Lens suggestions!

[maddiebee]

Hi!

So, I have a Canon 30d, which I am still using the kit 18-55 lens. I have a beautiful 1.4 50mm, but I don't find it practical at all. It takes lovely portraits but the fixed focal length makes shooting out on adventures/at Disney/from the hip incredibly hard.

I'd love a nicer lens within the general focal length of the kit lens, but that is a lot sharper and cleaner. I feel like it never fully focuses and I really would like to take shaper photos. It's also just really old and janky in general and I'm wondering if even just a newer kit lens would be an upgrade at this point.

I've always been told that it's more about the lens than the camera body, so I'm hoping I can upgrade my lens and hold on to the 30d body I have.

Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

 

[toomanycars]

Hi!

So, I have a Canon 30d, which I am still using the kit 18-55 lens. I have a beautiful 1.4 50mm, but I don't find it practical at all. It takes lovely portraits but the fixed focal length makes shooting out on adventures/at Disney/from the hip incredibly hard.

I'd love a nicer lens within the general focal length of the kit lens, but that is a lot sharper and cleaner. I feel like it never fully focuses and I really would like to take shaper photos. It's also just really old and janky in general and I'm wondering if even just a newer kit lens would be an upgrade at this point.

I've always been told that it's more about the lens than the camera body, so I'm hoping I can upgrade my lens and hold on to the 30d body I have.

Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

You have been told correctly the lens is the most important part.

Since you bought your camera a few things have changed that may make you want to think about buying a package with another lens, for example lowlight sensitivity is much better now, faster autofocus, much higher resolution.

Picking a lens is greatly dependent upon what type of photographs you take, For example if you wish to take lowlight photographs inside dark rides at Disney and inside your home without flash a Lens with the a aperture such as 2.8 would be appropriate.

Tell us More about what type of photos you wish to take.

There are many highly skilled photographers on this forum and I know we will all be happy to help you.

Also you have a budget in mind?

 

[PrincessInOz]

Maddiebee - What other lenses do you have in your collection? You've mentioned that you have the 18 - 55 kit lens and the 50, f/1.4. Do you have any others?

You specifically mentioned a replacement for the 18 - 55 mm and want a lens with that focal range. That being the case, the Canon 17 - 55, f/2.8 would be the one that I would recommend. A number of us on the photoboards swear by this lens.
This lens stays on my camera for 95% of the time and does pretty well in low-light conditions (Disney or otherwise). But there are other non-Canon lenses out there that might also fit your requirements, depending on what type of pictures you like to take and your budget.

The decision as to which lens to get also depends on whether you plan to upgrade to a full frame camera in the future or not. The 17 - 55 is in the EF-S range, and currently, are only recommended to be used on the crop cameras.

 

[mom2rtk]

Maddiebee - What other lenses do you have in your collection? You've mentioned that you have the 18 - 55 kit lens and the 50, f/1.4. Do you have any others?

You specifically mentioned a replacement for the 18 - 55 mm and want a lens with that focal range. That being the case, the Canon 17 - 55, f/2.8 would be the one that I would recommend. A number of us on the photoboards swear by this lens.
This lens stays on my camera for 95% of the time and does pretty well in low-light conditions (Disney or otherwise). But there are other non-Canon lenses out there that might also fit your requirements, depending on what type of pictures you like to take and your budget.

The decision as to which lens to get also depends on whether you plan to upgrade to a full frame camera in the future or not. The 17 - 55 is in the EF-S range, and currently, are only recommended to be used on the crop cameras.

I totally agree on the Canon 17-55 lens. Sit down before you look at the price though OP. You really need to look at the lens as a long term investment though. I also use mine 95% of the time, both at Disney and at home. It is considered by many to be "L" quality glass, although it doesn't have the "L" distinction.

If the OP doesn't have a telephoto lens though, they might want to consider the typical first stop for extra lenses for Canon users.... the 55-250. It gets great reviews for a very reasonably priced lens.

What I have seen from most in terms of lens progression goes like this:

1) kit lens
2) 55-250 (kit zoom)
3) fast prime (usually the 50mm f/1.8)
4) upgraded kit lens (2.8)
5) upgraded zoom
6) Ultra wide angle

 

[havoc315]

As others have stated, staying in the same range but better performance, you want to look for a lens with a constant 2.8 aperture. I know the Canon 17-55 2.8 is very well regarded. Looking at third party lenses can save you money and give you great performance as well. I've used the Tamron 17-50 2.8 which is made in every mount, which gets consistently good reviews, and it could save a couple hundred dollars.

