Canon Lenses

Justin1971

Justin1971

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Justin
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I have been looking around at lenses for use with a Canon 600D and am getting more and more baffled the more I look... :shrug:

So I need someone to explain t a noob (me) about the various figures and lens types, such as :

What does f2.8 and f4-5.6 mean? (I think it's something to do with the focal range but may be completely wrong)

What is the difference between say, a 50-300 lens and a 70-300? Is a bigger range better or better to get more lenses with closer ranges?

Finally (for now I think) what is the difference between USM, STM, HSM, IS and L lenses?

If this has been covered before feel free to provide a link to the relevant area.

Thanks,

Justin
 
Regardless of the make of the lens the f number is the focal ratio of the lens.

It is the size of the maximum opening of the aperture blades, the larger the opening (the lower the number) the greater the amount of light is allowed through the lens.

So a f1.4 will allow more light through than a f2.8, which will allow more light through than a f4, around double the amount for each step.

The lenses with the larger openings f1.4 - f2.8 are described as "fast lenses"

The advantages of a fast lens are they will allow higher shutter speeds in low light, they allow more light through to the focus sensors, they will give a shallower depth of field than the same lens with a smaller f number.
 
Welcome to TP.

My advice buy the camera with it's kit lens, learn the basics and then you will know what you want and why when it comes to upgrades. GAS can kick in fast when you first get into photography and before you know it you've spent fortune chopping ahd changing one lens to the next.

Before you buy anymore gear buy and read Bryan Pattersons 'Understanding Exposure' and get out and take loads of photos you'll soon find out what it is you need to get the photos you want be it more reach or better low light performance etc.

Enjoy your new hobby and don't be afraid to ask questions!
 
Rebel t3i said:
some links for you http://www.digitalslrphoto.com/dslrbasics/startersguides/12708/dslr_starters_guides_aperture.html

http://www.digitalslrphoto.com/dslrbasics/startersguides/12708/dslr_starters_guides_aperture.html
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Some very useful reading there but unfortunately a lot of the images are broken :(

a1ex2001 said:
Welcome to TP.

My advice buy the camera with it's kit lens, learn the basics and then you will know what you want and why when it comes to upgrades. GAS can kick in fast when you first get into photography and before you know it you've spent fortune chopping ahd changing one lens to the next.

Before you buy anymore gear buy and read Bryan Pattersons 'Understanding Exposure' and get out and take loads of photos you'll soon find out what it is you need to get the photos you want be it more reach or better low light performance etc.

Enjoy your new hobby and don't be afraid to ask questions!
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I was thinking of getting the Canon 600D with the 18-55 and 55-250 kit lenses, they seem cheap enough and like you say, I can experiment and decide what to get when I start to upgrade (and spend silly money lol).
 
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this is a list of some canon lenses I would recommend
canon ef 50mm f1.8
canon efs 10-22 wide angle
canon efs 15-85
canon efs 17-55 f2.8
canon efs 55-250 IS
canon ef 70-200 f2.8 L IS +1.4x tele converter this will not fit efs lenses
if you fancy some macros action ef 100mm f2.8 usm macros
remember efs lenses only fit crop canon cameras ef lenses fit crop and full frame
 
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Rebel t3i said:
this is a list of some canon lenses I would recommend
canon ef 50mm f1.8
canon efs 10-22 wide angle
canon efs 15-85
canon efs 17-55 f2.8
canon efs 55-250 IS
canon ef 70-200 f2.8 L IS +1.4x tele converter this will not fit efs lenses
if you fancy some macros action ef 100mm f2.8 usm macros
remember efs lenses only fit crop canon cameras ef lenses fit crop and full frame
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That's a huge expenditure for a beginner!
 
