Which lens would you recommend?

[OzOutbackGirl]

HI everyone, I can't decide which lens. Have been procrastinating for weeks now. Maybe you guys can help me. I currently have a Canon 350D (will upgrade to the 5D in about 6 mths though) and 2 kit lenses (18 - 55 & 75 - 300mm) and a Sigma 18 - 250mm. I am not sure if it's the lenses or me but my photos all seem a bit soft and not really tack sharp. The Sigma is ok up to about 200mm. Then my kit lens 75 - 300 seems better 200mm and more when I take animals but still not sharp. Is this normal?

Anyway, I really want a lens that is a really good for landscapes, sunsets etc. I was seriously considering the 24 - 105mm but have read such good reports on here about the 15 - 85mm or the nifty fifty? Which one would you suggest I purchase as a good everyday lens I could take hiking and basically photograph landscapes, waterfalls, sunsets etc? I am a tour guide so need just one when on my hikes. Thanks for your help in advance.

I also would love it if someone could explain why people have overlapping lens focal lengths? E.g. A 15 - 85mm and a 17 - 40mm for example. Wouldn't the range between 17 - 40 be covered with the 15 - 85mm???? I don't really get this?

[aayling]

Still fairly new at this but I think the 24-105mm would be the better go for you than the 15-85 as the 15-85mm is an EF-S mount only and wouldn't fit the mount on the 5D. On the larger sensor 24-105 would give you a great focal length range too. I would say you would want more width than the 50mm too if you want landscapes and waterfalls. 17-40mm f4L would give you great wide shots of landscapes/sunsets/waterfalls etc. For that sort of stuff it seems the ideal, though you may want some more length in some cases.

[Roosta]

Lots of people run with either the 17-40 EF or the 24-105 EF and the 70-200 EF either F2.8 or F4, The F4 is a hell of a lot lighter, and by lots of accounts as sharp if not sharper than the F2.8, just not as fast.

Don't know if you got my reply in the other thread you entered into, but you need to deciede what body firstly, 5D - 7D, and then work on two general focal lenght lens to suit. If you go a new 5D, you are better of with the 24-107 and 70-200 IMO will give you great coverage 24-200mm, the 70-200 will work with a teleconvertor, which at 1.4 will give you 280mm small and easy to carry, rather than another lens out to 300mm, Then if you want you can get a UWA, say 10-20ish for the Ultra Wide Angle landscape shots. IMO.

[Bercy]

As you are a tour guide, I wouldn't expect you to have a mothership camera and extra-large lowepro dangling form your neck. I would imagine you might want a lens that is going to cover most of your photographic opportunities. 24-105 with F4 is very likely to cover the vast majority of your needs. Superzooms like the Tamron could also be an option, but I expect there will be a trade off in image quality. I don't have this lens, or the similar Sigma superzoom, so others might comment. If you are taking landscapes and people I think F4 would be plenty fast. Having more than this lens is fine, but changing lenses in grubby environments is always a challenge! Put the lens on and leave it there, with the profession your in!

[OzOutbackGirl]

Thanks so much for your advice everyone. I am definitely going to upgrade to the 5D so am going to go with what you suggest Roosta......a 24 - 105 lens for now then the 70 - 200 later. Is there a cheapish UWA you would suggest that will cover me in the range of 10 - 20ish? Even if it's another brand like Sigma or Tamron?

BTW Roosta, I have now found your reply in the other thread. I didn't know how to find the previous thread and searched and searched until I found it. Now I have updated my settings to receive an email when someone comments :-)

Thanks a lot for your help.

[Roosta]

http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?71061-Which-Wide-Angle-Would-You-Choose/page2

Check out what Fairy Bombs and my self aswell as PH005 have been discussing, it may help , ,it may confuse. Fairy bomb may be best to contact as I think she is using the 5D.
I'm torn between the Canon 10-22mm and the Tokina 12-24mm at the monent, will be able to try both out on a night/lowlight landscape shoot with Canon pro on Monday night coming, that will make my mind up. Would also recommend for you, that if you can get to a quality camera shop, to hold/feel and try the 5D with the lenses you think will work, you wont be un-happy with the 24-105. Would look at getting a battery grip with your camera, if you are out shooting all day, the ability to have two batteries and the camera able to rotate easily to portarite mode. The battery grip has a on/off switch and focal and shoot buttons on it, if set on monopod and a lens with a colar, you simple rotate the setup. Thats just food for thought. A good tripod and mono would go a long way fou you I would think.

Have fun.

