Lens for 500D newbie

[orionct]

Hi a newbie here just bought 500D with kit, now my next thing to do is considering lens with right budget to buy:
i like to take portrait, landscape, and macro like flower,insect ...

1. Tamron 18-270mm
pro: heard this is good and good walkabout for travel, cheaper than canon lens
con: chromatic abbretion and barrel distortion, still quite expensive
- many of my friends say such long range zoom does not produce good photo, is it true?

2. Canon 50mm f1.8
- cheap and good for portrait, i like to take portrait a lot, is it really a must have like wat many of friends said?

3. Sigma/Tamron 17-55mm f2.8
- if i buy this, does it mean i do not need to buy prime lens like canon 50mm f1.8?

4. Canon 28 - 135mm
- my friend want to sell me second hand at $500, is it worth to buy?

I know this is difficult question, many will say it depends on my usage, but still would like to hear your comments, and suggestion of other good lens for newbie like me....thanks in advance.

 

[MarkNKL]

Exactly what is the "right" buget, care to quantify it?

From the list I say Tamron 17-50, if you only had to pick one, pretty good lens with the f/2.8 and all. But you will still need primes when going into low-lit areas or just want more bokeh.

Canon 50mm f/1.8 - I wouldn't say its a must buy, but at its price, I'd say its pretty hard to overlook.

Tamron 18-270 VC - If you need to go long, better to switch to a 55-250mm if you're on a budget. As for sharpness and IQ comparison between the two i'm not sure, but generally speaking, the more length a lens has to cover, the less sharpness or IQ it can deliver throughout the range.

Canon 28-135 - Personal thing: Losing too much on the wide-end with the 1.6x crop, not enough range gained. For $450 you can get a canon 55-250 instead.

 

[orionct]

hi thanks for good comment, one thing i always in dillemma is, should i buy a "all in one" long zoom or separate them into 2 like 17-50 then 50 to 200mm.

I like to capture people emotion, and animal/insect, so long zoom is useful, but changing lens seems troublesome to me, i dunno, may be just my perception.

because by the time you change to longer zoom, you may have missed that moment of joy ...etc.

but i got friend mentioned the zoom factor beyond 4 is not good, like 55 to 200 is within factor 4, but 18 - 200 is diffinitely out ...

and most of my more professional photographer friend told me they are not using any such long zoom lens because the quality is not there.

 

[Rashkae]

You *do* understand that every newbie and their grandmother who posts on here says they like to shoot "landscapes, portrait and macro" but then want an all-in-one magic lens to pair with a DSLR, which is designed to accept different lenses, right?

If changing lenses is troublesome to you, you should not have bought a DSLR. The main advantage of a DSLR, other than a larger sensor, is the ability to switch lenses, to use the right lens for the right job. If you're going to get a DSLR then pair it with a heavily compromised "ultra zoom" 18-200 or 18-250 lens, you might as well have just bought a bridge cam.

You like to shoot landscapes? get a wide angle lens. Your kit lens will do, but the tamron is better.

You like to shoot portraits? Get a nice prime lens, like the 50mm f/1.8

You like to shoot tele? Get a tele lens, like a 70-300.

 

[Cartman2000]

- if i buy this, does it mean i do not need to buy prime lens like canon 50mm f1.8?

Might want to buy anyway for a cheap fast lens

 

[jlkk76]

i would rather u go rent the lens or join other CS kakis for shoot....they normally will lend u some lens for u to test run de...

then slowly u noe wat u need...and not wat u want..

like me..last time i thot i like macro and got myself a macro lens lor...but after a while kinda sian of it liao...;p

perhaps u might wanna join us for future shoots? we can sure get some BBB virus in ur blood.:bsmilie:

 

[mayhemics]

all-in-one lenses are great for lazy people who travel a lot. my suspicion is that you should just have bought the 18-200 kit, and maybe pair it with a UWA or macro or prime, depending on your preference. that combo keeps most noobs happy for some time.

