Lens advice - new q regarding a 'nifty fifty'

Jorge

Jorge

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George
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Hi, first real post. I have been sneaking around a bit, reading your thread etc whilst on the look out for a new camera.

I am looking at getting a 40D, it is a present for me from the parents. Seems to be a good choice, not too expensive, yet not too simple neither.

Currently using a 300D which we bought from new back in '05 with a Canon 18-55 and 75-200 (I think) and a Peleng 8mm.

My main interest is automotive photography, then slowly progressing onto Scenery, Motorsport and hopefully travels.

Enough talk, with a budget of around £200-250 what lens shall I be looking out for (When my parents are away, they take the 300D with both Canon lenses), not the 8mm, however while it is good for Skateboard photography for everything else its slightly too wide. I was thinking maybe a 10-22 or similar. Or shall I go for a more generic 17-55 / 75?

Help and advice please :)
 
This is always a difficult question to answer. As it will be your only lens while your parents are away, my choice would be a Canon 17-85mm IS. I think Park Cameras were selling them at £279, but you may be able to find one a little cheaper or even look for a good second hand copy.
 
Unfortunately with a budget of £200 you wont get near a Canon 10-22. Even 2nd hand you are looking at £400 plus, new about £600 depending where you look...

It also depends what you want to shoot. For motorsport with that budget the best lens would be the 55-250 IS. I;ve got one of these and its very good for the money and does exactly what I want for motorsport. Yours for about £160 new on line.

General purpose, the Canon EF 28-135mm is very good, and on budget, about £250 ish new.

A good landscape lens (I find) is the 50mm 1.8 II. Some think its too long on a crop sensor but I love it for landscapes and portraits. Thats well within your budget, at about £70.

The 17-55mm is is awesome lens, but at around £700 well over your budget!

A very good all round lens is the Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM (make sure its the OS version). New about £230, 2nd hand cheaper but not seen many on the 2nd hand market.
 
Motorsport isn't going to top priority, budget can be stretched for the right lens.

Is it best to look at just Canon, or look at other manufacturers too?

(Sorry, never had to buy a lens on its own so prices are a myth to me)
 
Canon and Sigma are the main players. I have always gone with Canon as you can do more tweaking with their own software (Canon's DPP, which comes with Canon cameras) such as colour correction, distortion correction etc) which 3rd party lenses cannot do. They tend to have better build quality than Sigma, though that is lens dependant.

Tamron are supposed to be very good as well, though I've never used any of their lenses.
 
I think your £250 will be what guides you
A sigma 10-20mm is a good lens if youonly whant wide BUT a Canon 17-85mm IS will be your best bet you can get them S/h for a bout 200-250ish one sold here for less so keep your eyes open Mifsuds have one for £249
 
Jorge said:
My main interest is automotive photography, then slowly progressing onto Scenery, Motorsport and hopefully travels.
Click to expand...

Motorsport requires long lens so 70-200mm f/4L is a minimum really. For generic use everyone here claim Tamron 17-50 is great.
 
Yeah, I think I can get away with using the parents 70-200 :) motorsport will be few and far between.

More just still automotive, and scenery, city photos. And travel blog photography.

Possibilities:
Tamron 17-50
Canon 17-85

Future buys:
Sigma 10-20
Canon 10-22
 
Jorge said:
Yeah, I think I can get away with using the parents 70-200 :) motorsport will be few and far between.

More just still automotive, and scenery, city photos. And travel blog photography.

Possibilities:
Tamron 17-50
Canon 17-85

Future buys:
Sigma 10-20
Canon 10-22
Click to expand...

I'd pick Tamron 17-50 any day over 17-85 that is very average consumer lens.

Same goes for Canon 10-22 over Sigma. Consider Tokina 12-24 instead if funds are more limited.
 
Jorge said:
Too many choices!
Click to expand...

:LOL:

So very true! I'm just starting out and have been doing lots of reading about what to replace the 18-55 (non-IS) Canon kit lens with in due course - I keep thinking I've settled on a contender only then to read something different in another thread and so go back to not really knowing what to do for the best! :wacky::D
 
Bit too much hassle for me that! To be honest, I don't think that I am at the level yet where I can tell the difference between the glass. It will just be a case of whatever crops up first in my budget.
 
Okay, rather than a new thread,

To tie me over to these, I have been recommended to get a Nifty Fifty.. and for the price, Icannot say no.

Not sure what to get, just the straight up Canon 50mm f/1.8? The ones that are £80 delivered on here? I don't want to stretch to the 1.4, so is the 1.8 a good lens for a general use. Shouldn't be too much low light shooting.

But reading a couple of threads, the Sigma 35? however I cannot see this on their site.



Another question I will add sneakily, or two actually. Lens UV filters, should you always shoot with these? The current lenses I use all have these on, but more for protective purposes.

And 2ndly, lens hoods,are they worth the £5 you can get them for?
 
Its a very good lens, especially for the money! I have one and use it for landscapes and portaits. Maybe a bit too long for a walkabout but I've been known to use it as such!

As for the UV filters - I'd take them off as they are likely to degrade image quality and serve no real purpose. Some people leave them on to protect the front element but I've never scratched any of my lenses - better off buying a lens hood which also prevents flare. Hoods are lens specific, but if you can buy one for £5 for the right lens buy it straight away!

If you want filters, look at adding circular polarisers which can add saturation, cut through reflections and make images appear much richer.
 
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