T2i Overwhelmed by lenses

Hawk Teflon

Hawk Teflon

Veteran
I've been used to having a DVX100b. It has a lens built into it. I didn't add a 35mm adapter to it, so I have little lens knowledge. When I bought my T2i, I was told I'd soon "outgrow" the kit lens. I had no idea why.

Now I understand. It's not what I need for video.

It's a pretty daunting task looking for lenses, and trying to find out what it is I'm looking for. I know that I want a constant aperture. That's key.

So in your opinion, what is the best lens to pick up next, and why? I was looking at a 35mm lens, reading up on it, and liking what I was reading. So I clicked "Buy" and it sent me to B&H with a $1400 price tag. I'll be honest. I can't quite afford that. BUT I also don't want to buy a lens I'm not going to like, so I don't want to cheap out on it, either.

I think 2.4f is really as low as I need to go. The 1.4 I've used before is shallow and isn't ideal for handheld. At least not for me.
 
So, if I understand correctly, if the kit lens was faster, you'd be happy. Why not the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8? You can get it with VC (aka IS); however, I've read that the VC version is not simply the respected non-VC with VC. I have the non-VC and am quite pleased; it ain't a Canon L lens but you get a lot of bang for your buck.
 
Not for video, unless I'm doing something wrong. The aperture isn't constant on this one. When I move from light to dark, it closes or opens on it's own. Not a fan of that.

EDIT: I see a lot about "L lenses" ... are those the best?
 
Hawk-

My first lens purchase for the 7D was the canon 17-55mm f2.8 EF-S lens, and if I could only have one lens, it would be that one. I've since added a bunch of glass to my kit, including some primes and telephoto zooms, but that 17-55mm is the one that's almost ALWAYS on my T2i or 7D.
 
stage 1. Overwhelmed
stage 2. Bank balance drops
stage 3. Bank balance at zero
stage 4. Borrowing, begging, stealing
stage 5. Glassaholics Anonymous (see you there!)
 
If I'm looking at the right lens, that's right at $1200. While lower than $1400, it's still a little higher than what I was anticipating on paying as of yet.

OR do I need to just save longer (it would be a long time before I could purchase something like that) and pay the higher price?
 
Best thing to do is check…

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/board/10

(You may have to join to view the ads, but it's worth it.) There's more great lens deals at Fred Miranda than you could imagine. I've bought almost all of my lenses through that site, and never once been scammed or screwed.

That lens is worth the money, and even more so if you can get one second-hand (for $800-900).
 
If memory serves correctly, I've seen used Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS lenses at B&H for about $900. I agree that this lens is your finest choice but knew your funds were limited when suggesting the Tamron. Read about it here, btw.
 
I had the kit lens (with the changing aperture) for about a week, and then bought the Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 VC like Jordan suggested. It feels like a good catch-all lens to start with. You get pretty wide, you get a little long, it's a constant f2.8. (note: for a zoom lens you're not going to get lower than a f2.8). Best of all it only cost me $564 new from an authorized dealer on ebay (after bing/ebates/rebate).

I've also used the Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS a lot recently, it's a better lens. I particularly find that the Tamron's focus ring is a little too loose for my liking. But is it twice the price better? Not for my needs. Instead I figure to buy the Tokina 11-16 and essentially buy two lenses for the price of one. After that I'm going to be looking for an 85 prime perhaps, or something to fill out that longer void.

For other lenses I suggest checking out the "List of great EOS lenses" post in the lens section. Some seriously useful info there.
 
stage6. recovery or alternative addictions.

for video, do not underestimate the potential of cheap 3rd party glass from the last century. you'd be using mostly manual mode anyways so why not forget about autofocus and get some good solid performer for very cheap over ebay and second hand shops...
a few cheap adapters allow to mount many many interesting items for just about a couple hundreds... (OM zuikos, M42 primes, etc... and more being discussed at cinema5D forums in the lens section.)
 
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I strongly think that the nifty 50 should be every one's first lens purchase.

Why?

Its only $99.
It takes beautiful pictures (a bit soft, but they look nice)
Its the Smallest and Lightest your camera will ever be. (although I just learned there are pancake lenses from olympus!)

