Assembling A Kit Of Lenses For A Canon 600D

W

Wilbur Rockefeller Swain

New member
I apologise in advance for not mining through the threads, but there is a ton of information on these forums that doesn't help me distinguish one lens from the other.

I'm buying a 600D as a starter camera to shoot some shorts and learn the fundamentals of cinematography. However, I have no idea what lenses to go for. I've decided that for the sake of cutting costs, I will go for a range of second hand SLR lenses.

I've read filmmakers usually like to stick to one brand: Canon, Nikon, Zeiss or Leica. And that Zeiss and Leica ones are the best.

But there are so many models within each brand I have no idea what to go for, and I'm completely lost on the details provided by sellers on eBay. Could someone please tell me what brand and range of lenses a beginner should go for, who is willing to part with up to £1000 for them? Also, where is good to buy them used?

I'm mainly going for shooting films that look as cinematic as possible. The further from reality the lens shoots, the better, but a versatile lens will always be welcome.

Thanks.
 
Get the Pentax or Nikon 50/1.4, and start with that, and keep the 18-55IS kit lens that comes with the camera.
 
Kin Lau said:
Get the Pentax or Nikon 50/1.4, and start with that, and keep the 18-55IS kit lens that comes with the camera.
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I agree with that. I upgraded from the 18-55 to the Tamron 17-50 when I got the 60D but the 18-55 wasn't a bad lens at all. The Nikon and other manual lenses are great, but you will have to take care in focusing. It's not like the old days where you could monitor through the lens and keep focus. The small view screen is very deceiving when focusing especially when stopped all the way down in bright light.
In those cases it is much safer to quick focus with the auto focus function between takes when the camera isn't rolling. You may not be able to tell exactly what is in focus, but your cameras target will lock on and hit the mark most of the time.
The right lens for the right situation. The 18-55 is a great starter plus it has IS as a bonus to experiment with for future lens purchases.
You might also consider the Canon 50mm 1.8. The casing is cheap but so is the price and it's sharp with auto focus when you need it.
 
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Shoot with the kit zoom. Once you learn which focal lengths work best for your stories, and your skill level demands, then purchase the needed lenses.
 
zooms vs primes (just in case you're a beginner): http://www.similaar.com/foto/tuten/110.html - my lens recommendations for canon: http://www.similaar.com/foto/equipment/us_lensc.html - vintage glass is kind of a lottery: http://www.similaar.com/foto/lenstests/lenstestsc.html - and still I went for a collection of leitz (leica) lenses, which I'm totally in love with, check out my sharpness and bokeh tests: http://www.similaar.com/foto/lenstests/lenstestsa.html - http://www.similaar.com/foto/lenstests/lenstestsa.html - and,l again, just in case you're a beginner, what is bokeh and how to interpret my tests: http://www.similaar.com/foto/tuten/330.html
 
Depending on your level of comfort, I agree it's good to start with an affordable zoom until you learn what focal lengths you like at this sensor size. Primes are wonderful but you want to used them in controlled situations where you know exactly what you want.
 
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