Lens question

[barrowdave]

First let me say that you folks on this forum take some stunning pictures! I am pretty new to photography and just purchased a Canon 30D, body only. Any suggestions on a first lens? Probably 90% will be outdoors in a variety of conditions, and some zoom would be nice also. Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions.

Dave

[Sierra Hotel]

First let me say that you folks on this forum take some stunning pictures! I am pretty new to photography and just purchased a Canon 30D, body only. Any suggestions on a first lens? Probably 90% will be outdoors in a variety of conditions, and some zoom would be nice also. Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions.

Dave

IMO, the first lens should be a "short" zoom. You'll want to get to know the camera and its' capabilities before you start to reach out and touch something. A longer zoom is going to push you back from your subject to keep it in the frame, and the opportunity to back up from your subjects might not be present when you first starts. I'm a Nikon shooter, so I don't know the Canon line-up other than to say if you can afford it, get "L" glass. It's expensive, but it seems to be worth it. I'd probably look at a 24-70 f/2.8, followed by the 70-200 f/2.8. Those two lenses alone can set you back almost $3,000, but watch for used glass from places like Adorama and KEH. Excellent values, and very reliable quality. I think Jim, Corey, Eddie, Ray and Dan are all Canon shooters, so look at their work and ask them what they like.

Enjoy the new camera, and welcome to the forum.

Cheers,
SH

[danattherock]

A great general use lens is the Canon 24-105 L. Just a wonderful lens. For landscape, a Canon 17-40 has an incredible reputation. Either of these lenses would impress you I am sure. One thing, give lots of thought to your intended usage. Also, buy the best you can afford. With lenses, you certainly get what you pay for. B&H Photo/Video website is a great place to buy from. Go there and look at the lenses and read the customer reviews. Read on some photo forums. www.photo.net is a very active forum. Go there and find their Canon forum. Post this question there and read the older post. Tons of info. Also, be sure to get a high quality polarizing filter. I got the Hoya Pro 1d and it is a great filter. Can't start to explain what a difference it makes on outdoor photographs. Found it at a website, 2 Filter, for $120. I had paid $210 for mine. Great price on a great polarizing filter. I have since bought some UV filters from this website. They are legit, just great prices since all they sell are filters. Link below.

http://www.2filter.com/hoya/hoya_pro1_digital.html

Below are two images. One straight from the camera. The second is using filters. The difference is obvious. Both images were taken with identical camera settings just seconds apart.










http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc..._USM_Lens.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...4L_IS_USM.html

http://photo.net/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...splay.php?f=33

http://photocamel.com/forum/canon-forum/

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/









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[Jim Strutz]

As far as low cost lenses go you can't do much better than Canon's 50mm f/1.8 ($80). It's sharp, fast and inexpensive. Canon's 18-55 IS lens ($170) is another decent low cost lens. Avoid the non-IS version. I would also avoid low cost telephoto lenses in the 70-200 or 70-300mm range, but the new 55-270 IS is quite good at about $250.

But the general consensus is usually to spend more on lenses than on the camera body, so here's a better list. Tamron's 17-50 f/2.8 is a medium priced, high quality lens that covers the normal shooting range for a 30D. Canon's 17-55 f/2.8 IS is an even better, but far more expensive lens. (I personally don't like lenses in the 28-70mm range for crop frame camera, as they are never wide enough.) For long lenses, Canon's 70-300 IS ($550) considerably better than the cheap options in this range. Any of Canon's 70-200 L series lenses are very good, and priced between $600 and 1700 depending on aperture and IS.

All in one lenses (18-200 or so) are convenient, but offer a lot of compromises. I have a Tamron 18-270 VR that is fun to shoot with, and is perhaps the best superzoom available for Canon cameras. But I would not recommend these type lenses if you don't have other, better lenses to shoot with most of the time.

If your interest is in the superwide side of things, you are hard pressed to find a better choice than Canon's 10-22 USM.

[danattherock]

Jim brings up some good lower cost lens. The new Canon 55-250 (typo I pressume when he said 55-270) is a good lens for the money. You could get a 18-55 IS and the 55-250 and cover a lot with that. Big bang for the buck. Good starter set up and may be all you ever want. Just depends on what your goals are.

As for the Canon 50 mm f/1.8 Jim suggested, GREAT IDEA! Everyone has that lens it seems and for good reason. It is dirt cheap and makes sharp images. I would suggest buying that now. Play with the camera a bit, then decide which other lens/lenses you want/need/dream about/etc..