Wish I had your bank balance to get the great gear your looking at... :th3:

[OzOutbackGirl]

Thanks Roosta, Ah ! Don't be envious...... I don't have such a big bank balance! I have just rearranged my priorities at the moment. No new shoes, no new clothes or makeup, no new anything :-) :-)........ Just camera gear. I just bought a new tripod...the 190cxpro4 and love it, except for the clips! They are a bit of a pain to undo all the time. Must get a monopod for hiking though as don't want to lug my tripod everywhere. The great thing with my job is I get loads of opportunity to take photos...everywhere! I am so excited about learning more skills thru this website. I spend hours reading stuff on here and watching free photography tip videos on the internet. And I bought a lot of books. Anyway enough gabbling on!

Let us know once you have tried the UWA lenses and tell us what you think. Any suggestions for a good monopod?

[Roosta]

2 Things, go for what feels right in height and weight, also, can you exchange the head from mono to tripod if needed.

I already had the Gittzo (then years down the track have upgraded to a much better quality tripod then my previous one) and am very happy with it, just one model up from entry, but it holds my 50D wih grip + 70-200 F2.8 and teleconvertor on a small ball head, Sturdy enough for me to photograph my son playing rugby.

Also, one other great piece of advice that was offered to me was the Magic Lantern Book/Dvd. If you use the sponsors link atop this page, find fishpond, search magic lantern 5D, it will bring up either a book and or book/dvd package. Can sit camera in one hand, beer in the other and learn all the groovy bits in easy to learn format on the dvd. Lots of users in the forums have nothing but good things to say about the books/dvds. Well worth the $40 odd bucks. And Ausphotography site gets a small kick back for using the link...

Yeap will let you know about UWA, No shoes,, No clothes, I'm finding that hard to believe, I thought that was every womans promise in life to buy buy buy... LOL...

Have fun ...

[OzOutbackGirl]

Thanks Roosta for the quick replies. Will look into that Magic Lantern Book/DVD. I just love learning....am like a sponge and can sit for hours reading, watching tutorials and then putting it into practise. Will also contact Fairy Bombs about the 5D too. I wondered what you were talking about when you first mentioned that name :-) Hope I am not imposing on your time but one last question Roosta........I bought a cheap (very cheap) CPL on Ebay a few mths ago. Under $10!!!! Will this be affecting the quality of my images in a huge way? Do you have a CPL? If so, what brand should I buy?

I see you live in Perth. I am heading over there at the end of the month to guide for Western Exposure! Am looking forward to it. just finished Darwin for the winter and am in Adelaide at moment. Miss the tropical weather :-(

[Roosta]

I would say so, especially if its not glass, Plastics will loose the IQ.

No worries, sit at a computer all day with work, Work in the mining industry, Middle of no where.. Yeap here you on the troppics, we get the crap easterly of the Tanimi Desert at day long, great warm nights, hot and flies during the day.. LOL.

Might like to read up on the filters, with your new lenses, if they are about the same size, roughtly 77mm, you could look at the Cokin and or B&W filter option, P size in Cokin. Google Cokin Filters, its a system, rather than a lot of screw on's, but a good quality CPL will do you wonders, I paid roughtly $200.00 bucks for mine to suit the 70-200 77mm, Kekno screw on, great glass, dosen't affect the optics at all. Cokin make some very good ND filters, great and most say essential for landscape/water, shooting, give you that captured water look in waterfalls etc..

Happy reading.

[OzOutbackGirl]

Thanks again Roosta. I have been looking at some neutral density filters and was going to purchase a screw in one but think I will go the Cokin P series. I have checked Ebay and they have heaps but all seem a bit too cheap? R they copies even though it says they are for Cokin P series? Again, does it make a huge difference to quality of pics? Do you have ND filters? Which ones? I will get the 3 stop one but just not sure where to buy yet

[dulvariprestige]

Thanks so much for your advice everyone. I am definitely going to upgrade to the 5D so am going to go with what you suggest Roosta......a 24 - 105 lens for now then the 70 - 200 later. Is there a cheapish UWA you would suggest that will cover me in the range of 10 - 20ish? Even if it's another brand like Sigma or Tamron?


There are no real cheap UWA lenses for FF, the 10-20 ish lenses you see are for crop sensors like your 350d, I'd say the most common and affordable UWA lens for a 5d is the 17-40, this lens will give you a similar field of view of 10-25 on your 350d, sigma do a 12-24 lens that will work on a 5d, this lens is the widest rectilinear lens available for a FF camera, but you can't use traditional style filters as the front lens element protrudes out too far.
Tokina also have a new 16-28 f2.8 suited for FF for around a $1000, but also has the the same filter problem as the sigma.

