Help me decide on my next lens purchase(s)!
Discussion
Afternoon all,
I have a Canon 70D - it's a crop sensor but it performs as I require and has proven the right body for me this last year or so.
As for attachments, I currently have the following lenses:
- EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM - old faithful, a good, lightweight 'standard' lens
- EF-S 34mm f/2.8 STM - my personal favourite, not hugely versatile but very pleasing to use
- EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM - my only telephoto, not hugely crisp but good range and warmth
- EF 100mm f/2.8 macro - most used (I photograph bugs a lot) and very sturdy, a solid purchase
I'm happy with the 70D for at least another year, but I want to expand on my lens collection so I can increase my versatility and produce better quality images than I currently can.
I've looked into:
- EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
- Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD
- EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
- EF 70-200mm f/4: IS USM
A little bit about me - I am an amateur photographer (travel, wildlife etc) but I do the occasional paid wedding and have one coming up in April. I have a 450D body which I can also bring along to save on swapping lenses and missing photo opportunities, but I would love some advice given where I am and what I have, so that I can make informed decisions on which new lenses would prove beneficial given my current range, so I have a breadth of options and can capture moments as best as possible. In all honesty I'm a bit of a noob and there are so many out there it's hard to decide for myself!
Budget not a huge concern - I know the 4 lenses I mentioned above stretch from £300 odd to £1,000 so I'm happy to hear about a 'one lens solution' or series of new ones to help me and my hobby out
Literally any advice / criticism welcome!
I have a Canon 70D - it's a crop sensor but it performs as I require and has proven the right body for me this last year or so.
As for attachments, I currently have the following lenses:
- EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM - old faithful, a good, lightweight 'standard' lens
- EF-S 34mm f/2.8 STM - my personal favourite, not hugely versatile but very pleasing to use
- EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM - my only telephoto, not hugely crisp but good range and warmth
- EF 100mm f/2.8 macro - most used (I photograph bugs a lot) and very sturdy, a solid purchase
I'm happy with the 70D for at least another year, but I want to expand on my lens collection so I can increase my versatility and produce better quality images than I currently can.
I've looked into:
- EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
- Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD
- EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
- EF 70-200mm f/4: IS USM
A little bit about me - I am an amateur photographer (travel, wildlife etc) but I do the occasional paid wedding and have one coming up in April. I have a 450D body which I can also bring along to save on swapping lenses and missing photo opportunities, but I would love some advice given where I am and what I have, so that I can make informed decisions on which new lenses would prove beneficial given my current range, so I have a breadth of options and can capture moments as best as possible. In all honesty I'm a bit of a noob and there are so many out there it's hard to decide for myself!
Budget not a huge concern - I know the 4 lenses I mentioned above stretch from £300 odd to £1,000 so I'm happy to hear about a 'one lens solution' or series of new ones to help me and my hobby out
Literally any advice / criticism welcome!
shed driver said:
Usual reply is Nifty Fifty. For £100 it's about the best value in a very expensive hobby.
Might be an idea to concentrate on EF lenses - if you upgrade to full frame it's a consideration.
SD.
I've toyed with the idea of a 50mm prime, seems absurd value for the price! May well get one along with a zoom, and a hood as I've read the flare can be monstrous on a budget Canon fifty.Might be an idea to concentrate on EF lenses - if you upgrade to full frame it's a consideration.
SD.
DibblyDobbler said:
Key thing, I think, is whether you are positioning your lens collection with a view to going full frame - answers will be quite different depending on that
If I'm honest, I'm very happy with my crop and can't see myself changing up any time soon - unless it breaks or something perhaps. Even then, I'm of the mind that it's better to invest in good glass over a body. Yes, a crop is a compromise but I'd like to think you can achieve negligible gains between the two if you're competent behind the camera and know how to edit well. For the four lenses I already have (all EF / EF-S) - will these fit a FF body or not?
Resolutionary said:
If I'm honest, I'm very happy with my crop and can't see myself changing up any time soon - unless it breaks or something perhaps. Even then, I'm of the mind that it's better to invest in good glass over a body. Yes, a crop is a compromise but I'd like to think you can achieve negligible gains between the two if you're competent behind the camera and know how to edit well.