 

[Reim1o]

Another vote for Tamron 17-50 2.8.
If you need fast lens for night shoots and portrait, and don't want to have lens with the same focal length, try out the Canon 85mm f/1.8.
It's quite expensive but it's worth it. It's better than 50 1.8 or 50 1.4.
If you want macro, you need to get special lens for that. Tamron 90, Canon 100, and Sigma 150 are good picks.
If you don't have enough budget you can try purchasing a macro extension tube. Make sure you get one with the ability to change the apperture. They're less than 200$ I think

 

[orionct]

i would rather u go rent the lens or join other CS kakis for shoot....they normally will lend u some lens for u to test run de...

then slowly u noe wat u need...and not wat u want..

like me..last time i thot i like macro and got myself a macro lens lor...but after a while kinda sian of it liao...;p

perhaps u might wanna join us for future shoots? we can sure get some BBB virus in ur blood.:bsmilie:

jlkk76, it is a good idea indeed, i think i will only know what suit me after try out more lens, can you inform me for future shoots event...would love to join, now taking photo alone is kind of boring ...:sweatsm:

 

[jlkk76]

jlkk76, it is a good idea indeed, i think i will only know what suit me after try out more lens, can you inform me for future shoots event...would love to join, now taking photo alone is kind of boring ...:sweatsm:

join our TCSS chat in kopitiam...

 

[orionct]

Another vote for Tamron 17-50 2.8.
If you need fast lens for night shoots and portrait, and don't want to have lens with the same focal length, try out the Canon 85mm f/1.8.
It's quite expensive but it's worth it. It's better than 50 1.8 or 50 1.4.
If you want macro, you need to get special lens for that. Tamron 90, Canon 100, and Sigma 150 are good picks.
If you don't have enough budget you can try purchasing a macro extension tube. Make sure you get one with the ability to change the apperture. They're less than 200$ I think

ya think 17-50 f2.8 is a good to have...

macro extention tube, a new thing to me, thanks for sharing.
actually i wonder what is the difference of zoom lens and some zoom lens with the macro with it? r they just for macro purpose?

 

[Reim1o]

Extension tube will make you unable to focus on the longer range though, so try first, see if you're comfortable with the limited focus.

A true macro lens has 1:1 magnification ratio. A "macro" zooms lens has much less. It's almost like a marketing gimmick.

I don't have a macro lens either as I don't do macro stuff. But for emergency I use a trick. I have a 3x kenko teleconverter tube. I use it with my lens so I get 3x magnification while still retaining the minimum focus distance. It won't autofocus from the viewfinder but it will do it in liveview focus. You lose some degree of image quality as opposed to extension tube because it has glass elements in it, but I think it's good enough. I use TSE 90mm and 135mm L with the tube, maybe thats the reason my images still good.

 

[MarkNKL]

hi thanks for good comment, one thing i always in dillemma is, should i buy a "all in one" long zoom or separate them into 2 like 17-50 then 50 to 200mm.

I like to capture people emotion, and animal/insect, so long zoom is useful, but changing lens seems troublesome to me, i dunno, may be just my perception.

because by the time you change to longer zoom, you may have missed that moment of joy ...etc.

Then do what I do, long lens on all the time unless I have something specific to shoot.
If you're going to shoot landscape, the landscape and buildings are very unlikely to run away from you

If you want to shoot close-ups for say flowers, a macro lens may not be needed all the time, you just have to play with Minimum Focus Distance and Depth of Field.

But if you really wanna shoot bugs, and do Macro, a proper macro lens like Canon 100mm or Sigma 105mm

 

[orionct]

i think "close up" is more than enough for me now ...

what about raynox DRC-250? i just saw some photo in flickr, some one use it to shoot insect, very nice. and it seems can put on the normal lens, not very expensive as well.

 

[nakashimamika]

I don't think there is a all-in-wonder lens that can take everything

 

[orionct]

I don't think there is a all-in-wonder lens that can take everything

ya agree agree, thats why our pocket is keep burning ...:sweatsm:

 

[MarkNKL]

I don't think there is a all-in-wonder lens that can take everything

Not really... but the Canon EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 L IS USM does come close

 

[arlee96]

hi to all...any advice or reviews on this lense...CANON EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS...im planning to get this one for my eos 500D...thanks in advance....

 

[Rashkae]

hi to all...any advice or reviews on this lense...CANON EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS...im planning to get this one for my eos 500D...thanks in advance....

1. To to www.google.com
2. Type in "Canon ef-s 55-200 review"
3. Click "Submit" and be happy.

 

[orionct]

too bad, i cant find it in DPreview, if not i will post the link for you, only found 70-200 f2.8 which is very expensive lens...
http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/canon_70-200_2p8_is_usm_c16/