Wanting an upgraded lens for the T2i

[ninja_fish]

I recently purchased a Cannon T2i and now I'm interested in purchasing another lens that will be better and offer a greater range of options than the 18-55 that came with it. I'm looking for a vacation/family lens, but something that I can really tell the difference from the original 18-55 lens.

I don't want to upgrade if there's not much of a difference from what I currently have (I rather spend the money on corals ). Thanks!

 

[torino06]

i find myself in the same boat and i also just got the t2i. have you gone to http://photography-on-the.net/forum/ ??? then go to the lens section and try searching there. good luck

 

[ninja_fish]

Thanks for the info! However, I was hoping to get some specific recommendations because I am still very new to this and I don't really have a clue as to what each lens is capable of or should be used for.

 

[torino06]

well what will you be taking pictures of??? stuff that is close up or something that you need a lot of zoom for?

 

[ninja_fish]

A little of both. I'm not looking for any super zoom lens, but it would be nice if one lens had the versatility of a good zoom as well as close up shots. Family photos will be primarily what this lens will be used for, indoor and out.

 

[kilroy217]

if you're just looking for an all-around lens, that's good at most things, but not great at any one thing, you can't go wrong with an 18-200mm. If you're looking for something that's great at doing something, you'll have to be more specific. Obviously, macro lenses are good for shooting your tank, a 50mm prime (comes in f/1.2, f/1.4 and f/1.8 varieties at all different price ranges) is great for getting those nice bokeh shots, a 300mm or 400mm would be great for shooting animals or sports. I could go on, but I think you get the point.

 

[Zebodog]

If the kit lens is the Canon 15-85 IS, you'll find it to be a very good lens...for a kit lens. Don't be hasty to completely write it off.

Next, I'd determine how much you're willing to spend and if that amount will increase over time. Good lenses cost money - a lot of money. As you're new to the DSLR game, you may wish to play, practice and master the kit lens first and save some money for a good lens in six months time.

I'd also give serious thought to what your current lens cannot do for you that you'd like the new lens to accomplish.

As has been said, the more extreme the zoom on the lens the more compromises you'll need to make. If your intent is mostly to shoot family and friends, you'll probably want a reasonably fast lens at around 100mm or so. The Canon 24-105mm f/4 USM IS would be worth a look - it'll cost upwards of $1000 though so make sure the piggy bank is well stocked.

 

[wkahwkah]

what's you budget?
If you are looking to replace 18-55 kit lens, I would strongly recommend Tamron 17-50 2.8 non-vc if you are under budget or get sigma 17-50 2.8 OC if you can spare bit more.
If you want absolutely best image quality, I would suggest canon 17-55 2.8 IS, 24-105L, or 24-70L.
Canon 15-85 is good but it is slow lens and I hate slow lens lol... so I usually stick to 2.8
or you can just add prime lens. sigma 30mm 1.4 would be good for general/indoor
and Canon 50mm 1.8 would get u started on prime and really good bang for buck but soon you will want 1.4 version (bit more expensive for better image and body quality)

 

[ninja_fish]

What's the story on this lens: Canon EF-S Zoom lens - 17 mm - 85 mm?

I'm hoping to stay under $400.

Honestly, I don't even know what all the numbers mean yet.

Zebodog - The kit lens is a 18-55.

 

[wkahwkah]

17-85mm is decent lens but have too much distortion(wave line instead of straight line at 17mm) Tamron 17-50mm would be better lens unless you really need 50-85mm
f2.8, f1.4 is aperture number and smaller the number, more light it gather and more light
means less depth of field (less focused depth)
so prime, usually have larger aperture aka 1.2~2.0 ish which gathers alot more light so
it can do better at indoor/portrait. however, since its fixed focal length, you have to go back or front to get frame right instead of zoom in or out
with 400, I strongly recommended Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 as it is brilliant lens for money or add sigma 30mm 1.4

 

[Jacob D]

The 18-55 is a decent kit lens.

"Greater range of options"... is subjective. Which options? Wider? Longer? More zoom range? Wider max aperture? Better optics?

"I'm looking for a vacation/family lens"... that's pretty much what you've got. For most people a zoom of some sort fits that description.

"I'm hoping to stay under $400."... for $400 you're probably not going to find any zooms that are going to knock your socks off compared to the 18-55 (maybe if you buy used). What you probably want is a fast prime lens in the 'normal' range like 28/1.8, 35/2.0, or 50/1.4

 

[Zebodog]

What's the story on this lens: Canon EF-S Zoom lens - 17 mm - 85 mm?

I'm hoping to stay under $400.

Honestly, I don't even know what all the numbers mean yet.

Zebodog - The kit lens is a 18-55.