For the four lenses I already have (all EF / EF-S) - will these fit a FF body or not?
EF-S are crop sensor only, EF will fit both.For the four lenses I already have (all EF / EF-S) - will these fit a FF body or not?
If you are staying with the crop then maybe consider the 15-85 as an upgrade for the 18-55, also if memory serves there's a 70-300 which is a step up from the 75-300 which iirc does not review well.
I had a Tamron 16-300 for a while - remarkably good lens given the range.
There's a 10-18 which is meant to very good at the wide end (and cheap!)
The 2 EF lenses you mention are good but maybe not the best focal lengths on a crop? Only you can say how much you'll use them...
Just my 2 worth
Ps - or sell up and switch to Fuji! That's what I did
- EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
great wide angle, as said there is a cheaper one now but this is still better
- Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD
superzoom, trash, doesnt add anything.
- EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
Not worth it for crop. either 16-35f4L IS if you are going FF or EF-S 17-55f2.8 IS
- EF 70-200mm f/4: IS USM
Nice, you can dump the crap 75-300
Sell EVERYTHING except the 100mm macro, buy a used 5DII and a lens to suit your needs. You'll be stunned at the difference a good lens on a full frame will make. Sticking with a 70D and EF-S lenses will just give differing levels of mediocrity.
If you end up disagreeing, sell the 5D for little or no loss and buy the latest xxD.
If you end up disagreeing, sell the 5D for little or no loss and buy the latest xxD.
Thanks for all the insight guys - lots to think about!
Clearly there is a strong case to go FF - I just can't justify a £2k body at this moment in time (although I've seen some good and legit second hand websites which do seriously tempt).
RobDickinson and SmartyPants are really persuading me to go for the 70-200, I'm sure it'll be better performing by some margin than my current telephoto but I paid just $94 for it in Canada last year so can't complain really!
Yesterday I decided to invest in an external flash - namely the Canon 270EX II Speedlite, which I think will be a welcome addition to the fold. That and a 50mm prime to see what all the fuss is about!
I'm clearly at a crossroads here - my head tells me to sell up and go full frame, but my heart (and wallet) say continue as I am and see what happens. Truthfully a crop has done me well for the past few years - earned me good money and let me explore the hobby in a relatively cheap and yet largely unrestricted way.
One thing I am struggling with at the moment though - I returned from Morocco last week and ALL my gear, including the 70D sensor, is caked in dust. Not good. How / where do I safely clean DSLR kit?!
Clearly there is a strong case to go FF - I just can't justify a £2k body at this moment in time (although I've seen some good and legit second hand websites which do seriously tempt).
RobDickinson and SmartyPants are really persuading me to go for the 70-200, I'm sure it'll be better performing by some margin than my current telephoto but I paid just $94 for it in Canada last year so can't complain really!
Yesterday I decided to invest in an external flash - namely the Canon 270EX II Speedlite, which I think will be a welcome addition to the fold. That and a 50mm prime to see what all the fuss is about!
I'm clearly at a crossroads here - my head tells me to sell up and go full frame, but my heart (and wallet) say continue as I am and see what happens. Truthfully a crop has done me well for the past few years - earned me good money and let me explore the hobby in a relatively cheap and yet largely unrestricted way.
One thing I am struggling with at the moment though - I returned from Morocco last week and ALL my gear, including the 70D sensor, is caked in dust. Not good. How / where do I safely clean DSLR kit?!
Update: I'm taking the plunge on these:
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM
Hoya 67mm CPL filter
Total cost: £525 from DigitalRev store!
I know it's not the II version; but at the price it's hard to refuse. Should I really invest another £400-500 on the II? The f/2.8 is out of the equation at well over double the price.
Also if anyone can help me out with a lens and sensor cleaning kit that'd be awesome!
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM
Hoya 67mm CPL filter
Total cost: £525 from DigitalRev store!
I know it's not the II version; but at the price it's hard to refuse. Should I really invest another £400-500 on the II? The f/2.8 is out of the equation at well over double the price.
Also if anyone can help me out with a lens and sensor cleaning kit that'd be awesome!