Also in looking at your budget, don't be afraid of buying used. I almost never buy lenses new. Glass is glass. Unlike camera bodies, they don't get constantly upgraded. As long as it has been well maintained, and you buy from a reputable seller, you can easily save 10-30%.

But let me also add a bit about the camera body...
When looking at a 2010 model camera, for example, you will get much greater improvement when upgrading lens instead of upgrading to a 2013 body.

On the other hand, your camera body is now 7 years old.... It is a pretty early version of a dSLR. It has 8mp...... The megapixel war is very overrrated. That said, 8 is quite low by today's standards. It's fine for printing 4X6, it's fine for posting pictures on facebook. But it doesn't give you any range for cropping, it isn't great for anything larger. You said you want sharper pictures --- Your current camera will be limited in its resolution by the 8mp.
The ISO range and performance is also much more limited compared to current model cameras, requiring you to shoot at slower shutter speeds than you could use on a newer camera, which also affects sharpness.

My point is, the general statement of upgrading the lens over the body, isn't always true. Your camera is old enough, that either upgrade (or both!) will have a very very significant impact on improving image quality and performance.

 

[wiigirl]

As others have stated, staying in the same range but better performance, you want to look for a lens with a constant 2.8 aperture. I know the Canon 17-55 2.8 is very well regarded. Looking at third party lenses can save you money and give you great performance as well. I've used the Tamron 17-50 2.8 which is made in every mount, which gets consistently good reviews, and it could save a couple hundred dollars.

Also in looking at your budget, don't be afraid of buying used. I almost never buy lenses new. Glass is glass. Unlike camera bodies, they don't get constantly upgraded. As long as it has been well maintained, and you buy from a reputable seller, you can easily save 10-30%.

 

[bob100]

Hi!
So, I have a Canon 30d, which I am still using the kit 18-55 lens. I have a beautiful 1.4 50mm, but I don't find it practical at all. It takes lovely portraits but the fixed focal length makes shooting out on adventures/at Disney/from the hip incredibly hard.

I'd love a nicer lens within the general focal length of the kit lens, but that is a lot sharper and cleaner. I feel like it never fully focuses and I really would like to take shaper photos. It's also just really old and janky in general and I'm wondering if even just a newer kit lens would be an upgrade at this point.

I've always been told that it's more about the lens than the camera body, so I'm hoping I can upgrade my lens and hold on to the 30d body I have.

Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

I agree with the others, if you have the original 18-55 then upgrading to the newer 18-55IS is a big improvement in optics and it has IS. And the f2.8 zooms are even better such as the Sigma 17-50 2.8 OS HSM, Tamron 17-50, Canon 17-55, etc.

random pic -

Canon Rebel XSi /450D
Tamron 17-50 2.8
ISO 1600

 

[KCmike]

I totally agree on the Canon 17-55 lens. Sit down before you look at the price though OP. You really need to look at the lens as a long term investment though. I also use mine 95% of the time, both at Disney and at home. It is considered by many to be "L" quality glass, although it doesn't have the "L" distinction.

If the OP doesn't have a telephoto lens though, they might want to consider the typical first stop for extra lenses for Canon users.... the 55-250. It gets great reviews for a very reasonably priced lens.

What I have seen from most in terms of lens progression goes like this:

1) kit lens
2) 55-250 (kit zoom)
3) fast prime (usually the 50mm f/1.8)
4) upgraded kit lens (2.8)
5) upgraded zoom
6) Ultra wide angle

I have to laugh about your lens progression comment. I find myself right there in the middle. I find myself with either just enough money to go to Disneyland/Disneyworld or think about a new lens. It's always go to Disney!....and then I rent a lens!

 

[DoDaLeCa]

For a slightly lower price you could try the Sigma 17-70 F/2.8 - F/4 OS which gives a bit more zoom and is slightly faster on the wide end.

A lot of people like the Canon 24-105 F/4L IS on crop as a walk around (and you can usually buy a new one very cheap used from someone like me who bought a 5D3 kit) plus it can be used on FF. The lens is very good on crop (if 24mm is wide enough) as only the central portion of the picture is used versus full corner to corner on FF.

 

[Animagic!]

Hi!

