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Yes, another Canon Lens Question....Sorry

M

MrMacMini

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 4, 2009
149
4
So Cal....
I will be in Puerto Rico for about 5 days the first week of March (work trip), and decided to take my T2i....

I decided to stick with the kit lens while I learn photography but now that I will be taking this trip I want a general/walk around lens that will help me take some beautiful shots.......

So what would you recommend? Budget is a priority but will consider going over if I need to.

Sorry for throwing another "Lens" thread out there.....Thanks!
 
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MrMacMini said:
I will be in Puerto Rico for about 5 days the first week of March (work trip), and decided to take my T2i....

I decided to stick with the kit lens while I learn photography but now that I will be taking this trip I want a general/walk around lens that will help me take some beautiful shots.......

So what would you recommend? Budget is a priority but will consider going over if I need to.

Sorry for throwing another "Lens" thread out there.....Thanks!
Click to expand...

Tamron 17-55 f/2.8 (the non-VC version)

/thread
 
El Cabong said:
Probably not, especially if you're still getting accustomed to your kit lens. What are you looking for in a walkaround lens?
Click to expand...

+1. If you can't identify what is or what would be wrong with your kit lens, you very likely shouldn't buy anything. If you really feel the desire to spend money, consider renting a lens for the duration of the trip?

It's you, the photographer, that makes the good pictures, not the lens. If you can't get good shots now with your kit lens, then a new one is not going to help in any way.
 
Puerto Rico... Nice! I just got back from a Caribbean cruise and spent a couple of days in Old San Juan.

The view from Cristobal Castle lookout west to the other end of town:
p993664961-4.jpg


As for gear:

First of all, I recently purchased a circular polarizer for my kit and this probably had more impact on improving my photos in sunny places like the Caribbean than any other piece of gear I've ever acquired. No matter what you do in terms of lens choice, I highly recommend a circular polarizer. You can get a top of the line B+W Cir. Pol. filter at maxsaver.net for around $100.

For lens upgrades, you have a few choices:

Canon EFS 15-85 f3.5-5.6 IS USM: This lens is Canon's latest EFS lens design and it offers remarkably good quality and is priced accordingly. The build quality is solid and the range of focal lengths is very nice: 24-135 FF equivalent.

Canon EFS 17-55 f2.8 IS USM: This is considered by many as the ultimate walk around lens for Canon crop bodies. In fact, there are no other lenses in Canon's line up that offer IS and f2.8 in this walk-around focal range. Most consider it's optics to be "L" quality and it's priced accordingly. The f2.8 and IS makes this lens very flexible in low light.

Tamron 17-50 f2.8 VC: While comparable to the above Canon lens in features, it falls considerably short in sharpness. It's not as sharp as the non-VC version which is near legendary in terms of value. It's more affordable however.

Tamron 17-50 f2.8 NON-VC: This lens is probably the value king, offering great image quality, constant f2.8 at a very affordable price point. However, it lacks IS which can be a real compromise for shooting static subject early or late in the day without a tripod (or indoors without a flash).
 
VirtualRain said:
First of all, I recently purchased a circular polarizer for my kit and this probably had more impact on improving my photos in sunny places like the Caribbean than any other piece of gear I've ever acquired. No matter what you do in terms of lens choice, I highly recommend a circular polarizer.
Click to expand...

Good advice but would just add that it's a bit awkward on the 18-55 kit lens as the end of the lens rotates when zooming.
 
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Still learning and have been able to get great shots with the kit lens, but I want something that's better in low light conditions, and something that has a better range then my kit lens. I know it's all about the photographer but a better lens does help.
 
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Budget is under $600....Oh and I'm definitely renting before I buy, but before I rent I need some reccomemdations.
 
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MrMacMini said:
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Still learning and have been able to get great shots with the kit lens, but I want something that's better in low light conditions, and something that has a better range then my kit lens. I know it's all about the photographer but a better lens does help.
Click to expand...

By "better range", do you mean focal range? If so you may be looking at standard or short telephotos. Something like the Tamron 28-75.

If you want it primarily for your vacation, why not rent something out of your purchase price? You can get this one fo 10 days at $86 total with the damage waiver from LensRentals.com

Canon 24-70 2.8 L

Dale
 
MrMacMini said:
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Still learning and have been able to get great shots with the kit lens, but I want something that's better in low light conditions, and something that has a better range then my kit lens.
Click to expand...

You're not going to find both things in a single lens. Also, f/2.8 isn't that much better for low light conditions. You'd do well to get a nifty fifty instead.

jdavtz said:
Why non-VC, out of interest?
Click to expand...

The older non-VC version has better optics, according to lens tests at Photozone.de and SLRgear.com.
 
Consider the Canon 28-135mm IS lens. It can be had for about $350 to $450 if you shop around.

This is a decent lens. It gives you a wider zoom range than your kit lens plus adds image stabilization. It is not as wide on the low end as the kit lens. The kit lens is rather light so you probably want to keep that in a backpack for times when you need a wider field of view.

If you get this try to shoot closer to f/8 when you can to get better sharpness.

I second the suggestion for using a polarizing filter outdoors. This helps immensely with some shots. It is difficult with action shots to always have to rotate the filter after zooming but with landscapes and buildings and scenes it is not much effort. The Hoya HD filters are great, but cost over $100. You can get polaroid filters for as little as $20. The cheaper ones are probably OK for learning with. They will be darker, absorbing more light. The Hoya HD passes more light allowing the use of lower ISO settings, is tougher to break and resists finger prints and last a lifetime.
 
The EF28-135 IS can be had all day long in brand-new condition for not much more than $200-225. Lots of guys selling them from body/lens kits. Check www.fredmiranda.com Add to that a fast prime, like the EF50/1.8 (or 1.4) or the EF35/2, and you'll have a lot more focal length to work with as well as some great low-light capabilities. The Sigma 30/1.4 is the best crop-sensor prime I've ever used, if your budget permits.

Or, keep the kit lens and supplement it with Tamron's 28-75/2.8. Better for low-light than the kit lens, and you can use the kit lens for wider shots outside in good light. The Tamron 17-50/2.8 is a great lens, but if you can hold on to the kit lens for those wider shots, the added range of the 28-75 may be useful.
 
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