There is another option for a beginner that would cover a lot of focal range. It is the Canon 28-135. I got it with my 40D as a kit lens. Took some good pictures with that lens. Not nearly as nice as the 24-105 L I told you about in the previous post, but it is a good lens and is half the price of the 24-105 L. Just for fun, below are a few images I shot with the 28-135.
























































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[barrowdave]

Great pics Dan. Sure gives me a goal to strive for. Dan, SH and Jim, thank you for all of the advice and knowledge. I'm looking forward to learning more on this forum.

[danattherock]

There is a very helpful bunch here Dave. Don't be shy to post questions. We love to ramble on about our interest. Feel free to shoot me a pm anytime if something comes up. If I can't help you, I will atleast be able to point you in the right direction.

[RayfromAK]

You can look at most lenses you can use with Canon cameras in this forum. Just click on the lens, and it takes you to photo samples from that specific lens:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...d.php?t=141406

A few of my favorite are cheaper because they are either prime lenses, or don't have IS:

Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 (under $400.00)
Tokina 12-24mm f/4 (about the same price as the Tamron above)

CANON
EF 50mm f/1.4 ($300.00)
EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro ($470.00)
EF 200mm f/2.8L USM ($660.00)
EF 70-200mm f/2.8L (Non-IS, $1,140.00)

[henryp]

B&H Photo/Video website is a great place to buy from.

Thank you. Kind of you to say so.

The EOS 30D has an APS-C size sensor. That means lenses not specifically designed for this format will seem more telephoto by a factor of 1.6x than they would on a full-frame or a 35mm camera. Canon EF-S lenses are specifically designed for this format. Canon EF lenses lacking the "S" designation and more than a few Canon mount lenses from Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, etc will seem more tele on your camera than on a full-frame EOS 5D, for example.

That said, there are a host of lenses for Canon from manufacturers other than Canon worthy of consideration.

BTW, they're a contentious and opinionated bunch, but dpreview's Canon lens forum is full of ideas and opinions too.

Henry Posner
B&H PHoto-Video

[RayfromAK]

None of my lenses are EF-S, this way I can use the same lenses (some day) on a FF camera such as the 5D series.

A super wide lens such as the Tokina I mentioned above, or a Sigma 10-20mm are plenty wide with cropped sensors. In fact, I can see my toes when looking through a Sigma 10-20mm (at 10mm) mounted on my 40D. I still like EF lenses, I just select them this way:

1. Sigma or Tokina from 10-20mm for landscapes, cityscapes, architecture, automobiles, etc. These lenses aren't very good for FF cameras, but they don't cost too much, and the resale value is good.

2. EF 16-35 mm f 2.8L (best, $1,426), or EF 17-40mm f/4L (good, $775.00)

3. EF 24-105mm f/4L IS ($1,029)

4. EF 70-200mm f/2.8L Non-IS ($1,140)

5. EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS USM. Excellent with good lighting ($1,379)

Of course, I would also include a few non-IS primes:
-EF 50mm f/1.4
-EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro
-EF 200mm f/2.8L USM (one of my favorite, sharp, fast, and small)
-EF 135mm f/2L ($875.00) An outstanding lens
-EF 200mm f/2.8L USM

[Jim Strutz]

Henry Posner? -- Here on ODD?

ODD must be coming up in the world to attract B&H's attention. HenryP regularly posts to photo.net, dpreview.com and other photo related forums, and always gives good advice. He's also quite helpful if there is ever a misunderstanding with B&H.

Great to hear from you, Henry.

[danattherock]

None of my lenses are EF-S, this way I can use the same lenses (some day) on a FF camera such as the 5D series.

Same here with one exception, the Canon 10-22. I just could not resist. Amazing lens for certain applications.

[danattherock]

ODD must be coming up in the world to attract B&H's attention.

My thoughts exactly Jim. B&H is the most trusted name out there. Glad to have you visit the forum Henry







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[danattherock]

EF 17-40mm f/4L (good, $775.00)

This is a great lens from all I have read and heard. Want one myself. Likely my next purchase. Going to ANWR for a float trip in June and think this would be the perfect landscape lens. If landscape images are an interest to the OP, this would be a lens worth looking at. Only $669 at B&H.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc..._USM_Lens.html




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[henryp]

ODD must be coming up in the world to attract B&H's attention. HenryP regularly posts to photo.net, dpreview.com and other photo related forums, and always gives good advice. He's also quite helpful if there is ever a misunderstanding with B&H.

Great to hear from you, Henry.

Thank you. That's very kind of you. Now, if I could only figure out how to get my avatar and sig uploaded it's be perfect around here. :-)

Henry Posner
B&H Photo-Video