lens benefits?

Sony_SoFar

Sony_SoFar

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Lewis
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When I finally get one, soon I hope it will come with a kit lens of 18-70 but I will also want something else to go with it. My mate at work said to go for a 70-200/70-300 but I have found a 28-300 so should I just get that and sell the kit lens as it would cover all i would need?!

Or do I need to keep a 18-70 as well as 70-200/70-300/28-300?

Thanks
Sony_SoFar
 
More information required, what range of f-stops are your going to have available on those lenses, what are you planning to photograph under what conditions. You may not need the reach of a 300mm and be better off with a 50 1.8 as a second lens. Personally I'd recommend using the kit lens to start with and getting comfortable with it. THEN, when you start to hit limitations you will know what they are for you and be able to make a better decision. Then you can ask about a particular lens or recommendation for a lens to do a specific job and people on here will be able to give you great advice because they'll have a better idea of what you really need.
 
cjevans said:
More information required, what range of f-stops are your going to have available on those lenses, what are you planning to photograph under what conditions. You may not need the reach of a 300mm and be better off with a 50 1.8 as a second lens. Personally I'd recommend using the kit lens to start with and getting comfortable with it. THEN, when you start to hit limitations you will know what they are for you and be able to make a better decision. Then you can ask about a particular lens or recommendation for a lens to do a specific job and people on here will be able to give you great advice because they'll have a better idea of what you really need.
Click to expand...

Pretty much sums it up.

Dont get bogged down with "what do I need" use what you have got (or getting) and get used to it. Once you find you'd like something else, be it more light or longer reach, then come back and ask the question.

There is a reason why kit lenses have the length they do, as its the most commonly used lengths for people getting into photography until they find out what they want out of thier gear.
 
It all depends on the lenses in question, brands etc..

What camera are/will you be shooting with? Sony I assume?
 
Aren't the sonys a 2x crop factor?

I've used a sigma 30mm f1.4 and it works well with the 1.6x crop factor so I'd recommend this if they do a sony version.

Otherwise check for older af minolta lenses. I had a minolta 5d and found a 24mm f2.8 to be wooooonderful (and around 30ukp if you are lucky).

Mainly use the kit lens for a month or so, and browse sony forum sections, write down the recommended lenses and ebay watch them to get an idea of the prices they go for. Then post up when you feel ready to buy... and by then you should have an idea which lenses you want to get.
 
Sony_SoFar said:
When I finally get one, soon I hope it will come with a kit lens of 18-70 but I will also want something else to go with it. My mate at work said to go for a 70-200/70-300 but I have found a 28-300 so should I just get that and sell the kit lens as it would cover all i would need?!

Or do I need to keep a 18-70 as well as 70-200/70-300/28-300?

Thanks
Sony_SoFar
Click to expand...

give the 18-70mm and 28-300mm lenses a miss, they're not very good

depending on what combo suits you best, here's a few worthwhile lenses for sony:

sony 18-55mm - it's the newer and sharper kit lens
sony/tamron 55-200mm - great budget telephoto lens
minolta 70-300mm (aka big beercan) - if you need a 300mm telephoto this is one of the few worthwhile ones to get
sony 35mm f1.8 - great general purpose fast prime
sony 50mm f1.8 - great portrait fast prime
 
i've just sold all my sony gear but the lenses i used were:

sony 18-55mm kit lens
minolta 70-210mm f4 beercan
minolta 50mm f1.7

there was a small gap between 55 & 70 but to be honest it was never an issue. using my feet or a crop in pp could bridge the gap for the most part. for minolta af lenses check ffordes website as they are one of the few dealers trading in used sony/minolta gear and there are some bargains to be had.

i've just made the switch to canon and i'll be sticking to roughly the same focal lengths,

tamron 17-50 2.8
canon 70-200 f4
canon 50 1.8
so if anything i'm losing reach with each lens compared to my sony set up. use the kit lens to begin with and take it from there. you might even find yourself wanting a faster lens with a similar focal length to the kit lens and go for something like the tamron/sigma 2.8's.

whatever you decide dyxum lens database is a goldmine of info and user reviews where you can check out any potential purchases before commiting.

http://www.dyxum.com/lenses/index.asp
 
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