

 

[WDodd]

I'm sorry to link to a different forum but this is such a great reference for any one and specifically directed towards someone with a Canon such as yourself: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=86975

Basically the message after reading through all of the articles is only you can decide what lens will be best for you. The people around here are great for recommendations, but as I have been shooting more I have begun to realize man I would like this, or a faster lens for this would be great. These types of things really help for choosing your next lens.

Did you get a lens with your 30D?

A few lenses that I would recommend you take a look at that would take care of what you want to do: Canon 17-55 f/2.8 or the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8, Canon 17-85, Canon 24-135 f/4L, Canon 28-105, and then I would probably look at a fast zoom for shooting sports.

Also, the 50mm f/1.8 was mentioned and its really hard to pass this up. I believe it is the cheapest lens for Canon (including Tamron and Sigma) and the IQ isn't that bad. I have it and love it. Good luck finding what you are looking for!

 

[Iron Flatline]

50mm f/1.4 USM

 

[mandabec]

I actually have 4 lenses already this is what I have.

My 30d came with a Canon EFS 18-55 f3.5/5.6 and a .5x wide angle lens

I also had a Canon 75-300mm f4-5.6 and Canon 28-90mm f1.4-5.6 that I used with my Rebel 2000 EOS

I know I need somthing with better aperture. Is it better to have a high f number or a low one?

Thanks for your help.

 

[alrey]

Lower numbers mean larger apertures, which is generally more desirable.