Beginner Best lenses

friesianfan69

friesianfan69

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Donna
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Just bought a camera ( 5d mkiii )
I eventually want to buy canon 70-200 mkii
But in the meantime I want some thing up to £300 to take photos of kids, dogs x horses etc.
Any ideas ?
 
Best and £300 isn't in the same sentence, but I can recommend some good lenses at £300 range.

Canon 85/1.8 is decent, and one of the best bang for buck.

The Canon 50/1.4 is good but not the best, as the Sigma is not a lot more relatively speaking and that is much better.

There are no best zooms for £300, they all pretty much are crap as they are the entry level zooms.
 
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Yes that's what I meant best for my money .
I'm taking used to not brand new
 
friesianfan69 said:
Yes that's what I meant best for my money .
I'm taking used to not brand new
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The only lenses I would get in that range is the 85/1.8, and the 50/1.4 really. i have taken some memorable photos with those and they have served me well. But all the zooms in that price range are not what I consider good, not even good for the money.
 
The Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM is full frame and is actually pretty good for the money: https://www.canon.co.uk/lenses/ef-70-300mm-f-4-5-6-is-usm-lens/

The build quality isn't great but the optics are reasonably good. I compared it against a Sigma 70-300 and the Canon 70-300 DO IS and it is significantly better than either of those.

Here's a good review: http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-70-300mm-f-4-5.6-IS-USM-Lens-Review.aspx.

For a step up in performance over that within your budget you could try to find a used Canon EF 70-200 F/4 L with or without IS. You lose some focal length but you gain a stop of light and better optics.
 
It depends on how far you can stretch £300.MPB have a few Sigma 150-500's in the £420-450 range or alternatively see if you can find one of the old ( Non OS) Sigma 50-500's, they should be pretty cheap now
 
EF85mm f/1.8 is an excellent lens. Very pleased with mine which was purchased on here via the classified section, though I'm using it on a 7DII rather than a 5DIII.
 
+1 for the 85/1.8 great for portraits. Indoors it can be tight for space so 50/1.8 or 35/2 may be better.
 
I might be approaching this from the wrong angle, but if you just want something to see you by until you get your preferred lenses, a second-hand Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM shouldn't cost too much (a lot less than £300), has a useful zoom range for many purposes and should be good enough as a stop-gap/fall-back. I've only ever used mine on an APS-C body and when it comes to equipment, I'm not the most critical person, but I've been happy with it.
 
If 70-200 is what you want - go second hand pick up a 70-200 l f4 lens - no is and not the same aperture - but pretty ne when you want to upgrade you can sell again for pretty much the same price - second hand lenses are great value and rarely degrade unless kept in bad conditions
 
You're painted into a corner, the 70-200 f4L is your best bet if you can stretch to one.

But I can't help saying that I personally can't 'afford' a 5dIII :( Because I prioritised my cash on training, lenses and lighting (the bits that make the most difference to the quality of my images).:cool:

For the cost of the 5dIII you could have got an 80d and a set of quality lenses, it never makes sense to overspend on a camera body, but it's almost impossible to stop some people doing it anyway.
 
Phil V said:
it never makes sense to overspend on a camera body, but it's almost impossible to stop some people doing it anyway.
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If I had £1 for every time I've said something like that, I could buy you a 5D Mark III.
 
Phil V said:
You're painted into a corner, the 70-200 f4L is your best bet if you can stretch to one.

But I can't help saying that I personally can't 'afford' a 5dIII :( Because I prioritised my cash on training, lenses and lighting (the bits that make the most difference to the quality of my images).:cool:

For the cost of the 5dIII you could have got an 80d and a set of quality lenses, it never makes sense to overspend on a camera body, but it's almost impossible to stop some people doing it anyway.
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I know but after reading reviews and getting advice here and other places, the 5d mkiii kept coming up as the best choice.
Yes it does mean I'll be stuck on lenses for a bit but I think it will be worth it in the end.
 
friesianfan69 said:
I know but after reading reviews and getting advice here and other places, the 5d mkiii kept coming up as the best choice.
Yes it does mean I'll be stuck on lenses for a bit but I think it will be worth it in the end.
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It's your money...

