Too much lens choice...

macvisual

macvisual

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Peter
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Using a 5D (Mk1) and feel I've too many separate lens lengths and quite fancy downseizing to only two good Canon lens to keep it simple, here's what I currently have;

28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 - 50mm f/1.8 - 85mm f/1.8 - 70-200mm f/2.8 L (non IS).

I want to keep the EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L and maybe buy the likes of the EF 17-40mm f/4 L and sell off the rest, only owing two quality lenses. I shoot a little landscape and general photography.



What should I do, what you all think?
 
Would highly recomend the nifty 50 but i have te usm model, its awsome, also the 70-200 2.8 beaufiful piece of kit aswell.
 
I have a 5D Mk1.

I also have the 17-40 f/4L - use it a lot.

70-200 f/2.8L IS - use it a lot, love it, but it is a heavy beast.

50mm f/1.4 - use it a lot

85mm f/1.8 - used it a lot till I dropped it, the AF stopped working and I nearly cried (I really should get it fixed).

I've a couple of others (EF 35/2 and 15mm fisheye).

The primes are dead handy when you need an extra stop or want to travel light. Personally, if I were you and wanted to drop any of the lenses you have, then the 28-105 is perhaps a candidate, though I can see the attraction of a walk-round lens for holidays, etc.

If you are intent on disposing of your primes too, have you considered the 24-70 f/2.8L or the 24-105 f/4L IS instead of the 17-40?
 
macvisual said:
Using a 5D (Mk1) and feel I've too many separate lens lengths and quite fancy downseizing to only two good Canon lens to keep it simple, here's what I currently have;

28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 - 50mm f/1.8 - 85mm f/1.8 - 70-200mm f/2.8 L (non IS).

I want to keep the EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L and maybe buy the likes of the EF 17-40mm f/4 L and sell off the rest, only owing two quality lenses. I shoot a little landscape and general photography.?
Click to expand...

Do you need to sell any of the other lenses (not the 70-200 as you say you want to keep it) to fund the new lens ?

I know it's not what you were after / looking to do, but if not, why not decide which lens you want, purchase it and set a time limit of a month / few months etc and see how much you use the other lenses, those that haven't been touched - you could then sell on.

Personally, for me, if you are wanting to downsize, it would be between the 50 + 85mm lenses presently, the 28-105 is a good general focal length (providing you are happy with the results) to be attached for everyday photography, the 70-200 is a cracker of a lens, and this leaves 1 prime - which is then down to which gets used...

I suppose another question I'd ask myself, is am I happy with all my lenses or do I want to upgrade 1 of those - maybe the 28-105 for example. Also if I'm happy with the lens I have, but sell it, how much am I going to get for it and is it worth it ? Hope this makes sense...

Hope this is of some help...
 
Shows how different people are. If I were stripping back to bare minimum, the 85mm and 50mm would be the two I'd keep. :)
 
If you shoot a lot of landscapes the 17-40 is great on the 5D, if not you may find it a bit specialised.

I find that the 17-40 & a 50mm prime work well under the 70-200 and would certainly advice keeping one of your prime lenses.
 
Peter

not really in a position to offer you advice on the Canon lenses, my previous kit was Nikon. I did however undergo a similar downsize to yourself and ended up with an 18mm manual lens (landscape), a 28-70 f2.8 (walkabout, portrait, general lens) and an 80-200 f2.8. I suppose my only advice would be to work out the focul lengths you want to shoot at and buy accordingly and a manual lens is all that is required for the bulk of landscape work. I reckon you can ditch 3 lenses and replace with two, leaving you a total of 3 lenses and for the majority of shooting you should only need 2 lenses with you. Takes a bit of discipline though.
 
For a general walkabout lens the 24-105L or 24-70L would be a better choice and would provide a good match with your 70-200L.
 
If I could only keep two lenses for my 5D, it would be the 24-70 and the 70-200. I know the former doesn't go quite as wide as the 17-40, but for what I shoot I have more need for the bit between 40 and 70 that would not be covered if I had the 17-40 in place of the 24-70.
 
macvisual said:
Using a 5D (Mk1) and feel I've too many separate lens lengths and quite fancy downseizing to only two good Canon lens to keep it simple, here's what I currently have;

28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 - 50mm f/1.8 - 85mm f/1.8 - 70-200mm f/2.8 L (non IS).

I want to keep the EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L and maybe buy the likes of the EF 17-40mm f/4 L and sell off the rest, only owing two quality lenses. I shoot a little landscape and general photography.



What should I do, what you all think?
Click to expand...

Maybe downgrade to a Sony CSC? Not much lens choice with that...
 
Frankly I would keep them all unless you need to raise money. You seem to have all eventualities covered whatever type of photography you are into. As a previous post has suggested if you only take for example landscapes then you keep the lenses bets suited for that. If portrait and macro you keep those suited for that purpose.
 
You've got an excellent range of lenses I would love that selection.
I would think about swapping the 28-105 for a 24-105 f/4 L series.
 
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