DABgp said:
That's a huge expenditure for a beginner!
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it wasn't a list of lenses you must buy it was a list of lenses I recommended
one or 2 off the list for starters not all of them at once lol
This is what I'd suggest
nifty 50 mm f 1.8 as they are so so so cheap
15-85mm
55-250 if you want some more range on a budget
kit lens 18-55 IS as long as it was nearly free with the camera
 
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Rebel t3i said:
it wasn't a list of lenses you must buy it was a list of lenses I recommended
one or 2 off the list for starters not all of them at once lol
This is what I'd suggest
nifty 50 mm f 1.8 as they are so so so cheap
15-85mm
55-250 if you want some more range on a budget
kit lens 18-55 IS as long as it was nearly free with the camera
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Fair enough.
I suppose I especially noticed the 70-200 F2.8 IS L

I have the 70-200 F4 non IS because I couldn't stretch further to an IS or F2.8, and I'm very pleased with it.
 
There's a whole host of lenses that could go on the list but that would make it confusing and of no use. I avoided third party lenses as the list would be the whole page then lol
it would have helped if we had had the OP's budget
personally for a beginner I think the 650d would be a good option with it's touch screen where the camera settings can be altered so much easier than pressing multi function buttons and scrolling the wheel
 
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I should have added budget but remember, I haven't actually got the camera yet. My budget for the camera including lenses is around the £500-£600 mark. Obviously this won't get me many lenses but the 600D comes budled with a few bits and bobs at £549 from DigitalRev.

This is what I could get:

Canon EOS 600D with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Lens Kit + Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS + Sandisk 8GB SD Ultra II

I would buy additional lenses after I've decided which would be best. To me, spending several hundred quid on a lens is a BIG decision. :)

Also (to Rebel t3i) I want to get the feel of a pro camera as somewhere down the line I will be looking at the 5D MkIII with a few nice lenses.
 
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the 60d is more of a pro based layout than the 600d
if you have selected the package you say you will be quite impressed particularly with the IQ of the 55-250
first upgrade lens on your list has to be the efs17-55 f 2.8
 
Rebel t3i said:
the 60d is more of a pro based layout than the 600d
if you have selected the package you say you will be quite impressed particularly with the IQ of the 55-250
first upgrade lens on your list has to be the efs17-55 f 2.8
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IQ???
 
I hope so, it seems a good price too (for a first DSLR). I just need to save a bit more then I will order it :)
 
Finally (for now I think) what is the difference between USM, STM, HSM, IS and L lenses?
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USM, STM and HSM are different types of Auto Focus motor found in Lenses.

USM stands for Ultrasonic Motor (Canon),
STM stand for Stepping Motor technology (Canon)
HSM - I think HSM is a term applied to Sigma Lenses meaning Hyper Sonic Motor (but I may be wrong)

IS is the Canon term for Image Stability which is known as VR (Vibration Reduction) for Nikon lenses. IS technology makes handheld photography more practical at slow shutter speeds. Camera shake, resulting in image blur, typically occurs at shutter speeds less than 1/ (focal length), IS counters camera shake resulting in a sharper image.

"L" or "L Class" are the top of the range Canon lenses. They are usually very expensive, weather sealed, built to a higher standard and generally provide better image quality, sharpness and contrast than the less expensive Canon lenses, however many of the non L lenses also provide excellent image quality, especially the primes (fixed focal length).

As to you original question which lens(es) to buy, the answer is it depends on what sort of photography you are interested in: Wildlife, Macro, Landscape, People, Action, Sport, Photojournalism, Family and Friend etc etc. It sounds like you might be a beginner, in which case I would go along with what a1ex2001 says above, and just start with a kit lens. I would either get a book on Photography that explains the basics, consider taking a Photography course, or read lots of online forums. This site http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ has comprehensive reviews for all Canon Lenses. The Open University offers a 10 week online course called "T189 Digital photography: creating and sharing better images", which covers all the basics as well as an introduction to editing images with Photoshop Elements. After that just take pictures; try as many types of photography as you can, you will soon realise the limits of your kit lens, and from that, you will learn what sort of lenses you need to enable you to take the photographs you are interested in.

Good luck
 
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