Canon Lenses???

[alirussell]

Okay as some of you know my camera gear was stolen on Monday evening from our business premises. UNFORTUNATELY the gear is worth $6100 but insurance is only going to cover $5000.
My hubby and i have decided to re-buy another canon 50D with the 18-200mm lense but not to replace the lost 350D, but to buy better lenses.
I have found that the Canon 35mm f/1.4 L USM EF Lens 35 F1.4 is a great lense for portraits. Do any of you own this lense and would you recommend it??

Or what could you recommend?? I owned the 50mm f/1.8L and it was great, but looking to take it to the next level this time around.....what do you think??

Thanks for your help on this one
Ali x

[smorter]

35mm f/1.4 is not the best for headshots because you have to go really close and it makes the faces look distorted. It's the best Environmental Portrait lens on FF, but horrible for headshots :(

35mm f/1.4 is better than 50 f/1.8 II in every regard, including sharpness (though the 50 is very sharp too) but more expensive

[JM Tran]

the 35mm L is NOT ideal for portraiture due to the distortion of the body, 35mm on full frame is wide and even on 1.6x crop sensors it gives a normal view, and when shooting portraiture you would want something longer in the focal length, to flatten out the subject and give accurate proportions.

if I were to use the 35 L to shoot someones face on a full frame, their body and face will be stretched with a bigger nose and face:)

I would ditch the 18-200 too as its not a pro grade lens to be using for a photography business on a regular basis, you would rather spend that money on better lenses.

[alirussell]

Thanks for the advice.
What lense would you recommend i purchase??

As I have mentioned i own a small business and am pursuing my photography business in my spare time. Mainly doing on location shoots and the occassional wedding or two.

I am looking to spend some money on some better lenses, but what would you suggest for the kind of photography i do??

I have to replace my stolen gear so if it eans just buying the 50D body, no lense, then i am willing to purchase a good lense separately.

Help???

[Ronbo]

If you're looking for a portraiture lense for taking headshots and full body shots I would recommend the 50mm f/1.4. This is probably going to give you less distortion as a whole.

But if you're looking for strictly head shots maybe consider the 85mm f/1.2L II? Customer reviews have been great for this lense. Not sure about Canon lenses anymore since I have been away from Canon for a number of years and have on loan to a friend all of my lenses since he shoots Canon.

I have areview on this lense located here:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0602/06022112canonef85f12l.asp

Let me warn you this lense will hit you hard in the bank account but from all accounts well worth the money if you earn your living from it.

[wideangle]

Have you looked at the Canon 50 1.4? This would give you a focal length factor of x1.6 which would look good for portraits and not distort.

[MarkChap]

Ali,
I have no experince with the lenses you are looking at, and not a lot of experience with portariture.
The 35 f1.4 is going to be too short for portrait work due to the distortion as described above.
From all reports the 85 f1.2 would be the go if you are set on a prime lens.

If not set on a prime have you considered the 24-105 f4L, I know it is not as fast but just a thought, you can get it as a kit on the 50D I think so may bring the price down a touch ??, add the 50 f1.8 II and away you go

Another option is something like the TAmmy 24-75 f2.8 ro the Sigama 24-70f2.8 or even the CAnon 24-70f2.8L if your heart is on "L" series lenses.

I don't think I would bother with the 18-200 at all if it were me

[alirussell]

Thanks heaps for this info.

I have been out today possibly looking at upgrading to the 5D Mark II instead of replacing my 50D. It all comes down to price unfortunately due to the insurance claim.

I did play with a Canon prime 24-105 lense today on a 5d body, and i think you are all right, it looks like it would be the best lense for me to get going with again. I am kinda excited to be looking at getting quality now that i have to replace what i had, and i think that purchasing a lese like the 24-105mm will be just perfect for what i shoot.

Who is a reputable online dealer that you guys would use?? I know that HN quoted me $5699 for the 5D and 24-105mm lense, but i know i can get that cheaper online and possibly still be able to factor in my flash within my budget.

Are there any place online you would definately avoid buying from??

Thanks again,
This has helped me alot!!

[MarkChap]

Camera Store.com.au are pretty good Ali

http://camerastore.com.au

Quality Camera Sales in Perth are pretty good too,
Use the link on this page (http://ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?t=13499) That way AP gets a bit of a commission

[trigger]

Avoid HN (Hardly Normal prices) either quote directly from DDP and get their price down or look else where.
I'd be thinking twice about getting stuff from eBay and overseas retailers unless you have direct access to some one who lives there

[alirussell]

I actually have ordered both my previous camera bodies through the Good Guys,(special order as they do not stock the 50D here) as i have always had such poor service from HN. HN only discounted $100 of the price of the 5D body and lense for me, what a croc! I am basically paying cash as it will be from the insurance company, so i would have thought they would do me a deal.

I have found i can get a Paralel import Canon 5D with the 24-105mm Lense, speedlite flash and 2 Cf cards, and filter for under $5500.

Has anyone here bought a parralel import before??? I have been told they are Canon made and genuine, just made for different countries......is this an option i should avoid?? This is through a company here in AUS too, not overseas.

[MarkChap]

Ali

CameraStore.com.au
5D II Premium Kit (24-105L) $5200.00
http://camerastore.com.au/Canon+Eos+5D+MK+II+Premium+Kit+_4247_details.htm

Quality Camera Sale - $5499.00
http://www.qualitycamera.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=26&products_id=4355

[IanB]

For me there is a bit of incorrect advice given above. A 35mm on a 50d is about a 50 mm in old fashion terms, which I believe to be one of the best focal lengths. Yes it's a little short for head/shoulder portraits, but it’s excellent for most other portrait work. Back in film days, I have photographed a few small weddings with only a 50 mm. It was beautiful and so easy. My portrait gear was a 50 1.4 and a 80-200 2.8. For arty stuff I used a 24 mm.