Resolutionary said:
Update: I'm taking the plunge on these:
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM
Hoya 67mm CPL filter
Total cost: £525 from DigitalRev store!
I know it's not the II version; but at the price it's hard to refuse. Should I really invest another £400-500 on the II? The f/2.8 is out of the equation at well over double the price.
Also if anyone can help me out with a lens and sensor cleaning kit that'd be awesome!
I think it's worth getting the one with IS but that might just be me.Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM
Hoya 67mm CPL filter
Total cost: £525 from DigitalRev store!
I know it's not the II version; but at the price it's hard to refuse. Should I really invest another £400-500 on the II? The f/2.8 is out of the equation at well over double the price.
Also if anyone can help me out with a lens and sensor cleaning kit that'd be awesome!
silobass said:
I think it's worth getting the one with IS but that might just be me.
I thought exactly the same thing, but then I realised that all my other lenses aren't IS equipped, and as I'll be using the 70-200 for daylight shots, predominantly of static or slow moving objects / people it should be just fine without (saves around £400 as well!).As for the hate of my 75-300mm, this is a photo I took in Morocco last week with said lens, it's not that bad especially considering what I paid for it!
Optically you won't notice the difference.
The f4 non is is an amazing lens and you will love it.
It's a 'gateway' L though!
F4 is plenty for daytime shots and even portraits
Personally I think is mode 2 for tracking is the biggest benefit for is.
Oh as for weather sealing it's nice but your body isn't anyhow and I never factor that into my purchases
The f4 non is is an amazing lens and you will love it.
It's a 'gateway' L though!
F4 is plenty for daytime shots and even portraits
Personally I think is mode 2 for tracking is the biggest benefit for is.
Oh as for weather sealing it's nice but your body isn't anyhow and I never factor that into my purchases
RobDickinson said:
Optically you won't notice the difference.
The f4 non is is an amazing lens and you will love it.
It's a 'gateway' L though!
F4 is plenty for daytime shots and even portraits
Personally I think is mode 2 for tracking is the biggest benefit for is.
Oh as for weather sealing it's nice but your body isn't anyhow and I never factor that into my purchases
This x10000! I genuinely feel this 70-200 will act as a 'gateway' lens for me - my first foray into the world of pro-series gear and a good tester for me. Yes image stabilisation is useful, yes weatherproofing is excellent but for my current activities these elements are kinda surplus - I can live without them for now (and as RobDickinson rightly points out, the body isn't sealed so it does seem a bit of a false economy!).The f4 non is is an amazing lens and you will love it.
It's a 'gateway' L though!
F4 is plenty for daytime shots and even portraits
Personally I think is mode 2 for tracking is the biggest benefit for is.
Oh as for weather sealing it's nice but your body isn't anyhow and I never factor that into my purchases
I've now ordered the following:
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM prime lens + hood + UV filter
- Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM
- Hoya 67mm CPL filter
- Canon Speedlite 270EX II Flashgun + diffuser
- Beaspire large capacity DSLR backpack
Very much looking forward to trying out the new gear when it arrives on Saturday!
Thanks for all the comments guys, really appreciate the pointers (must be the most helpful forum on PH!).
Morning all,
Little update on my gear list - I am now the proud owner of:
- EF 50mm f/1.8 STM + UV filter + hood (£96.00)
- EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM (£450.00)
- Speedlite 270EX II + diffuser (£130.00)
- Beaspire large capacity DSLR backpack (£30.00)
I also had the 70D body cleaned by Jessops for £50 - so all in all I have a much more versatile bunch of lenses and accessories; my first external flash which should be more than adequate for my needs, and a dust-free sensor!
Thanks for all the help guys, and happy shooting!
Little update on my gear list - I am now the proud owner of:
- EF 50mm f/1.8 STM + UV filter + hood (£96.00)
- EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM (£450.00)
- Speedlite 270EX II + diffuser (£130.00)
- Beaspire large capacity DSLR backpack (£30.00)
I also had the 70D body cleaned by Jessops for £50 - so all in all I have a much more versatile bunch of lenses and accessories; my first external flash which should be more than adequate for my needs, and a dust-free sensor!
Thanks for all the help guys, and happy shooting!
Gassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff