Lenses for 7D


semino

New Member
Dec 10, 2007
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Singapore
Hi... I am using kit lens(15-85mm) for my Canon 7D currently, would like to get a prime lens for Portrait photography, please recommend me some budget prime lenses...
 

Canon 50 f1.8. Cheap and Good:thumbsup:
 

yes 50 f1.8 cheapest quality prime
 

If your budget permits, suggest you consider the canon 85mm F1.8 instead. It's about $500 for a good condition second-hand copy. My personal view is that the 50mm F1.8 will not do justice to your 7D. By the way, I am also using the 7D and I have the 85mm lens.
 

if you are amateur, i recommend the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 as it covers quite a lot of traditional portrait FL.

otherwise, there is the Sigma 24mm f/1.8 + 50mm f/1.8 + 85mm f/1.8 + 135mm f/2 and so on.
 

If your budget permits, suggest you consider the canon 85mm F1.8 instead. It's about $500 for a good condition second-hand copy. My personal view is that the 50mm F1.8 will not do justice to your 7D. By the way, I am also using the 7D and I have the 85mm lens.

In what way(s) do you suppose the 50 f1.8 will not do justice to the 7D?
 

If your budget permits, suggest you consider the canon 85mm F1.8 instead. It's about $500 for a good condition second-hand copy. My personal view is that the 50mm F1.8 will not do justice to your 7D. By the way, I am also using the 7D and I have the 85mm lens.


I used 50F1.8 on 5DM2 and 1DM3, how does it not do it justice? :dunno:
 

I used 50F1.8 on 5DM2 and 1DM3, how does it not do it justice? :dunno:

I am not saying that you cannot get nice photos with the 50mm F1.8. But obviously you will get better results and IQ with better glass, all else being equal, especially on higher-end cameras such as 7D, 5Dm2 etc. Anyway, I already said it's a personal opinion.

The acid test - Is the 50mm F1.8 your favorite portrait lens? If it is, good for you. My unscientific guess is that most owners of $2000 (or more) bodies would prefer to use better glass.:sticktong
 

The acid test - Is the 50mm F1.8 your favorite portrait lens?

Having own and used several lenses including other primes (including your 85F1.8 or 85L) and Ls, it's still remain my fav lens to be used for portraiture during my studio shoots.

To me the equipment is only as good as it's wielder, do you agree? Whether or not it's the mere $100/- lenses like 50F1.8 or a 200F2L, it's up to how you use it well... :bsmilie:
 

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it is not the lens that does justice to the camera.. its the photographer...


so what if a person has a 5dm2 and a 50L1.2... if he/she doesn't know anything, or just think by carrying expensive stuff will make them 'pro' then how does that justify the spending...

you will do justice to ur 7d if you utilize the camera and not just to keep it in the dry cabinet all the time...

and the best way to utilize a camera is to bring it out to shoot.. and the best way is to have a light set-up to carry around.. and the best lens to do that is the 50 1.8...

people who buy lens of $2-3K but only go out and shoot their fren's birthday dinner or carry around on weekend like tourist in the shopping mall are more likely those that don't do justice to their already spent $3K on their body...
 

To me the equipment is only as good as it's wielder, do you agree? Whether or not it's the mere $100/- lenses like 50F1.8 or a 200F2L, it's up to how you use it well...

Yes I agree. But would you also agree with my point that better glass gets you better results? Otherwise, should professional photographers just save all their money and stick with value-for-money lenses, and for the sake of argument camera bodies too, since they are such fantastic wielders?

It is rather disingenuous to say that the equipment is only as good as it's wielder, and then conclude that the use of better equipment by the same wielder does not yield superior results, all else being equal. Anyway, why presume that TS is not a good or even great photographer? I have no basis to do so, and neither do you.

Good for you that you like the 50mm F1.8. Given the price, it is a value-for-money lens. But this lens is not to everybody's taste. You could say the same about the 85mm F1.8 (and probably many other lenses) and I would not disagree.
 

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My personal view is... f/1.8 does not give me a sufficiently shallow DOF to satisfy all my creative needs, particularly on the crop body I use. Sometimes f/1.4 just gives the extra creamy bokeh I want. So, I am personally using the f/1.4 version.

In fact, the 50mm f/1.8 is very good on the 5D MkII since the DOF on a FF camera is more shallow. It allows for more creative options.

Your camera and lenses are supposed to serve your creative needs. They are not supposed to do justice to each other.
 

Keyword : BUDGET prime lens

85 f1.8 is good no doubt, 50 f1.8 II is good too no doubt. So both will do justice to 7D if the user has the skills.

However it's not just about having good glass, focal length on crop body is a more important concern for me. TS has to decide what kind of portrait he wants to shoot: indoor, outdoor??

Having a good glass (like 200f2L) but not being able to utilise it well (e.g. tight indoor) will then not do justice to the lens and hence to the body.

