Canon's best lenses?

G'day Brendan, I think Canon has a wider range of lenses than Nikon at the moment, although that could change, but Nikon started making lenses for the digital market a long time after Canon. However, Nikon does have the edge when it come to compatability with their single mount system as opposed to Canon's three lens mounts. The advantage being that you can throw any Nikkor lens onto your camera no matter how old it is. I don't know too much about Nikon lenses because I use Canon, but the Nikon 'G' lenses are Nikon's professional range. ie Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G IF-ED AF-S. The picture quality from these lenses is outstanding and equal to the Canon 'L' series professional lenses (the lenses with the red circle in the end)... Nikon have recently brought out a few other pro lenses, ie. the new 200 f/2 (which Canon has had for years, used to be the f/1.8), and now Canon has excelled further with the new 200-400mm with a built-in 1.4x tele-converter... very innovative... I think Sigma has a similar 200-500mm with built-in 2x priced at 28k....

They are all good, and I like the build quality of both Nikon and Canon pro lenses... image quality of all of these is excellent....

Cheers...

This is a red herring. Nikon has had more mount changes than any other manufacturer I can think of (at least four, of the top of my head). They might keep the physical mount the same, but since the lens-to-camera couplings are different, they don't always work properly. Even today, not all Nikon lenses will work on all Nikon bodies. Far from it - the AF drive is different.
 
I was thinking 60D to start with .. thought the flip out screen may be useful for macro.

I would think its impossible to use a flip screen or any screen with a MP-E unless your shooting a static object on a tripod with a high quality focus rail
 
For a amateur who wants quality Nikon has little to match.
17-40mm F4
70-200mm F4

Worth special mention... Canons 17-55mm IS F2.8, hard to beat lens for crop bodies IMO.
 
I always understood that the Holy Trinity from any manufacture was a set of prime lenses and not zooms.

The standard Canon set being

85 1.2L
35 1.4L
135 2L

Now depending on what YOU shoot it may be different and would go along with Tony's (Kipax) choice of the 300 and 400 f2.8 Ls to be part of a list.
 
I was thinking 60D to start with .. thought the flip out screen may be useful for macro.

5D Mk2 is a good shout fro the quality. If you want the screen for focussing then look into an external lcd screen (say 10") and connect the the hdmi port, or shoot tethered?
 
5D Mk2 is a good shout fro the quality. If you want the screen for focussing then look into an external lcd screen (say 10") and connect the the hdmi port, or shoot tethered?


I honestly don't think it will go down too well if I say to the Mrs I am now buying a £1700 body because it's probably the best one for the lens that I paid over a grand for when I didn't have a camera it would fit.

I know summer is on the way but it's still cold in that garage at night.
 
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I think someone should have mentioned the 100mm 2.8L Macro. Okay, so I own it, but I have managed to get my hands on quite a few Canon L lenses that I don't actually own (I borrowed them!), including the really very good 70-200 2.8L and 16-35L and so on. All very good, but the 100mm is so sharp, it's crazy. And even if we're being objective, it's worth pointing out that it's a pretty cheap lens for an L. That said, I would like to get my hands on the 200mm f2. And for the record, I quite like my 50 mm 1.4 too.
 
This is a red herring. - the AF drive is different.


You're post is the red herring, the point, which I'm absolutely sure you are aware is that you can physically mount and take a flippin picture with 99% of Nikon lenses on 99% of Nikon body's.
You do not need AF, metering, VR or any other crap to take a picture, now get with the program Floppy...:D
 
You're post is the red herring, the point, which I'm absolutely sure you are aware is that you can physically mount and take a flippin picture with 99% of Nikon lenses on 99% of Nikon body's.
You do not need AF, metering, VR or any other crap to take a picture, now get with the program Floppy...:D

Haha! Well if "you do not need AF, metering, VR or any other crap" then you can pretty much fit any lens on any camera. If that's your definition of 'fit' ;)
 
Haha! Well if "you do not need AF, metering, VR or any other crap" then you can pretty much fit any lens on any camera. If that's your definition of 'fit' ;)

Not to mention that definition must include all Nikon lenses on Canon bodies. In this regard, Canon makes Nikon look like the limiting choice. :lol:
 
Not to mention that definition must include all Nikon lenses on Canon bodies. In this regard, Canon makes Nikon look like the limiting choice. :lol:

+ pentax K, olympus OM, M42, C/Y and leica R mounts can all be put on EF via adaptors. The only mount more adaptable than EF is M4/3 and sony NEX because they've got a flange distance more like a range finder.

The advantage of nikon is that with some bodies you retain some degree of auto diaphragm control with the older lenses.
 
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