So, I have a Canon 30d, which I am still using the kit 18-55 lens. I have a beautiful 1.4 50mm, but I don't find it practical at all. It takes lovely portraits but the fixed focal length makes shooting out on adventures/at Disney/from the hip incredibly hard.

I'd love a nicer lens within the general focal length of the kit lens, but that is a lot sharper and cleaner. I feel like it never fully focuses and I really would like to take shaper photos. It's also just really old and janky in general and I'm wondering if even just a newer kit lens would be an upgrade at this point.

I've always been told that it's more about the lens than the camera body, so I'm hoping I can upgrade my lens and hold on to the 30d body I have.

Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

50mm on a crop sensor is an awkward lens. It's too tight for general park pictures but not enough zoom for distant subjects. I've only used a nifty fifty in the parks once. It took some nice, sharp images on dark rides but the 50mm was too much zoom for a dark ride. Strolling the parks it was not wide enough. I would highly recommend the Sigma 30mm 1.4 instead. I am definitely a "from the hip" shooter. I like to shoot on the run, and the Sigma is perfect for that. I can use this one lens all day in the parks. It's awesome for dark rides as well as outdoor landscapes, even portraits.

I second the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8. It covers almost the same focal length as your kit. Personally that 1mm wider is more important to me than losing 5m at the zoom end. It takes awesome photos and is very sharp when you stop it down some. I haven't had any focus issues with my lens. With a constant f2.8 aperture it's great with low light and with a steady hand you can get some decent dark ride pics.

Sorry that I cannot recommend any Canon lenses. I do not own a Canon so I am unfamiliar with Canon lenses. But I've never had any issues with "off-brand" lenses like Sigma, Tamron, or even Rokinon. However, as a general rule of thumb, regardless of what camera you use, if you are looking for an upgrade I would highly recommend looking at any zoom with a f2.8 aperture as opposed to f3.5. That wider aperture really helps!

Happy lens hunting!

 

[maddiebee]

Thank you all for the suggestions! Budget wise, I'd love to be able to get something for around 300. Is that totally wishful thinking? I would love to totally update my whole set up, but financially that's not feasible at the moment.

Also, as far as the 50mm I have is concerned, does a newer body open up more possibilities for it?

Thanks again!

 

[photo_chick]

Thank you all for the suggestions! Budget wise, I'd love to be able to get something for around 300. Is that totally wishful thinking? I would love to totally update my whole set up, but financially that's not feasible at the moment.

Also, as far as the 50mm I have is concerned, does a newer body open up more possibilities for it?

Thanks again!

It depends on what kind of possibilities you want to open up. I am one of the freaky people who loves 50mm on a crop body. A newer crop body will give you a bump up in ISO range but ISO isn't everything and doesn't make up for a fast lens.

With what you want to do and your budget I'd consider a used Tamron 17-50 f/2.8.

 

[havoc315]

Thank you all for the suggestions! Budget wise, I'd love to be able to get something for around 300. Is that totally wishful thinking? I would love to totally update my whole set up, but financially that's not feasible at the moment.

Also, as far as the 50mm I have is concerned, does a newer body open up more possibilities for it?

Thanks again!

A new body won't changer the field of view (unless you spend $$$$$$ to upgrade to fullframe )

A new body would potentially give you higher resolution and better high ISO performance. In other words, your images may be a bit more detailed (if the lens is sufficient to bring the detail) and you will also get better low light performance. You will also be able to get away with faster shutter speeds by boosting the ISO, possibly translating to sharper images.

 

[Ariel484]

Another vote for the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8. I just got this lens a couple of months ago and I really like it! It's the one I use the most right now. I really, REALLY wanted the Canon version (17-55 f/2.8) and actually ordered it, but the moment it was delivered I returned it because I freaked out about the price. So far the Tamron has been really nice, and bonus - it comes with a lens hood and a 6-year (I think) warranty. A buddy of mine has the Sigma version of this lens and she really likes it.

I'm with you on the 50mm feeling very limiting - I have the 50mm f/1.8 and rarely use it. I just sold my kit lens and my 55-250 (which I also never used) on eBay and put the money toward the Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6...what a fun lens! I've really enjoyed it so far.

As the PP said, think about the kinds of photos you take and want to take - that's the most important thing. I bought that 55-250 because everyone said it was the logical next lens to get after the kit lens and rarely ever used it. Sort of the same situation with the nifty-fifty. But I've loved the look of UWA photos for awhile and finally went for it with the 10-20 and it's been great so far!

 

[Animagic!]