The 17-85 is an okay lens although I have never used it personally. I've read reviews that show the 18-55 IS (standard kit lens) to be superior in image quality and overall build than the 17-85.

Based on this, my recommendation would be to stick with the kit lens for now and take some time to learn what the "numbers mean." A $400 lens will not perform significantly better than what you have and a little knowledge/experience will go along way to improving your shots.

 

[ninja_fish]

17-85mm is decent lens but have too much distortion(wave line instead of straight line at 17mm) Tamron 17-50mm would be better lens unless you really need 50-85mm
f2.8, f1.4 is aperture number and smaller the number, more light it gather and more light
means less depth of field (less focused depth)
so prime, usually have larger aperture aka 1.2~2.0 ish which gathers alot more light so
it can do better at indoor/portrait. however, since its fixed focal length, you have to go back or front to get frame right instead of zoom in or out
with 400, I strongly recommended Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 as it is brilliant lens for money or add sigma 30mm 1.4

I'm glad you mentioned this, I meant to specifically ask about a lens that will take good photos indoors without a flash. Will the Tamron 17-50mm work well for that?

Also, can you explain what these two things mean, "fixed focal length" and "you have to go back or front to get frame right instead of zoom in or out with 400"?

 

[wkahwkah]

w/ aperture 2.8 indoor can be done but not as good as prime.
f1.4 gathers 4 times the light compare to f 2.8 which means
faster shutter speed or able to use lower iso to get better image(better dynamic/less noise)
as for prime being "fixed focal length" (focal length= mm),
simply leave your lens at specific focal length, let's say 30mm or 50mm then don't zoom in/out
and in order to get subject in frame it right, simply get closer to subject or move away
instead of zoom in/out on the lens

If you specifically want the new lens for indoor, prime is way to go. Sigma 30mm 1.4 or canon 50mm 1.4 or canon 50mm 1.8

 

[ninja_fish]

It sounds like the Canon EF 50mm f1.4 is probably what I'm looking for. If I go with that one, does it offer any outdoor and zoom capabilities that my current kit lens does not?

 

[brianbigoats]

I have the 15-85 it is very nice lens while it might be slower in lower light it's image quality is on par with the 17-55 and has better flare control in bright light

 

[Recty]

It sounds like the Canon EF 50mm f1.4 is probably what I'm looking for. If I go with that one, does it offer any outdoor and zoom capabilities that my current kit lens does not?

A 50mm lens is a fixed zoom length. You cant zoom in and out. Take your 18-55 lens you have now, set it to 50mm and then that is what your 50mm "prime" lens will look like. You cant zoom in and out with a prime, it is FIXED, STUCK, ALWAYS going to be at 50mm.

So no, to answer your question, it will not provide any zoom capabilities over your current lens. In fact, you'll be loosing zoom capability, all the zooming in and out has to be done with your feet

The benefit to a prime is very clear pictures. There are far fewer moving pieces and lenses in most primes, so the tolerances are better and the pictures are sharper. Plus, a 50mm prime that can go to f/1.4 will let in a LOT more light than you current lens. Your current lens can only go to f/3.5, at that's when it is zoomed out all the way to 18mm. At f/1.4, you will be letting in a certain amount of light. At f/2, you're letting in HALF that much light. f/2.8 is HALF of that much light, and then f/4 is HALF that much light. So your lens you have now will only be drawing in about 1/8th as much light as a f/1.4 lens. This allows you to take a LOT brighter pictures inside, which allows you to turn up your shutter speed. This is GREAT for taking pictures of people or anything moving inside.

And just a btw, your current lens at 55mm has to be at f/5.6 or greater, so you're letting in only 1/16th of the light, or 6%, of the light you could be if you were using the 50mm prime.

Outdoor capabilities... nothing gained really by using the 50mm except your pictures should be clearer/sharper just do to being prime quality.

One thing to think of, you probably have the IS version of the 18-55mm, meaning you have image stabilizing. The 50mm prime wont have that, but since you can usually turn up the shutter speed so much more, you dont need that.

Anyway, I went from an EXPENSIVE ($1350) 24-70 L (canon's premier zoom lens in that range) f/2.8 lens, down to a much cheaper ($400) 50mm f/1.4 prime and havent looked back. I like the 50mm so much better. The pictures are great, I can let in more light and it's a much lighter lens. I do miss being able to zoom in and out a little, but the other benefits far outweigh the ability to zoom.

You wont see much difference in weight, but you should see a nice improvement in picture sharpness, definitely an increase in the amount of light you can shoot and therefore the amount of things you can effectively photograph indoors or late at night.

Hope that helps. Also, Canon makes a 50mm f/1.8 for about $100, it takes great pictures. If you want to just spend $100 and try out primes and see if you like it, that's a good lens to try it with.