Because its cheap and small its the ideal lens for taking camping/hiking/shooting on the beach, etc. any situation where you might be traveling and not want tons of gear with you.


I think shooting with the kit lens and the 1.8 50mm can give youa a good idea if you want to invest in zooms or primes. I choose primes and bought the canon 1.8 28mm and 85mm.

My kit lens is for photos, the primes are for video.
 
stephenmick said:
My first lens purchase for the 7D was the canon 17-55mm f2.8 EF-S lens, and if I could only have one lens, it would be that one. I've since added a bunch of glass to my kit, including some primes and telephoto zooms, but that 17-55mm is the one that's almost ALWAYS on my T2i or 7D.
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Same here except on a T2i. You can get a refurb 17-55 with 1yr warranty from Adorama's eBay store for $800 after Bing/eBates/eBay Bucks - when they're in stock.

The Tamron 17-50 VC is a great alternative, but it doesn't have full time manual focusing. I do use FTM a lot on my 17-55, so it was worth paying more.
 
I believe the best answer to your question is the Canon F/1.4 50mm. On a T2i that's about an 80mm lens. It's a prime lens ("constant aperture") so you need to zoom with your legs (walk away, walk closer). Wide open it's shallow and dreamy, mid range it's sharp and near perfect, stopped down it's fine for landscapes. Price is about $350. I'm not certain if this is what you were referring to with "isn't ideal for handheld," -- which I don't understand, because the T2i isn't ideal for handheld video regardless of the lens.

Don't confuse this lens with the $99 F/1.8 50mm from Canon. It's a bargain at $99, but that's the best thing about it.

The best lens is the new Canon mount manual focus Zeiss 50mm -- that's around $800 -- and in my opinion trounces Canon "L" glass in terms of imaging. But, "L" lenses are "weather sealed" -- so perhaps that's worth an additional five hundred or a thousand. Also, the Zeiss is manual focus only.
 
AGMedia said:
I'm not certain if this is what you were referring to with "isn't ideal for handheld," -- which I don't understand, because the T2i isn't ideal for handheld video regardless of the lens.
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Allow me to clarify: I'm desiring something without such a shallow plane of focus. We use the 1.4 (Nikon) here at work, and it's great because everything is stationary. The talent, the camera, everything. But when I'm trying to get some video of someone running at me, it's tough to keep them in focus with a 1.4. That's all I meant.

Thank you to all who are responding. I'm checking into each and every one of these lenses. I've been told to stick with Canon lenses, as when you buy cheaper you'll regret it and possibly have to go back and buy the Canon anyway. Do you find this true or false?
 
false

i prefer my AIS 50/1.4 over the canon EF 50/1.4 and its a third of the price
another great example is the tokina 11-16 beats the canon 10-22 no contest
 
Without knowing what you use the camera for, it's hard to recommend some lenses to you. There have been some great suggestions on here and I will second (or third) the Tamron 17-50 with VC. Your second purchase should be a fast 70-200 2.8. With those two lenses, you should be good to go for 95% of your shooting needs. As for primes, I would look in the 28-35mm range if you want a casual walk around lens as 50 is too telephoto for casual shooting on a crop sensor like the t2i.

I would also second the idea of building up your lens collection with vintage lenses. I put together this reel with nothing but old glass. The most expensive lens on here (the 55mm 1.4) cost me only $40......

http://vimeo.com/10197920

Hope this helps!
 
For the most part, I'll be using this camera for shorts (video, not clothing). I'm not in dire need of anything long range, really.

Vintage lenses ... hmmm ... do pawn shops carry these?
 
Hawk Teflon said:
For the most part, I'll be using this camera for shorts (video, not clothing). I'm not in dire need of anything long range, really.

Vintage lenses ... hmmm ... do pawn shops carry these?
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You might get lucky at a Pawn Shop but the best sources for vintage lenses are Ebay, Craig's List, www.keh.com, adorama.com, and bhphoto.com. This is a great search engine if you're looking for primes on Ebay.... http://primes.decentattempt.com/list. Good luck!
 
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