Thank you all for the suggestions! Budget wise, I'd love to be able to get something for around 300. Is that totally wishful thinking? I would love to totally update my whole set up, but financially that's not feasible at the moment.

Also, as far as the 50mm I have is concerned, does a newer body open up more possibilities for it?

I believe it does.

A 50mm f1.4 is what it is. It'll still give you 50mm on any crop sized sensor and it will still open up to a speedy f/1.4 not matter what camera you use. When talking about prime lenses and fast apertures like f/1.4 my immediate thought is Disney dark rides. I don't use f/2.8-f/1.4 too much when I'm not on a dark ride (unless doing something like a portrait or narrow DOF on details) so to me 50mm f/1.4 translates into dark ride lens. From that perspective, a new camera body might open up more possibilities for that lens. A newer body will very likely have a higher resolution sensor (more megapixels) which will record more data and detail giving you better images and more to work with on dark rides. Also, a new body will likely have a better, more accurate, and faster autofocus system, meaning you're more likely to appropriately focus the shot and do so more quickly which is important on dark rides. Finally, a new body will likely give you a lot better ISO performance, allowing you to get cleaner images at higher ISO's with less noise. Again this is pretty important for dark rides.

If you don't shoot dark rides then completely disregard that paragraph.

One last thing to consider, if your budget is around $300 then a new lens is a more practical choice. I still think the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 is your best choice. But that lens will cost $500 brand new. You'll probably need to get a used one to fit your budget. A new camera body will probably cost you a lot more than $500. Of course you can get the "body only" option for cheaper than the body/kit which is logically what you'd do. However, even with that fancy new body you are still stuck using that 18-55 kit lens that you wanted to replace in the first place.

So it comes down to fancy new body and same old lens or same old body and fancy new lens. The lens option is cheaper.

 

[traylorc]

I believe it does.

A 50mm f1.4 is what it is. It'll still give you 50mm on any crop sized sensor and it will still open up to a speedy f/1.4 not matter what camera you use. When talking about prime lenses and fast apertures like f/1.4 my immediate thought is Disney dark rides. I don't use f/2.8-f/1.4 too much when I'm not on a dark ride (unless doing something like a portrait or narrow DOF on details) so to me 50mm f/1.4 translates into dark ride lens. From that perspective, a new camera body might open up more possibilities for that lens. A newer body will very likely have a higher resolution sensor (more megapixels) which will record more data and detail giving you better images and more to work with on dark rides. Also, a new body will likely have a better, more accurate, and faster autofocus system, meaning you're more likely to appropriately focus the shot and do so more quickly which is important on dark rides. Finally, a new body will likely give you a lot better ISO performance, allowing you to get cleaner images at higher ISO's with less noise. Again this is pretty important for dark rides.

If you don't shoot dark rides then completely disregard that paragraph.

I agree with your comments on about f/1.4 lenses being great for dark ride shooting.

Personally, I find the 50mm focal length to be a little "tight" for dark ride shots...but maybe that's just me.

 

[PoohLover78]

You're all making me think I should have gotten another lens for dark rides beside the 50mm/f1.8 I already own.... now make me really paranoid the day before I leave for the world

 

[Animagic!]

You're all making me think I should have gotten another lens for dark rides beside the 50mm/f1.8 I already own.... now make me really paranoid the day before I leave for the world

The 50mm f/1.8 is a great lens. Don't worry about it. I've got some shots on my f/1.8 that were much better than my f/1.4. As far as 50mm goes... it is a personal thing. I much prefer 30mm for dark rides but that's just me. Some people really love 50mm. Your mileage may vary.

 

[PoohLover78]

The 50mm f/1.8 is a great lens. Don't worry about it. I've got some shots on my f/1.8 that were much better than my f/1.4. As far as 50mm goes... it is a personal thing. I much prefer 30mm for dark rides but that's just me. Some people really love 50mm. Your mileage may vary.

Honestly, I can count the shots I have taken with that lens on one hand. 3. Which is probably why reading up on all this "50mm being too tight" is making me a bit paranoid I guess as I have pretty much zero experience with it on any ride. I'll break it out Saturday though and see how it'll do.

 

[pjacobi]

You have been told correctly the lens is the most important part.

Wrong! The skills of the photographer is *THE* most important element.

"Sharpness" is more about technique than equipment.

A good photographer can get sharp photo using modest equipment because they know he strength and weakness of the equipment and use the strength to get the sharpest possible photo.


-Paul