Which lens? (total novice)

P

pgreen1011

Suspended / Banned
Messages
34
Name
Paul
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi,


I have just purchased my first DSLR, a pre owned canon 350D body. I would have liked a 450D but finances won't allow one atm :shake:

As a total novice to photography I would like to know your opinions on which lens I should be looking for. Is there a "general purpose" lens I can use to learn my way around my 350D? Should I be looking for a new lens or can I trust a pre owned one? Where is the best place to purchase? How much can I expect to pay?:thinking:

Sorry about all the questions. I have so much to learn :bang:

Thanks in advance

Paul
 
no such thing as a general purpose lens - there are lenses that will suit many different types of situations, however theres a trade-off everywhere.... to start with, you need to appreciate a few things:
- you get what you pay for
- everything has a trade off
- everyone has their own opinions/experiences
- nothing is cheap

if you've really just got a 350D body and are wanting to make a generic start, I might suggest you go for something that covers a very wide focal range so that you can get to grips with that first - something like an 18-200 will do decent wide shots, but will also suit a lot of "generic uses" for zooming in. It wont do for motorsports, wildlife etc though....

with a lens like an 18-200 you'll find they'll cost somewhere between £100-200 I'd expect (or at least they were before the £ dropped its backside, no idea what they cost now!) but the major trade off you'll have is in the quality of the lens - firstly it will not be "fast", i.e. it wont have a wide aperture at the 18mm end and it'll be even smaller at the 200mm end. This means that the amount of light let in is low(er than some more expensive lenses) meaning you may have problems indoors/in low lights to hand-hold without camera shake.... as I said, you get what you pay for.

The other elements of the lens optical quality may also be inferior to other lenses too; but if you've nothing else to compare it to - perhaps you wont notice!

so - depending on what you want to shoot, that may be an option - you'll soon learn what you need and that you cant afford most of the stuff you want :-), but an 18-200 is a very broad start for someone new into the game - so thats my advice :-)
 
I'd be inclined to look for a secondhand EF28-135 IS...you should find one for around £200. It's got a reasonable range for generally stuff and output quality will be fine. An EF28-105 would come in a little cheaper but is a little less flexible and doesn't have IS.

Bob
 
pgreen1011 said:
Is there a "general purpose" lens I can use to learn my way around my 350D?
Click to expand...

If you're on a very tight budget look for a 'kit lens' that would have come bundled with the 350 and 400D. EFS 18-55 - perfect for learning your way round and working out what you really want. Should be able to to get on for 20-30 UKP second hand.
 
Hi,

Thank you all for your replies. And there was me thinking "just buy a lens and take some pictures!!" :nono:

I'm gonna try and find a 18-55 for now and see what direction I want to go.

Is there only one brand of 18-55? If not is there any I should stear clear of?

Thanks

Paul
 
I still use my Canon 18-55, it is highly under rated and hence you can get them at a low price. If your budget allows it I would go for a more modern canon 18-55 IS.
 
will69 said:
I still use my Canon 18-55, it is highly under rated and hence you can get them at a low price. If your budget allows it I would go for a more modern canon 18-55 IS.
Click to expand...


:agree: as a basic kit lens the canon 18-55 IS will give you some decent shots and you can move on from there when your budget allows.

That's how I did it.
 
Your first mistake was to buy a Canon........:razz:

Think what you want to take pictures of. If it is peole, then you want somethign that covers the portrait lengths of between 70 and 135.
For landscape you really want to guide yourself towards wider lenses, so you then look at 20mm - 50mm.

For sports and nature, most are taken on long telephoto lenses of 200mm through to 600mm but as a novice you would do well to limit your focallength to 200mm max and learn technique first, otherwise you will get disappointed quickly - long lenses take a bit of practse ot get the best out of them. Likewise close ups, or macro and micro work...specialist field and there are different problems t overcome.

The suggestions fo 20 - 200, and 28 - 135 were very sensible. Save a bit of you rbudget for a few magazines - even old ones will provide you with some good basic instruction/ideas/technique to get you going. Join your library and borrow some books - it will stimulate your mind.
 
My first DSLR was a 350D - good choice ;)

I had the kit lens (18-55) with the camera and my first purchase was a used 50/1.8 Mk1 off ebay. The 18-55 got little use after this, as it was shamed by the image quality, low light ability and creative potential of the 50mm.

I can understand how a prime might seem restrictive as an only lens though; I think the canon 18-55 IS can be had S/H for about £100 which gives you a reasonably good range and better image quality than the non-IS version.

What do you primarily want to shoot?
 
I agree the 18-55mm IS is a good lens to start with and produces great pictures for a kit lens.

I know it is not general purpose lens but a 50mm f1.8 would be very good - may even help to improve your photography and get you thinking more about composition etc. :)
 
Thank you all for your input. My budget is as tight as a camels ass in a sandstorm atm! Not really the best time to start a photography hobby :cuckoo:

I have opted for the only lens that suits my pocket, a 18-55. I managed to find a new lens for £40. Not knowing anything different atm the shots look fine. Once I get to know my camera and what it's functions do then I will have more of an idea which direction I go :shrug:

No doubt I will have plenty more questions so please be easy on me!

Thank you again for all your advice and will be using it for future reference.

Paul
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top