Starter Lens thread

[UKBob]

OK, as most of you know following my wafflings I dont own an SLR and hope to buy a canon soon.

I suspect Im going to go for a full frame camera, and I dont want to buy a cheap lens - Id rather lean towards quality (the L stuff) so that I wont want to upgrade to better glass, but also because I read FF cameras need better quality lenses as they dont shoot through the sweet spot.

Im definitely going to buy the 70-200 IS USM. If I was to buy just one wider-angle lens to start off with, which should I be considering? Id prefer something with a zoom rather than a prime, not sure which one, though.

[m1spw]

UKBob said:

OK, as most of you know following my wafflings I dont own an SLR and hope to buy a canon soon.

Erm...

UKBob in an email said:

The more you earn, the more you spend, I suffer from the same cashflow problems as anyone else, and have no idea where it goes - new years resolution is to reign in on wallet control.

Has that gone out of the window then?

[monkeyhanger]

17-40 f4L is around £500 if that's your idea of wallet preservation.

16-35 f2.8L is around 1K if you really want to push up Canon's share price a bit more

[robdickinson]

IMO try a 1D out with the 70-200F2.8IS and see how unwieldy it is to cary round. And how much of an idiot you look carying round £xxxxx worth of white glass and pro camera when you cant change ISO...

[UKBob]

m1spw said:

UKBob in an email said: The more you earn, the more you spend, I suffer from the same cashflow problems as anyone else, and have no idea where it goes - new years resolution is to reign in on wallet control. Has that gone out of the window then?

Whilst you're out careening around the neighbourhoods playing scooters, I'll be working 14 hours a day (except when reading about cameras/cars) so that... hang on, Im not explaining myself to you

[m1spw]

UKBob said:

Whilst you're out careening around the neighbourhoods playing scooters, I'll be working 14 hours a day (except when reading about cameras/cars) so that... hang on, Im not explaining myself to you

I can't play scooters atm...I crashed it...

[m12_nathan]

I got a 28-135IS as my first canon lens and think it makes a great walkabout.

[UKBob]

monkeyhanger said:

17-40 f4L is around £500 if that's your idea of wallet preservation. 16-35 f2.8L is around 1K if you really want to push up Canon's share price a bit more

I thought that the fastest lenses had the shortest zoom range, which cant be true looking at these:
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
What factors determine how fast a lens is? I assume if there is only one aperture mentioned, then that is the speed of the lens right across the zoom range...

The 24-70 seems the most versatile (in focal length) with the best review score, and it seems to be faster than most of the other zooms. Assuming its sharpness/colour depth/contrast etc get good reviews, what else is there to consider? If it saves having to buy two lenses which cover the equivalent range, wouldnt that make it the best choice (or is there more to it than that?)
Im looking here again:
www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/showcat.php?cat=27

>> Edited by UKBob on Tuesday 21st February 20:59

[robdickinson]

If one apatuer is mentioned then yes thats the speed across the whole range.

Remember canons fastest lens is the 85mm F1.2 L.

What governs speed is a relation between its length (mm) and its final element diameter (to some extent), you can calculate its diamater from focal length and max fstop.

[monkeyhanger]

If you're going for a 5D then the 24-70 makes a nice walkaround lens, if you have arms like Popeye. It's a bit pricey but it's reputation is 1st class and it's rather well put together so i'm told.

How about the relatively new 24-105 f4 IS? Not quite as "fast" but the range is rather nice and it has IS for those days out shooting after a night on the falling down water

Then there's the Tamron / Sigma etc equivalents...

>> Edited by monkeyhanger on Tuesday 21st February 21:19