Which 3 lenses for your 7d?

I guess we all have the same headache when it comes to lenses. You don't need more than 3-4 lenses but which ones... I have 7 and that's to many.

Anyone who have used a fast prime know it's something special. The Canon L series are great lenses as are the Nikkors D series. I could live with either and I think it's better to buy one great lens and when budget allows go for the next great lens. Stay away from zooms except the wide ones and maybe a 70-200/2.8 if you want to take stills.
 
I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to lenses.....I'm getting the 18x135 Zoom as part of a 7D kit that I am purchasing. I'm assuming that, when accounting for the 1.6 crop factor, this will allow me to approximate a 35mm-style image?

Can anyone recommend one really great lense that I can use with my 7D to approximate a 35mm image? Zeiss/Hasselblad/Nikon/Canon?
 
I'd go with an old manual Nikon 1.8 AI instead of the Canon EF 50 mm f/1.8 II. They're cheap on ebay and IMO a better image and much better bokeh.

I just got the Sigma 50mm 1.4 and absolutely love the image. Pretty stunning to me, but pricier - around $500 and heavier if that matters to you. Definitely worth a look if you're considering the Canon 50mm 1.4 which is around $400 i think.

I'd recommend using primes as well. In general they tend to look better to me and are much faster because don't we all want to shoot in the dark. I think the L glass is beautiful and those lenses hold their value well. I've been buying lenses on craigslist, trying them out, and selling again if I decide not to keep. So far I think I'm actually ahead $25 with this practice. I'm still a bit shy of buying lenses on ebay though. I like to see the glass before I buy.

For what it's worth the kit I've pretty much settled on is this -

Tokina 11-16mm 2.8. Very nice wide, fast and sharp, built quality is good, minimal distortion for the range. Love it.

Canon 24mm 1.4L . This things Expensive!! - probably too much. But I got a good price and it works out to be a perfect field of view for my everyday and steadicam work. There seems to be a lot of other less expensive options in this range. But this does look good and will hold its value for a long time as it's pretty much brand new.

Sigma 50mm 1.4 . I love this lens. I had about 5 different 50's here at the same time, including the Canon 1.2L. This was my favorite - even without considering the fact that it is less than half the price. Check out the sample pictures on the web or better yet buy one and see for yourself. I still like the Nikon manual primes though. Can't beat those lens for less than $100.

Canon 100mm 2.8 USM Macro - This is a pretty specialty lens. I needed a macro for something I was shooting. Got this one. It looks beautiful and I decided to keep. I've been shooting lots with it.

Canon 80-200 2.8L. Haven't used it for anything other than tests. Looks good though. Is the IS that helpful?

Cheers,
Anthony
 
Just ordered the Canon 18-50 2.8. Jeeze, half the price of the camera. Plan on getting the 70-200 2.8L IS once one of my stocks explodes - it's as expensive AS the camera. Hopefully that happens soons.
 
yachtclubav said:
I'd go with an old manual Nikon 1.8 AI instead of the Canon EF 50 mm f/1.8 II. They're cheap on ebay and IMO a better image and much better bokeh.

I just got the Sigma 50mm 1.4 and absolutely love the image. Pretty stunning to me, but pricier - around $500 and heavier if that matters to you. Definitely worth a look if you're considering the Canon 50mm 1.4 which is around $400 i think.

I'd recommend using primes as well. In general they tend to look better to me and are much faster because don't we all want to shoot in the dark. I think the L glass is beautiful and those lenses hold their value well. I've been buying lenses on craigslist, trying them out, and selling again if I decide not to keep. So far I think I'm actually ahead $25 with this practice. I'm still a bit shy of buying lenses on ebay though. I like to see the glass before I buy.

For what it's worth the kit I've pretty much settled on is this -

Tokina 11-16mm 2.8. Very nice wide, fast and sharp, built quality is good, minimal distortion for the range. Love it.

Canon 24mm 1.4L . This things Expensive!! - probably too much. But I got a good price and it works out to be a perfect field of view for my everyday and steadicam work. There seems to be a lot of other less expensive options in this range. But this does look good and will hold its value for a long time as it's pretty much brand new.

Sigma 50mm 1.4 . I love this lens. I had about 5 different 50's here at the same time, including the Canon 1.2L. This was my favorite - even without considering the fact that it is less than half the price. Check out the sample pictures on the web or better yet buy one and see for yourself. I still like the Nikon manual primes though. Can't beat those lens for less than $100.

Canon 100mm 2.8 USM Macro - This is a pretty specialty lens. I needed a macro for something I was shooting. Got this one. It looks beautiful and I decided to keep. I've been shooting lots with it.