Maybe TS let us know your budget? Apart from quality of glass I would choose 50mm over 85mm. Next is budget then you decide which type of 50mm lens you can get.

P.S. TS you have 15-85, use it to test which focal length you are more comfortable. Just go out for a whole day shoot using your existing lens at a fix focal length to make a more sound decision.

Personal story: I bought my first 'L' 135f2L due to it's good reviews and budget thinking that I can use it for portrait on my 500D. However, I failed to realise that the focal length makes even outdoor portrait shoot difficult on crop body so having a good glass is almost useless. Luckily I still use it often to shoot public performances and animals. Otherwise I would have wasted my money on getting 'good glass'. In the end I use my kit lens or 50 f1.8 for portrait which I feel alot more comfortable.
 

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why presume that TS is not a good or even great photographer? I have no basis to do so, and neither do you.

First, let me say please don't put words into my mouth. To my knowledge I have yet to seen the TS works how would I had comment on his photography skill? :dunno:



professional photographers just save all their money and stick with value-for-money lenses, and for the sake of argument camera bodies too, since they are such fantastic wielders?

Most of my friends who are professional full-time photographers that I knew, stick with the most suitable equipments that get the job done while give them the most value for money. My advise is before investing in a equipment, don't ask if it do justice to you rather do you do justice to the it.

I may be blunt but often people buy because of peer pressure (commonly known as BBB virus). That what separate a professional and a hobbyist photographer .
 

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First, let me say please don't put words into my mouth. To my knowledge I have yet to seen the TS works how would I had comment on his photography skill? :dunno:

Most friends who are professional photographers I knew stick with the most suitable equipments that get the job done while give them the most value for money. My advise is before investing in a equipment, don't ask if it do justice to you rather do you do justice to the it.

I may be blunt but often people buy because of peer pressure (commonly known as BBB virus). That what separate a professional and an hobbyist photographer .

I know you have not seen TS' works. Neither have I. That's why I made the point that one should not presume TS is incapable of making good use of a better lens. I understand perfectly (and agree with) the argument that you have made that the person behind the camera is more important than the equipment itself. My apologies if you feel I have 'misquoted' you. Will be more careful about my choice of words in future, especially with the phrase 'does not do justice'!!

BBB virus is very powerful and I kenna before, not because of peer pressure though, just gian. But my sense is TS is not infected yet. His kit lens is not nearly wide enough for portraits if he wants the creamy bokeh. Moreover he is not rushing out to acquire an L lens! Seems to makes sense to buy a budget portrait lens if he is keen on this genre?
 

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But my sense is TS is not infected yet. His kit lens is not wide enough (for DOF) for portraits. Moreover he is not rushing out to acquire an L lens!


I am confused.... you say that the TS's kit lens (15-85mm) on 7D is not "wide enough", and you are suggesting to buy the 85F1.8 so that it's "wide enough" :think:


Am I missing something :dunno:
 

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I am confused.... you say that the TS's kit lens (15-85mm) on 7D is not "wide enough", and you are suggesting to buy the 85F1.8 so that it's "wide enough" :think:


Am I missing something :dunno:

What I said was not "NEARLY wide enough". Are you suggesting the 50F1.8 because it is? And when I said it made sense for TS to consider a portrait lens, notice I did not specify the 85mm. Since both the 50mm and 85mm under discussion are F1.8s, clearly that is not the differentiating factor. So yes, you did miss something! Sigh, we could go on forever if we want to nit-pick!
 

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:bsmilie::bsmilie: You peeps scare TS away!!! TS don't dare to respond already!!!

Of cos, budget prime lens def. will be 50mm f/1.8. that's without doubt.

To choose another prime for portrait? I will go for 100mm Macro lens. lol By the way, not canon macro though, there are pple in BnS selling 3rd party macro lens cheap. :)

Suggestion is to start off with the 50mm first. I'm not very much into Bokeh, so the 50mm suits me well. :)
 

What I said was not "NEARLY wide enough". Are you suggesting 50F1.8 because it is? And when I said it made sense for TS to consider a portrait lens, I did not state specifically the 85mm. Since both the 50mm and 85mm under discussion are F1.8s, clearly that is not the differentiating factor. Sigh, we could go on forever if we want to nit-pick!

I suppose you are referring to the aperture?
 

What I said was not "NEARLY wide enough". Are you suggesting 50F1.8 because it is? And when I said it made sense for TS to consider a portrait lens, I did not state specifically the 85mm. Since both the 50mm and 85mm under discussion are F1.8s, clearly that is not the differentiating factor. Sigh, we could go on forever if we want to nit-pick!

I am confused:confused: To me the 15-85mm kit lens had a wider variable aperture range and wider focal length... :think:

The 50F1.8 & 85F1.8 have a bigger constant aperture compare to the kit lens. If I had used the terms wrongly can any bros & pros please kindly correct my mistake? Thanks in advance. :)