Help me with Lenses and Future Buyer's Remorse

J

jrod81

Veteran
Still getting a feel for this whole SLR video route. I have a T2i right now and honestly have not been using it like I thought I would, but that should change as I just took a full time "online video" position.
I have been thinking of going with the gH2 for about a week now, but I think I am going to hold off on that and just keep my T2i for now and wait for Canon's next thing (even if that means waiting til the summer of 2011 I suppose).
I love the no file limit of the Gh2 but I just can't get excited about the lack of lenses.
So, I am about to make that plunge where I commit to a brand so i can start building up my lenses. I guess that means I am committing to Canon, keeping my T2i, and waiting for 7dII or whatever.
Here is my question... I understand that some lenses work for the 1.6 crop factor and some are full the full frame 5dII guys. I want to be smart with purchases though. Do I need to steer clear of the crop lenses just in case the next canon is a full frame? If so, how can I tell the difference in the lenses that are full frame and the ones that are crop?
 
EF-S lenses will not work on full frame and neither will certain other lenses from third parties that are "digital only" (or other names for them). The sigma 30 1.4 and the Tokina 11-16 are examples (though the tokina works on full frame without vignetting down to 15 or so). The best all around zoom lenses for your T2i are going to be for APS-C only lenses like the canon 17-55 2.8 IS, the Tamron 17-50 2.8 VC and the Sigma 17-50 2.8 OS. These lenses range from $1100-600 and include some form of image stabilization (IS, VC, OS whatever). This is essential for filmmakers as it minimizes micro jitters hand held. This is the range of lenses you hit in a basic set of prime lenses for a file camera setup (similar FOV to your T2i, so you should look to cover this range first as well) 18,25,35,50 & 85. see how these EF-S zooms cover almost the whole range you need? You would have to spend tons more to get the same coverage with primes that would work on full frame and L series zooms usually start at 24mm (and cost even more). So don't worry about EF-S unless you have tons of money to upgrade to full frame next year. It is the lenses that will be expensive, not the body so much.

If you are on a budget get the Tamron 17-50 2.8 VC for around $600. Shoot that for a while and see what else you want to add later. Look at vintage primes, the sigma 30 1.4, canon 50 1.4, Tokina 11-16 2.8, Canon 70-200 etc etc. You may even try renting first from lensrental.com . Take your time and don't have buyer's remotes later.
 
well old vintage manual primes (nikons, supertakumar ect) are a very good value and you are not tied to any brand. I have a 50mm supertakumar ($100) a 28mm yashica ($27). Both very good lenses. Just get the different adapters for them to mount onto whatever camera you have. these are old primes with aperature rings. And you are wrong about the gh2...it can support MORE lenses than the canons because of the mirrorless body. However if you want lenses that communicated with the camera and have no aperature rings and auto focusing in stills mode...then thats another matter. You can however get 4 manual old nikon ai lens for around $1000 in total.
 
I should add that if you have lots of money, you could go with much more expensive lenses but not see that much difference for video. High end lenses tend to give the most benefit to the stills side. Let us know if you would like a cost is not a factor option.
 
Get the Photodiox Pro adapter that lets you mount vintage nikon glass to your T2i - whichever way you jump in the future, you won't be out a bomb with these lenses
 
so do we think canon will continue with the crop for the next generation? my fear would be buying these EF-S lenses and then when the next 7d comes out not be able to use them... i have high hopes for the next canon getting rid of file size limits and having some audio metering on screen... if that does happen, i would like to think the my EF-S lenses would not be the reason i cannot "afford" to buy
 
well the manual primes are full frame. So cropped on the 7d. I dont have a prob with that cuz its the similar field of view i'd have if i was shooting with a 35m film camera or RED or whatever high end camera (7d sensor is almost the same size as super 35 film) http://www.abelcine.com/fov/. I wouldnt get ef-s lenses if i was thinking about future cameras. I want to change camera bodies (not dslr specific) not lenses. So i can't be tied down. manual primes allow me that freedom.

and the next gen 7d wont be full frame. thats what the 5d is for
 
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jrod81 said:
so do we think canon will continue with the crop for the next generation?
Click to expand...

You have to notice, of all video capable DSLRs, only Canon 5DmarkII and Nikon D3s have a full frame sensor. Canon 1DmarkIII has a smaller (APS-H) sensor, T2i, 7D and 60D have the same APS-C sized sensor, Nikon's D90, D300s and D7000 have a tiny bit larger APS-C sensor than Canon's, GH1 and GH2 have a smaller 4/3 sensor.

So only successors of the Canon 5DmarkII or 1DmarkIII will not support EF-S lenses.
 
still thinking I will go with the Tamron 17-50 for starters... now, there has been some argument on VC vs. non VC... what is the concensus?
 
Why NOT get IS is what I want to know. A simple switch on the lens turns it on and off if you don't want it, but its a miracle when you turn it on. But if its more about the quality of glass on different IS and non-IS models, I don't know there...
 
The non VC has been reviewed as sharper than the VC. I got the non-VC and am very happy - just as good as the ef-s 17-55 f2.8 canon lens I used to have, IMHO. Never used the VC so can't comment.
 
I should add that if you have lots of money, you could go with much more expensive lenses but not see that much difference for video. High end lenses tend to give the most benefit to the stills side. Let us know if you would like a cost is not a factor option.
Click to expand...

We are all entitled to our own opinions. Not trying to start a war but I don't agree with this quote. Trust me, throw a really good lens like a Zeiss or L glass and it will be worth it for video and you will see the difference. Go to the photography store and try it. It's those little differences that set the videos apart.
 
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