Canon 80-200 2.8L. Haven't used it for anything other than tests. Looks good though. Is the IS that helpful?

Cheers,
Anthony
Click to expand...


I like the way this guy thinks.

Please, though, throw some Zeiss in there. =D
 
Ha ! well thanks. I did shoot a music video with a set of the Zeiss primes. Newer ones - i don't have much experience with them or really know them. Of course they looked good, but hmmmm maybe too sharp for me or something? I don't know just didn't excite me that much - especially enough for the price difference.

That said i'm also the guy that was shooting all my stuff for a few months auto ISO on a D90 cause i actually liked the flicker and thought it was interesting. kinda super 8mm? i'd throw a nikon 50mm 1.8 AI on there and handhold it all day with the ISO going nuts and the wobble just having a field day. Whatever, for what i was doing (fashion promos) it looked cool and the clients were stoked.

All said and done Zeiss 24mm pops up on craigslist i'm on it. And i'll keep making crap in the meantime.
 
I just received the brand new Canon 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 lens. Hopefully this covers most of the focal lengths I need with good quality. I was about to go with two lenses at 400 dollars each to coever these focal lengths, but I decided to go with one for 800 to do the job.
 
I liked the 15-85mm although I didn't get to play with one long, it feels well built and has the next generation IS system in it. The 15mm wide end really does make quite a big difference over the standard 17mm / 18mm wide end of most other kit lenses and the fact that it's also a telephoto at 85mm is a bonus.
 
After trying several lenses, including L's, this is what I've narrowed it down to for the time being...

Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8
Sigma 30mm f/1.4
Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8
+
Canon 2x II Extender
Canon 25 II Extension Tube

Ash
www.iniosante.com
 
24-70L 2.8, 70-200L 2.8IS, 16-35L 2.8 will cover you for zooms. Why skimp on an investment that will last a lifetime? I have a few L primes on top of these.
 
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Here are my choices:

Kit lens 18-135.

Sigma 24mm f/1.8

Canon 35mm f/2

Canon 50mm f/1.4

Opteka 85mm 1.4

I'll rent a 20mm or 15mm as needed, and may buy either of the two as money becomes available.

These 4 primes total about $1500, and only the Sigma is not a full frame lens so I should be able to get a good return on my investment. I've already got the 50mm 1.4, and love it. You can shoot with 100 watt bulbs at ISO 640 cleanly and it has great DOF.

I've got 2 ND 8 filters and 58 to 76mm filter adapters so that I can use them in bright sunlight.

Now I need a follow focus and viewfinder. A matte box is optional, but I will probably get one as well. I'm considering the Indian company on Ebay for these items. I'm trying to stay on a budget and am very happy about what I will have been able to put together for under $4000.
 
This is my first DSLR & I don't have a big budget. As of now this is my arsenal.

Kit lens 28-135mm
Canon 50mm 1.4
Sigma 30mm 1.4 (just purchased 20 seconds ago from B&H! next day air.. shooting a concert this Friday!)

I love the 50mm 1.4 but realized I wanted wider shots a lot.
 
I initially bought the Canon 17-55 EF-S 2.8 IS lens to go with my 7D but i wasn't happy with the zoom range as it was too wide for me, so I immediately took it back and upgraded to the Canon 24-70mm 2.8L which is my main goto lens on the 7D. I am also a first time DSLR user.

I am selling a Sigma 10mm 2.8 Fisheye on eBay that I just bought a month ago and only used 4x if anybody is looking for a good deal
on that lens. - http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160374995720

I hope to get a Tokina 11-16mm and some 1.2 L series Primes in the future.
 
I change my mind every 10 minutes on what lenses to get. I think I will get the tokina 11-16 back after selling one cause I was hard up for cash(bad move). I am also going for a 70-200 f/2.8 but not sure whether to go is or not, basically just waiting to see what i can get the best deal on. I already have the 28-135 as an all around carry lens and a 50mm 1.8 which I will eventually upgrade back to the 1.4. That should keep me satisfied for about a day or so.
 
DadinWestchester said:
24-70L 2.8, 70-200L 2.8IS, 16-35L 2.8 will cover you for zooms. Why skimp on an investment that will last a lifetime? I have a few L primes on top of these.
Click to expand...

That's EXACTLY what I would get if I had over 3500 to spend on glass. I would add in a 14mm prime too.

Instead my current setup is a Sigma 14mm 3.5 (the older one), Canon 28mm 1.8, and a Nikon 105mm Macro lens. Over time I'll add some old nikon primes to this. Ideally a 20, 50, 85, and maybe a 70-200 zoom or at least something longer than 105.
 
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