Ive been gifted a 5D mkII - What lens to buy?

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Chazman88

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Charlie
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Hi All,

I started out with a 40D that I bought around 2008 ish. I got this with the 17-85 F/4-5.6 kit lens and also bought a 70-300 at the same time.

I used this for a good few years until around 2012/2013 where I started to lose my interest in photography. This was due to the poor physical quality of the photos that I was taking. Im not sure if this was my lack of skill and experience or if it was actually due to the equipment I was using.

Fast forward to the beginning of 2016 when I decided that I wanted to get back into photography so started playing with the 40D again. I was lucky enough to get to borrow a 5D mkII and a couple of L lenses at the beginning of the year for a holiday and really enjoyed myself and managed to get some great shots.

The person who lent me the 5D has now given it to me as they have upgraded to a 5Ds. However, of course, I've not got a suitable everyday lens.

Ive not got a huge amount of money to splash on this at the moment but there is no point in having the 5DII if I can't use it!!

Im currently thinking of getting a 24-105L as you can pick these up for a reasonable price 2nd hand and from what I've read this is a good lens for the landscape/travel photography that I do.

Is this a good choice or are the other lenses out there that i should be looking at?

Thanks
 
50mm prime ios a great lens tbh and really cheap... 24-105 is useful as a a zoom though defo
 
debatable about better image quality but the diff between a f4 and f1.8 lens is massive for portraits and low light...

Yes that's the one I ment as well ;-)
 
@Kodiak Qc :p:D

I would say as a walk about lens the 24-105 is a great option, it's good quality glass at a sensible price. The 50mm prime is also worth having in the bag for low light or shallow depth of field and is an even better price.
Get those two then start saving for more, because it's the glass that matters more than the box you stick it on.
 
I'd be tempted to grab a cheap (not L series) zoom that covers a fairly wide range. It won't be a "great" lens by most standards, but good images are more about good light than they are about good glass. There will be plenty of stuff such a lens won't be able to do though, so you might also want to add in the cheap and fast 50mm prime as suggested above. Those two lenses should be cheap and be plenty good enough until your mastery of light dictates you need something else...
 
Chazman88 said:
a suitable everyday lens.
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•


This is an idea, a suitable everyday lens, that I don't
understand. All my lenses are suitable everyday lenses!
Some more often but between the 14mm all the way up
to the 600, they all on duty everyday… called or not.

You mean a priority in choice to start with maybe.
 
Lucky guy.
I've love it if someone gave me a 5D2.
The 50mm f1.8 is good, though I'd go for the newer STM version which has faster autofocus and better build quality.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-EF-1...1467024385&sr=8-1&keywords=canon+50mm+1.8+stm

The 24-105mm f4 L is a great lens, I've got one. Image quality wise it's sharp, it's quick to focus and has enough of a zoom range to cope with lots of different situations.
That pairing, the 50mm and 24-105 together will get you covered for 80% of general photography.
 
Big Andy said:
@Kodiak Qc :p:D

I would say as a walk about lens the 24-105 is a great option, it's good quality glass at a sensible price. The 50mm prime is also worth having in the bag for low light or shallow depth of field and is an even better price.
Get those two then start saving for more, because it's the glass that matters more than the box you stick it on.
Click to expand...

I keep dreaming of a 24-70L II and a 70-200L 2.8 II but realise I might have to sell a kidney to afford them.

One day maybe.
 
Big Andy said:
@Kodiak Qc :p:D

I would say as a walk about lens the 24-105 is a great option, it's good quality glass at a sensible price. The 50mm prime is also worth having in the bag for low light or shallow depth of field and is an even better price.
Get those two then start saving for more, because it's the glass that matters more than the box you stick it on.
Click to expand...

I keep dreaming of a 24-70L II and a 70-200L 2.8 II but realise I might have to sell a kidney to afford them.

One day maybe.
pjm1 said:
I'd be tempted to grab a cheap (not L series) zoom that covers a fairly wide range. It won't be a "great" lens by most standards, but good images are more about good light than they are about good glass. There will be plenty of stuff such a lens won't be able to do though, so you might also want to add in the cheap and fast 50mm prime as suggested above. Those two lenses should be cheap and be plenty good enough until your mastery of light dictates you need something else...
Click to expand...

Ive had quick look around but most Canon non-L zooms appear to be EF-S so won't work with the 5d?

Any suggestions of what I should be looking at?
 
