Looking For a New Lense

[fatrip]

So we are heading down to Washington DC next month and i am thinking about getting a new lense for my digital rebel. My stock lense, 18-55, deffinatly falls short in taking picture of the huge masterpieces there so i would like some in put on different lenses that would be up for the job. I dont want to spend too much money so the cheap would be better appreciated. thanks guys.

 

[clippo]

i'd think the 18-55mm range would be pretty useful for the kind of shots I suspect you are after. It's a pretty slow lens though. If I was shooting in art galleries etc with that lens I'd get myself a tripod for sure. That on it's own could yield significant improvements (I assume you aren't doing this already?). Failing that, I'm not sure what to recommend as the focal length is going to be a critical factor. If 18-55 doesn't cover it though you have limited options. The 17-40L is a nice lens, but not exactly cheap.

 

[BlueCorn]

i'd think the 18-55mm range would be pretty useful for the kind of shots I suspect you are after. It's a pretty slow lens though. If I was shooting in art galleries etc with that lens I'd get myself a tripod for sure.

Every publicly accessible gallery that I've ever been to hasn't allowed tripods. If that's the type of shooting that you're looking to do, although you haven't said so, I'd look at the Canon 50mm f/1.4.

What type of shooting were you hoping to do with the new lens. Are you trying to work around a limitation of our current setup, if so what was it?

 

[fatrip]

hey guys thanks for the inputs, yea the 17-40 is a bit outta my price range...lol...it really isn't for the art galleries there, they were cool but nothing spectacular, I've seen nicer things in NYC galleries. More or less i'm taking pictures of the architecture of the buildings and structures. I don't really know what i'm lacking with the kit lens, i guess maybe more of a wider angle lens would be good to be able to get the whole structure in. but i'm not sure. what do you guys use when taking pictures of larger structures or buildings?

 

[Jacob D]

I don't really know what i'm lacking with the kit lens, i guess maybe more of a wider angle lens would be good...

If you're not really sure what you need, then maybe you don't need another lens

There are ultra wide zooms for crop bodies such as the Canon 10-16, but they're only going to exacerbate perspective distortion on architectural shots. If you're serious about bringing home some nice shots of the monuments, etc... look into the 24mm TS-E or 17mm TS-E. Since you mentioned "cheap" they'll be cost prohibitive to own, but renting one for a couple weeks for ~$200 might be worth it. You'll need to practice using the shift before you take your trip

 

[koensayr]

+1 Jacob D

15mm is wide enough for architecture, and since you are taking outdoor shots, the slower kit lens won't be a problem.

So, either get a tilt/shift lens, or stick with the kit lens is probably fine. But most importantly, no matter what lens you get, get a good tripod with a good head that will allow you to fine tune your framing. (a separate tilt/pan is probably better in this case than a ball head, and it's usually cheaper too )

 

[BlueCorn]

While I love TS lenses, I can't see suggesting a lens that costs at least twice what his camera costs and really isn't any wider than what he has. Same with the 17-40 (which is a really nice lens too)

Take a look at the Tokina 12-24 f/4. It's built like a tank, very sharp, and a pretty decent bargain. It's also a full 5mm wider than what you have now. Sometime down the road, replacing your current lens with a 24-105 would round out your kit nicely.

I also can't disagree strongly enough with koensayr over the pan/tilt head recommendation. I don't know a single other professional photographer that uses one (and I know plenty). You can get a very decent, no frills, ballhead for less than $70 that'll work just fine.

Cheers

 

[Jacob D]

I wasn't suggesting he buy a tilt shift, just rent. Shifting up and down, or left and right and stitching can make a pretty wide shot with no distortion... insanely wide with the 17mm. Of course it's all theory unless you can set up and use it properly

 

[fatrip]

well thank you guys. ill look into the 12-24. I already have a tilt/pan tri-pod but have been looking at a ball head, maybe after this 12-24 lens. thanks for the info guys much appreciated.