Which lens?

[Gina]

Hi all,

Having just acquired the best bit of kit I'll ever have, the Canon 5D MkII, I would like some advice as to the most suitable lens for my needs. I am mainly a portrait fan, especially newborns and children. I already have 2 primes 50mm 1.8 and 85mm 1.8. I'm looking for a zoom in a reasonable price range and wondered what advice you can offer.

Thanks x

[Pops]

Re: Which lens?

Might be a good idea to say what exactly you want the zoom for. Wildlife for instance would require a min of 400mm.

[Patrick]

Re: Which lens?

Hi all,

Having just acquired the best bit of kit I'll ever have, the Canon 5D MkII, I would like some advice as to the most suitable lens for my needs. I am mainly a portrait fan, especially newborns and children. I already have 2 primes 50mm 1.8 and 85mm 1.8. I'm looking for a zoom in a reasonable price range and wondered what advice you can offer.

Thanks x

I would have thought you already have a good choice in the 85mm for portrait shooting.

You have a top class camera there, a cheap lens will not make the best of it.
My advice is wait save up some more until you can afford quality glass and buy either Canon L lens or my favoured brand is Sigma EX lenses (for Sigma best lenses always go for the EX range, their equivalent to the L prefix on Canon) both give optical excellent results Canon probably the better built for heavy pro use.

Patrick

[Gina]

Re: Which lens?

Thank you, will stick with what I've got and invest in a 50mm 1.4 instead x

[Ian]

[Ian]

Re: Which lens?

I would have thought you already have a good choice in the 85mm for portrait shooting.

You have a top class camera there, a cheap lens will not make the best of it.
My advice is wait save up some more until you can afford quality glass and buy either Canon L lens or my favoured brand is Sigma EX lenses (for Sigma best lenses always go for the EX range, their equivalent to the L prefix on Canon) both give optical excellent results Canon probably the better built for heavy pro use.

Patrick

Have to disagree on this one, Patrick. Inexpensive lenses need not be useless on a 5D Mark II, although naturally you need to choose carefully. Sigma, unfortunately, doesn't really have anything for full frame in the wide to short tele zoom range apart from a 24-70 and I doubt that would be optimally useful for Gina given the lenses she already has and the fact that the Canon 28-135 is a decent performer and half the price.

The 28-135 is affordable and so she could get going with this lens soon. Maybe later she could save up and get a 24-105.

Ian

[Patrick]

Re: Which lens?


I had the 28- 135 when I bought the Canon 10D and yes it performed well, but I changed to Sigma 24- 70 f2.8 (canstant aperture through its zoom range) and a 70-200 f2.8 (constant aperture again) both outperformed the Canon lens? They are no lightweight as you commented.

I too wonder why Gina should want another 50mm lens a f1.4 other than perhaps to replace the f1.8.
Personally I have never found the fascination for a 50 mm lens anyway, I know the arguments for, but in practice checking my exif data, I if ever use the 50mm area on my zoom lens. OK they can be had with these very wide apertures but you have no depth of field to work with wide open and I'm not personally very keen on the effect they produce but that's subjective.
I again personaly find f2.8 wide enough.

Patrick