A 50 mm on a D50 is too long and too small for me. I would forget to 18-200 get the better quality L lenes; 17-40 or 24-105 would be good start.

:)

[davwhite]

I don't know how far you are in buying yet but I thought I would add my 2 bob's worth.
You can see my stable in my signature.
For weddings I use the 24-70mm as my first choice.
The 50mm is fantastic for low light work and use that extensively as well
On the 5D you wouldn't want a wide angle to do portraits or weddings. Unless you happen to come across many happy snappers who get in your way, then you slap the wide on and jump in front :D
The 5D Mk II premium kit comes with a 24-105 f4 L lens which is good. At Quality Cameras (site promoter) the price is $5499 which is cheaper than the parallel market.
So My suggestion:
Get the kit plus a 50mm f1.4 and the 580 flash

[oldfart]

I still reach for my 50mm f1.4 for Studio portrait work even in preference to my 24-70 f2.8L

My preference for outdoor portrait work is a 85mm f1.8 (can't justify the f1.2)

I once owned a 35mm f2.0 lens that I bought with studio use in mind, I don't own it anymore. :cool:

[davwhite]

Gary Fong who made millions from weddings shot with a 50mm. It is not for everyone but certainly should be part of the action.
I would have said the 85mm but the price puts it out of the question here although the f1.8 at around the $650 mark may be ok. (Not an L though)

[alirussell]

Well had some Good news today....

My insurer said they will cover the full $6100 in gear that i lost, which definately makes the 5D more possible. I have found that I can buy the 5D kit for around $4680 online, so i am looking to do that now......will be getting my 580 flash and maybe get the 50mm f/1.4 lense also. Will decide on that once i have priced it all out...

Thanks again for all your help....it has definately helped alot and i will keep you up to date next week once the cheque has arrived and i am ready to place the order.
Thanks again
Ali

[TOM]

well for what it's worth, here's my $0.02 worth. I shoot weddings nearly exclusively, on full frame and have three lenses. I have one body per lens, 35mm, 50mm and 90mm. I rarely use the 90mm and use the other two for the remaining 80%. Head shots aren't much chop when it comes to weddings, you need to see more than that. You need to know it is a wedding and not just any other normal day of the week. The same can be said about alot of portraiture. I think great portraits often include alot of the surroundings. This often tells us more about the person/people and often even why we are taking the picture in the first place. I think that 1.4/50mm would suit the 5d well.

[MarkChap]

Well had some Good news today....
I have found that I can buy the 5D kit for around $4680 online, so i am looking to do that now......will be getting my 580 flash and maybe get the 50mm f/1.4 lense also. Will decide on that once i have priced it all out...

Just be careful with Warranty, if it is a grey or parralell import Canon Australia WON'T warrant the body

Just something to think about

[alirussell]

I have been thinking about possible still getting a 50D again (not totally decided yet), but this would allow me to get the 50D with the 24-105mm, a 50mm f1.4, 580ex II flash, replacement cf cards, filters, new bag.......just weighing it all up at present!

[alirussell]

Okay Hubby has convinced me to go the 5D mark II with the 24-105mm , a 50mm f/1.4, speedlite 580EX II and build up some of the other gear over time again.

Little excited now...and insurance should be settled next week....

[davwhite]

That is what I suggested so I know you will not be disappointed. Wait 'till you see the ISO capabilities of the 5D. I shot a room recently at 25,600 ISO, sure there was some noise but not what you would expect. Enjoy the 5D it is fantastic.

[[ kane ]]

My advise is;

Canon 50D (get FF later)
Canon 24-70 f2.8 L
Canon 85m or 50M L prime
Canon 70-200 f/4

That's about $5000

[phild]

Good decision to go with the 5D II and 24-105L, that lens is much sharper than the 18-200 and overall a much better performer. The only downside of the 5DII is that you lose the inbuilt flash and the continuous shooting speed is less (3.9FPS from memory).

As for image quality, IMO there is no comparison, I had a 50D for a short while before buying the 5DII and the IQ on the 50D was not much different to my old 20D, whereas the 5DII was light years ahead of both.

I bought my 5DII from DigiDirect, an online dealer who has full Canon Australia warranty. You can contact them by phone as well. I have also bought a flash and 70-200 lens from them as well, their freight rates are excellent ($15.99 Flat fee) and their despatch reasonably fast.

[darylcheshire]

Ali, It's now over a year, what was the final outcome?

And how are you going now with your gear?

Daryl.

[ravescar]

The only downside of the 5DII is that you lose the inbuilt flash and the continuous shooting speed is less (3.9FPS from memory).

Who cares about inbuilt flash, i d take a bigger viewfinder prism over inbuilt flash any day(persumably inbuilt flash got removed to make room for viewfinder prism).

An 430EX II or 580EX gives you way more flexibility than inbuilt flash.

Also with Longer lens or lens with Hoods inbuilt flash is almost completely useless as there can be shadows cast by Barrel/Hood.

[gje38752]

I have purchased a Cannon 60mm Macro, as all the reports were very good, nice and sharp etc,however I find that while the Marco 1/1 is fine it lacks the sharpness claimed . I am somewhat dissappointed. Maybe I need to make some adjustments to the way I use it. Any advice out there. I also use a Cannon 15/85 on my 450D and find it to be a very satisfying lens in every way. Much sharper and better contrast then the 60mm.

[Mishka]

I highly reccomend the 85mm f1.8 , beautiful lens http://www.emiliob.com.au