ABTog said:
Lucky guy.
I've love it if someone gave me a 5D2.
The 50mm f1.8 is good, though I'd go for the newer STM version which has faster autofocus and better build quality.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-EF-1...1467024385&sr=8-1&keywords=canon+50mm+1.8+stm

The 24-105mm f4 L is a great lens, I've got one. Image quality wise it's sharp, it's quick to focus and has enough of a zoom range to cope with lots of different situations.
That pairing, the 50mm and 24-105 together will get you covered for 80% of general photography.
Click to expand...

Yer, just had a look on amazon and saw the STM version. Does any body have links to a good review/comparison to this one and the older one?

Just had a look at your Flickr feed, some really nice photos taken with the 24-105!
 
Chazman88 said:
Ive had quick look around but most Canon non-L zooms appear to be EF-S so won't work with the 5d?
Any suggestions of what I should be looking at?
Click to expand...
You could look at the older ones like the 28-105 USM: https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/used-equi...it-lenses/canon-ef-28-105mm-f-3-5-4-5-ii-usm/

Chazman88 said:
Yer, just had a look on amazon and saw the STM version. Does any body have links to a good review/comparison to this one and the older one?

Just had a look at your Flickr feed, some really nice photos taken with the 24-105!
Click to expand...

I've had my 24-105 for a few months and love it. It's on my camera 60-70% of the time, the 50mm is my other most used lens. The 24-105 can be had secondhand for £300ish, so it's not stupidly expensive.

Here's a bargain of a Sigma 24-70mm f2.8. Old and used, but cheap: https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/used-equi...mm-f-2-8-ex-dg-macro-canon-ef-fit/sku-620208/

As for a review comparing the 50mm f1.8 II vs the STM version, try this and you'll see how much better it is and for the money, you can't go wrong with the STM. All the problems with Mk2 version poor build quality, slow AF, etc have been fixed.
http://petapixel.com/2015/05/30/battle-of-the-nifty-fifties-canons-50mm-f1-8-lenses/
 
The 24-105 F4L IS is okay, it's jack of all trades. It was my go-to lens for a single-lens setup to just grab and go.

My personal favourite lenses on my old 5D2, after owning many lenses, are the 17-40 F4L and 85mm f1.8. This allows for UWA landscape or cityscape shots as well as great portrait shots. Both lenses are great value and cheap on second hand market. This is my preferred alternative to the 24-105, it is more capable and more flexible, as long as you don't mind changing lenses.

I've owned 17-40 F4L, 24-105 F4L IS, 70-200 F4L IS, 35 f2, 50 f1.8, 85 f1.8, and a few others I rarely used. Buying second hand and selling didn't cost too much and helped me to work out my perfect combo. Advantage of Canon/Nikon is the massive second hand market.

(FYI, I now run Fujifilm crop sensor mirrorless with 10-24mm and 60mm macro 95% of the time. Other 5% using 55-200 for telephoto, found no need for any other lenses)
 
ABTog said:
You could look at the older ones like the 28-105 USM: https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/used-equi...it-lenses/canon-ef-28-105mm-f-3-5-4-5-ii-usm/



I've had my 24-105 for a few months and love it. It's on my camera 60-70% of the time, the 50mm is my other most used lens. The 24-105 can be had secondhand for £300ish, so it's not stupidly expensive.

Here's a bargain of a Sigma 24-70mm f2.8. Old and used, but cheap: https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/used-equi...mm-f-2-8-ex-dg-macro-canon-ef-fit/sku-620208/

As for a review comparing the 50mm f1.8 II vs the STM version, try this and you'll see how much better it is and for the money, you can't go wrong with the STM. All the problems with Mk2 version poor build quality, slow AF, etc have been fixed.
http://petapixel.com/2015/05/30/battle-of-the-nifty-fifties-canons-50mm-f1-8-lenses/
Click to expand...

That Sigma is fine. The only downsides are it's heavy and it uses (if it's the same one as mine) 82mm filters etc. They're dirt cheap for what is a fast walkabout lens.
 
Chazman88 said:
I keep dreaming of a 24-70L II and a 70-200L 2.8 II but realise I might have to sell a kidney to afford them.

One day maybe.
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The F4 70-200L is a very good lens and a bit more affordable.
The only niggle is how it overlaps so much with (my) 24-105.
 