But you're not shooting pictures 'in the end', if you need a wide angle tomorrow, you can't shoot it, if you need a tell lens, you can't shoot, if you need...

If you'd bought a lesser camera with more kit, you'd be able to shoot now, you'd be learning, and practicing and learning, then when the camera is the weak link, you could afford to buy the 'better' camera.

Enjoy your camera, don't let rambling oldfools like me spoil your fun.
 
Phil V said:
It's your money...

But you're not shooting pictures 'in the end', if you need a wide angle tomorrow, you can't shoot it, if you need a tell lens, you can't shoot, if you need...

If you'd bought a lesser camera with more kit, you'd be able to shoot now, you'd be learning, and practicing and learning, then when the camera is the weak link, you could afford to buy the 'better' camera.

Enjoy your camera, don't let rambling oldfools like me spoil your fun.
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I wouldn't [emoji28]
But rambling fools like you are the ones we learn from and I totally get what your saying.
Just means I wait a bit longer for my bigger lens but I'll manage.
 
get the 50/1.8
It's a great lens.
Anything else than the 70-200 /2.8 ii will just be a compromise and you will double up on lenses.

If you want to shoot wider, then the 17-40 is a great shout - and £300 should secure one (used).
In fact, i might put the one I have up for sale as I just don't use it. Keep grabbing the 70-200 and 50.....
 
friesianfan69 said:
I wouldn't [emoji28]
But rambling fools like you are the ones we learn from and I totally get what your saying.
Just means I wait a bit longer for my bigger lens but I'll manage.
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In that case (and also after reading your other threads), I think that waiting for the 70-200 and putting your £300 towards it is your best option.
 
friesianfan69 said:
I wouldn't [emoji28]
But rambling fools like you are the ones we learn from and I totally get what your saying.
Just means I wait a bit longer for my bigger lens but I'll manage.
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You learn from us yes, but we said not to buy the 5d mk3 yet but you did anyway, and now only have £300 to sped on a lens! :( TBH you'd have been better off buying a 60 / 80d or 700 / 760d and a 70-200 f/4 (or f/2.8 if Sigma) and a couple of nice primes!

A poor / cheap lens on an expensive body is bad, and is no where near as potent as a good lens on a 'cheaper' body :)

Enjoy the 5d3, it's all the camera you'll (and most of us) will ever need but pleeeease, buy some good lenses for it and save your money if you can't right now (and use your 50mm!).
 
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odd jim said:
You learn from us yes, but we said not to buy the 5d mk3 yet but you did anyway, and now only have £300 to sped on a lens! :( TBH you'd have been better off buying a 60 / 80d or 700 / 760d and a 70-200 f/4 (or f/2.8 if Sigma) and a couple of nice primes!

A poor / cheap lens on an expensive body is bad, and is no where near as potent as a good lens on a 'cheaper' body :)

Enjoy the 5d3, it's all the camera you'll (and most of us) will ever need but pleeeease, buy some good lenses for it and save your money if you can't right now (and use your 50mm!).
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Yes I will buy decent lens, promise [emoji16]
 
Raymond Lin said:
Best and £300 isn't in the same sentence, but I can recommend some good lenses at £300 range.

Canon 85/1.8 is decent, and one of the best bang for buck.

The Canon 50/1.4 is good but not the best, as the Sigma is not a lot more relatively speaking and that is much better.

There are no best zooms for £300, they all pretty much are crap as they are the entry level zooms.
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Actually just picked up an 85 1.8 canon lens to shove on my MK3. I'm already in love with it for it's price range. I managed to snag it for £200 on ebay. In the past I've used the big ol' 85 1.2 II before and that was a beast and a half, but for £1000 extra, I honestly think the 1.8 is pretty decent.
 
elliotedwards said:
Actually just picked up an 85 1.8 canon lens to shove on my MK3. I'm already in love with it for it's price range. I managed to snag it for £200 on ebay. In the past I've used the big ol' 85 1.2 II before and that was a beast and a half, but for £1000 extra, I honestly think the 1.8 is pretty decent.
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The Canon 85mm f/1.8 is a great lens, one of my favourites.
 
Or you can use this to your advantage.

Don't get a jack of all trade crappy zoom, get a prime, stick with that focal length and trust me over time you will learn that lens and focal length like the back of your hand and when you have more money to get another prime, you start again.

