Perfect Canon Lens Selection?

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Graelwyn

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I am interested in what people would say is the perfect selection of Canon lenses to own, that would cover all ranges... and pullease don't make them all L glass lol.

I just want to know what else I need to add in the future.

Thanks.
 
marky_h said:
What you need to add depends entirely on what you want to shoot. There's no correct or incorrect answer.
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I shoot a large variety, to be honest, and ultimately, I would wish to end up with a selection of lenses that covers most possibilities, with the focus more on portraiture, landscape, wildlife and architecture. Only things I do not do are sports and really fast action stuff.

Thus far, I will have

28-135 mm IS usm
90-400mm tokina
100mm macro
70-200mm f4 L

I aim to get a 10-20mm and a 50 mm, but would I be better swapping the 28-135 for something like an 17-55 or 18-70 or somesuch ?
 
My first choice would have to be the Canon 135mm f2 L. It has taken a little getting used to it is an absolute gem of a lens ....crystal clear and sharp as a razor.......lovely!:D It certainly deserves it's name as the best Canon lens.
I know not everyone will agree but the 24-105mm is also a great lens.
The only lens I'd like to add to my collection is a Canon 200mm f2 L and a 2x extender.
 
Ok. That's quite a wide selection of subjects, which covers most focal lengths. There are many folk on here more experienced than I, but I've yet to find a subject that my kit bag can't make a decent stab at (check my profile for details) - they are mostly L's, though, sorry :).
 
Yep marky is right, it depends on what kind of photography you do.

For me, my perfect setup would be (and sorry i'm going to list a load of L glass becuase they really are excellent, worth the extra money):

16-35mm f/2.8 L
24-70mm f/2.8 L
70-200mm f/2.8 L IS
400mm f/2.8 L IS

I'm pretty happy with my current setup though, got a 17-40, 70-200 and 50 so pretty nice range. Just an expensive hobby that I can't afford to pay for at the moment :D

As for your selection, what kind of photography do you do? It will help people reply with what lenses would suit your shots :)


EDIT: nevermind, people replied faster...
 
I tend to shoot mostly cars, allthough i've been shooting a bit of animal/people recently to see how i fend at it. But at the minute, i'd say i'm pritty much equiped for what I need at the moment.

Got my 18-55mm kit lens for this 'n' that, my 75-300mm for the longer shots, and my nifty fifty which i tend to be using most at the minute.

I agree with others, it's what you shoot that should deturmine what you own, allthough a nice rounded set of lenses is a must...maybe?
 
definitely seems you're lacking something for portraits with a massive aperture for serious background blurring. Was it you asking about low-price lenses on the other thread?

Well anyway as an alternative to the 135mm F2 there is the 135mm F2.8 which can be had new for about £150 which is also a nice sharp lens. I've just added an 85mm F1.8 to my set up, which gets good reviews and is about £200.
 
pearce_jj said:
definitely seems you're lacking something for portraits with a massive aperture for serious background blurring. Was it you asking about low-price lenses on the other thread?

Well anyway as an alternative to the 135mm F2 there is the 135mm F2.8 which can be had new for about £150 which is also a nice sharp lens. I've just added an 85mm F1.8 to my set up, which gets good reviews and is about £200.
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Yes, I was asking about low price 50mm 1.8 lens.
I am gonna be doing portraits in a studio...so not sure best lens for that.
 
others will know better than I, but I would have thought 50mm f/1.8 and 85mm f/1.8 would be good choices on a crop body
 
If you're serious about architecture, get a perspective correction (tilt and shift) lens.
 
For maximum bang-for-buck and a kit that you can carry around (a lens you leave at home is not much use right?) it almost always makes sense to get three zooms - wide, normal and tele - and a couple of primes for special circumstances.

For landscape and architecture you will mainly use the wide and tele end. For wildlife only the tele, for portraiture mainly the 50-85 range and for street or party scenes mainly 17-40mm. Worth bearing in mind if your purpose would mean more lens changes.

Note I'm a nikon owner but I know what's available for the Canon system so I will give you two line-ups and you can take them for what they're worth. :)

Lighter zooms list:
A very short focal length but widely acclaimed as the sharpest wide angle this side of a grand. Speed is a nice bonus though not a major issue on a lens this wide.
On the nikon system this has everyone buzzing for its price/weight and good IQ. If you expect to move up to the 5D in the near future then get the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 USM L but otherwise this will do the trick.
A cheap light 5x zoom with good performance and IS. Slow but if you aren't doing sports or action you will not notice the difference for 99% of shots.

Heavier zooms list:Another great wide with a more useful, stay-on-camera zoom range.Great range for a portrait lens in APC format cameras and DOF to match.You shouldn't be able to get this IQ in a 5x zoom but you can, and it's cheap. Again, slow, but if you aren't doing sports or action you will not notice the difference for 99% of shots.