Chazman88 said:
I keep dreaming of a 24-70L II and a 70-200L 2.8 II but realise I might have to sell a kidney to afford them.

One day maybe.
Click to expand...
The F4 70-200L is a very good lens and a bit more affordable.
The only niggle is how it overlaps so much with (my) 24-105.
 
24-105L, especially at used prices, is a total bargain. Very versatile all-rounder.

50/1.8 STM is an amazing buy. Quality lens, decently built (unlike the toy-like, wayward focusing 50/1.8 II) and at f/1.8 it'll give you the shallow depth of field look that smartphones cannot ;)
 
I would recommend the 24-105 f4 L and the 70-200 f4 L that's been my stable set up from starting with my 5D MKi to MKiii. If I had to pick one it would be the 24-105 f4, great versatility, good optics and feels balanced on the 5D. Both can be had for bargain prices second hand, and if you need to go longer the 1.4 extender works a treat on the 70-200. I have the 50mm 1.8 MKii (who doesn't) and to be honest it doesn't cut the mustard on FF, great on a crop.

Happy shooting.
 
I would recommend the 24-105 f4 L and the 70-200 f4 L that's been my stable set up from starting with my 5D MKi to MKiii. If I had to pick one it would be the 24-105 f4, great versatility, good optics and feels balanced on the 5D. Both can be had for bargain prices second hand, and if you need to go longer the 1.4 extender works a treat on the 70-200. I have the 50mm 1.8 MKii (who doesn't) and to be honest it doesn't cut the mustard on FF, great on a crop.

Happy shooting.
 
85 1.8 is a nice medium long lens on a 5D, the 135 soft focus 2.8 is quite a nice lens and finally a 28/135f3.5-5.6 IS isnt too shabby either for those on a budget.
The older mid-price Canon lens were well built and much better than the kit lenses that were often pretty dire. Sadly Canon dont really make many mid-price lenses these days.
Matt
 
Chazman88 said:
Definitely a lot of love here for the 24-105 so think I will look to find a sensible priced 2nd hand unit.


Im always wary of equipment that looks like it hasn't been looked after so well. Is this naive of me? If I can live with the visual appearance would this really be a bargain for the price?
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You can also pick up the non-Macro version on eBay for about £150 if you're willing wait for a week or two and pick & choose carefully from what comes up. I have the Nikon version and it's not the sharpest, fastest or lightest lens I own but it does produce perfectly reasonable pictures (with the right camera operator of course!) Here is a fairly rubbish but quite challenging SOOC photo taken with this lens of my littlest apparently kicking her mummy in the head on a swing, together with a 100% crop of her face:

t85pL5W.jpg

lwCSBzo.jpg


I selected this one to show because it was a moving target requiring decent AF performance in a badly lit/contrasty setting at f/4. Kind of the worst of all worlds! My 50mm prime would have delivered a crisper shot and probably had better AF performance, but I think this goes to show the lens does "ok", which for £150 is not a bad result IMO.
 
I'm going to suggest something like the Tamron 28-75 f2.8 as a cheap alternative too. I have one, and for me it was too good a bargain to pass up (used on my 1Ds). I would also think your 70-300 is an EF lens, and you should give it a try and see how you feel with it, before deciding where to spend your money (although I know its probably a lot longer than you would use day to day).
 
another vote for the 24 - 105
at the price you can pick em up for 2nd hand it has to be on the list lenses to own
iv'e had mine for years and still use it quite a lot despite having the focal length covered with f2.8 lenses ( 24 -70 and 70 - 200 ) and could probably let go of it but i won't it's too useful
if your thinking of a 50mm lens to compliment it i would definitely go for the stm version it's just better for not a lot more
 
Ok, definitely going to try and find a 24-105L and a 50 STM!!

Does anybody have any thoughts on the 100-400L, probably the MKI as I doubt I could stretch to a MKII??
 
The MKII is a better lens of course but the MKI was always considered a good lens and that's not changed just because there's a replacement. I would hold off buying anything other than what you have to have to get use out of the body. In a few weeks you will gain access to the classified section on here where you may be able to pick up a good copy at a sensible price. Ebay is another place to look or even www.mpb.com if you can't wait. ;)
 
Chazman88 said:
Ok, definitely going to try and find a 24-105L and a 50 STM!!

Does anybody have any thoughts on the 100-400L, probably the MKI as I doubt I could stretch to a MKII??
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Big lump, quite heavy but a good lens.
Matt
 
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