Eventually your photos will be better for it.

I often go traveling with just 1 lens, you learn to not to photograph everything because you know you can't, once you can let go of that and accept that is okay, then you focus on what you can photograph and make the most of it what you can do. Sandboxing yourself like this I find at least for me is both liberating and extremely useful learning experience in both the gear and myself as a photographer.
 
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There may be some jealousy that you have a pretty great camera, I would love one, but am not in that position financially, nor so I believe it will provide a big step to my 6d for my use.

Good for you for getting it, now make a decision in the lens and let's see some of the results. As mentioned previously, it may be that money might be better used in training. Shame to see a good camera lens combo not being utilised.....
 
Meeten said:
There may be some jealousy that you have a pretty great camera, I would love one, but am not in that position financially, nor so I believe it will provide a big step to my 6d for my use.

Good for you for getting it, now make a decision in the lens and let's see some of the results. As mentioned previously, it may be that money might be better used in training. Shame to see a good camera lens combo not being utilised.....
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It's not jealousy!

Before slinging insults around, you could do some homework on the OP's previous trials and tribulations.

My gear stands at around enough to buy multiple 5dIII's (10-12?), that I can't 'afford' a 5dIII, is a tale about priorities, not a lack of resources, it's not jealousy, it's smart choices.

Photography isn't about 'cameras', which is the point of those posts.
 
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Btw, once upon a time I went and sold all my EF-S mount and bought a 5D2 and for a few weeks I had no lenses. Then I bought a 50/1.4 and slowly built from there and only getting "good" lenses.

Then I got a 16-35L which I still have today and then a 24-70L which I still have, then 135L which I too still have, I also picked up a 85/1.8 which I kept for 6 years (now have 85/1.2).

The 50/1.4 I kept for 7 years before getting the Sigma Art version.

It takes time to build up lenses this way but you will keep them for much longer and save more money in the long run.
 
Meeten said:
There may be some jealousy that you have a pretty great camera, I would love one, but am not in that position financially, nor so I believe it will provide a big step to my 6d for my use.

Good for you for getting it, now make a decision in the lens and let's see some of the results. As mentioned previously, it may be that money might be better used in training. Shame to see a good camera lens combo not being utilised.....
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And we don't have a good body / lens combo yet!
 
double post
 
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Phil V said:
It's not jealousy!

Before slinging insults around, you could do some homework on the OP's previous trials and tribulations.

My gear stands at around enough to buy multiple 5dIII's (10-12?), that I can't 'afford' a 5dIII, is a tale about priorities, not a lack of resources, it's not jealousy, it's smart choices.

Photography isn't about 'cameras', which is the point of those posts.
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Steady on tiger - no one said you can't afford 1 or multiple bodies - I was referring to some (inc myself) that would 'like' to have a superior body.
Put a great body with a great lens, and some competence and you can get great results (hence the comment, which I agree on you about training or 'smart choices' as you call it).

Not sure how that equates to an insult, having looked at the OP's previous trials and tribulations .... training with a 6d, 80d or 5d iii would still help to take pics of the 2 german shepherds.
Nothing wrong with a bit of indulgence surely? ;-)
 
Meeten said:
Steady on tiger - no one said you can't afford 1 or multiple bodies - I was referring to some (inc myself) that would 'like' to have a superior body.
Put a great body with a great lens, and some competence and you can get great results (hence the comment, which I agree on you about training or 'smart choices' as you call it).

Not sure how that equates to an insult, having looked at the OP's previous trials and tribulations .... training with a 6d, 80d or 5d iii would still help to take pics of the 2 german shepherds.
Nothing wrong with a bit of indulgence surely? ;-)
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As long as you make the most of the body by using a decent lens :)
 
Hazza said:
As my old and wise physics teacher once said, you can spend as much as you like on a camera, but if you're using a beer bottle as a lens you're going to get s*** results!
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Exactly why I said decent lens
 
There is a 35mm EF f 2.0 if you want a prime designed for full frame that doesn't cost the earth.

I used to own one and it made the 50mm 1.8 ii seem like very slow focusing junk in comparison.

I made a huge error selling it when I thought I was switching to Nikon.
 
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