And finally with both kits throw in a Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM for serious portraiture work with razor thin DOF.

http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos will help you a lot I think.
 
to be fair, asking for peoples perfect canon lens selection, your not going to get much other than L glass.
 
to be fair, asking for peoples perfect canon lens selection, your not going to get much other than L glass
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Or canon, because we all know nikons are tripe...

:exit:
 
pearce_jj said:
definitely seems you're lacking something for portraits with a massive aperture for serious background blurring. Was it you asking about low-price lenses on the other thread?

Well anyway as an alternative to the 135mm F2 there is the 135mm F2.8 which can be had new for about £150 which is also a nice sharp lens. I've just added an 85mm F1.8 to my set up, which gets good reviews and is about £200.
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What's wrong with the 100 Macro Graelwyn already has for portraits, f2.8 good backgrond blur and very sharp.
 
I think the perfect selection is really a journey without end. Typically you'll start with consumer grade lenses but over time upgrade to more expensive glass as you reach the limits of the cheaper glass in terms of image quality and speed. Then you'll find your needs will change as you grow and change as a photographer and new aspects and subjects become interesting.

Some lenses will stay in the bag forever, others will fall by the wayside but which ones will be different for each of us.
 
pxl8 said:
I think the perfect selection is really a journey without end. Typically you'll start with consumer grade lenses but over time upgrade to more expensive glass as you reach the limits of the cheaper glass in terms of image quality and speed. Then you'll find your needs will change as you grow and change as a photographer and new aspects and subjects become interesting.

Some lenses will stay in the bag forever, others will fall by the wayside but which ones will be different for each of us.
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Nice answer.
 
For the things you listed, I would keep the 100 macro, and 70-200 F4, then get rid of the rest. Add:

- 24-105 F4 IS
- Olympus OM 21 F3.5
- Contax Zeiss 28 F2.8
- Canon 35 F1.4 (Never leave home without one. If you shoot EF you owe it to yourself to own this lens at least once)
- Contax Zeiss 50 F1.7 (for me better then the canon 50 F1.8 and about the same price)
- Leica 90 F2 Summicron 3cam (only a little bit more then the canon 85 F1.8, and I find I use this more)
- Canon 135 F2 (Cause this lens just rocks. If I am shooting beauty or head shots on 35mm then this is what I am using).
- Canon 100-400 IS (cause you listed wildlife)
- Canon 24 F3.5 TS-E (For architecture you need to have at least one perspective control lens)

You could probably skip the 28 F2.8 if you get a really good 24 TS-E. You could probably also skip the 135 F2 if you find you are ok using the 100 macro for beauty and head shots.
 
FranchiseJuan said:
For the things you listed, I would keep the 100 macro, and 70-200 F4, then get rid of the rest. Add:

- 24-105 F4 IS
- Olympus OM 21 F3.5
- Contax Zeiss 28 F2.8
- Canon 35 F1.4 (Never leave home without one. If you shoot EF you owe it to yourself to own this lens at least once)
- Contax Zeiss 50 F1.7 (for me better then the canon 50 F1.8 and about the same price)
- Leica 90 F2 Summicron 3cam (only a little bit more then the canon 85 F1.8, and I find I use this more)
- Canon 135 F2 (Cause this lens just rocks. If I am shooting beauty or head shots on 35mm then this is what I am using).
- Canon 100-400 IS (cause you listed wildlife)
- Canon 24 F3.5 TS-E (For architecture you need to have at least one perspective control lens)

You could probably skip the 28 F2.8 if you get a really good 24 TS-E. You could probably also skip the 135 F2 if you find you are ok using the 100 macro for beauty and head shots.
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Thanks, I shall work towards some of those. Know the Zeiss lenses are good as had a vintage/antique camera with a Zeiss lens.
 
I would try to stick to fewer lenses, that way you can afford higher quality ones.

As you say a 50 is a given, this is all I use for portraits, but combine that with your 100 macro you will have more options.

Then you only need to cover wide and telephoto. For the price the 17-40f4 L is great, I know you said no L series, but if you want to know what is the best, they are the best, and the 17-40 is one of the cheapest.

Telephotowise I've only got a cheap one, which isn't a route I'd advise going down, unless you are desperate to get a lens, as that is going to be replaced with an L series 70 - 200 less than a year after getting it!
 
I'd say the 50mm f/1.4, 85 f/1.8, 10-22, 1.4TC and a tilt n shift lens would be an ideal bag full for your needs.

Don't forget though, the more you have the more it weighs. You might end up leaving something at home :(
 
I like shooting sports but also shoot a variety of subjects.

I have 4 lenses to cover all with my 40D

EF-s 10-22mm (non L :D )
Ef 24-105 F4 L IS
EF 70-200 F4 non IS
EF 100-400 F4-F5.6 IS
 
thats a good selection add a macro and thats would be perfect for me
 
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