[OzOutbackGirl]

Thanks Jayde for that advice. Wow! Didn't realise I have to be so careful in choosing a UWA lens when I get the 5D. Will research a bit more and visit a camera store before purchasing it then. Thanks again.
Now to decide on the filters? It's worse than deciding on which shoes :-)

[Roosta]

I have been looking at some neutral density filters and was going to purchase a screw in one but think I will go the Cokin P series. I have checked Ebay and they have heaps but all seem a bit too cheap? R they copies even though it says they are for Cokin P series? Again, does it make a huge difference to quality of pics? Do you have ND filters? Which ones? I will get the 3 stop one but just not sure where to buy yet

Hi mate, yeap, got ND glass filters to suit my Cokin P series set up, Ive read others on this forum with issues with plastic filters purchased of e-bay, IMO if it's to cheap, you know the rest, mass produced, low if any quality plastic, against individually made and test quality glass.

I have ND 2 - 4 - 8, also a star pattern and a 50-50, The 50-50 is great for helping with wate/sky shots ND's the sky, or put filter in the other way and it settles the water.

Hope that helps, better of with the real thing IMO.

Good info there above from Jayde, the lens selection process is never an easy one.

[OzOutbackGirl]

Thanks Roosta for all your help. Much appreciated. I will go in search of a 'real' filter set now. Want it all before I leave for Perth as I will be taking lotsa photos along the way :-)

[Arg]

Hi, I posted an answer to your post under the '1 lens' thread (then saw this thread) so I am cross posting for you.

[grauniad]

I suggest you don't try to master everything at once. That's a recipe for frustration. Just shoot with the 5D and the 24-105 alone for a couple of months till you are confident you know how to use all the controls on the camera to get the shots you want. Gradually you'll discover what you can't do with that combination and you can, again gradually, start using other lenses, filters, tripods, etc.
Rodney

[OzOutbackGirl]

HI Rodney, thanks also for your advice. I have decided to stick with my 350D and current lenses just for the next few mths. I have learnt a lot from this forum and am realising that I have been doing quite a lot of things wrong with my photo taking. So now I will concentrate more on getting the Ap/Shutter/ISO etc down pat and my compositions and lighting etc before upgrading to a better camera. Am going to submit some photos for critique and improve from there. Thanks for your help.

[grauniad]

I think that's sensible. Also, read a lot and take short courses/workshops and keep asking questions here and on Flickr. But questions about technique, not about equipment. Here's more gratuitous advice. Never buy new equipment immediately before a trip. Always buy well before and practise using it before the trip, to ensure you're confident with it during the trip. You're better off with an old camera on a trip than a new camera that you don't know how to use.

[Tony B]

Overlapping FLs. Usually when lenses perform better in differing situations or for use with specific cameras. My 17-40 on a 5d is natural FL, on 1D3 (1.3) 22-52, on xxD xxxD & 7D (1.6 crops) 28-64. I can have 17-40 on 5D & 24-70 on 1D3 (31-91) 24-70 on 30D (38-112). Most quality L lenses out resolve cheaper bodies so can perform on the majority bodies. A reason to sink money into lenses not bodies as over time a good lens will remain a good lens & the necessity to upgrade is somewhat diminished. Unless you are a gear head or pro demanding the best.
Also when upgrading lenses many prefer to keep old lenses rather than let them go for next to nothing especially if retaining older bodies & changing crop factor as EF-S lenses will only fit the bodies they are designed for.

[OzOutbackGirl]

Thanks Grauniad and Tony for your helpful advice too. I appreciate it very much. I am learning so much from this forum and can't wait to get the time to really get stuck into some courses etc. I have purchased soooooooooo many books over the past year and have learnt a lot from them but would love to actually do courses. Bit hard when you are a tour guide though coz you cannot attend regular weekly classes etc. Any tips on good online courses that don't cost an arm and a leg?

BTW Grauniad & Tony, I am taking your advice and spending all my time on practising instead of worrying about equipment just yet. Tony, so if I understand you correctly, my kit lenses that I got with my 350D (18 - 55mm & 75 - 300mm) won't fit a 5D? What about my Sigma 18 - 250mm? It doesnt say if its a EF-S? If I purchase a 24 - 105 L series Canon lens before the 5D camera, will it fit my 350D camera?

Thanks again guys.

[grauniad]

The 18-55 is an EF-S lens that won't work on a full-frame 5D (which deserves something better anyway). The 75-300mm is an EF lens that works on both crop-sensor cameras like your 350D and full-frame cameras like the 5D. Not sure about the Sigma 18-250mm, if it has a white dot where it joins the body it's an EF-S lens, if it has a red dot, it's an EF lens. Compare with the other two lenses. All EF (and EF-S) lenses, like the 24-105L lens, will fit your 350D. Sorry, can't help with advice on online courses.