good starter lens for canon 5D
- Thread starter DarrenW
- Start date
I would guess a standard zoom, something like a 28-70 or so is the best place to begin. Depending on budget, there are a number of options from Canon and third party suppliers, Sigma and Tamron.
The best quality option is probably the Canon 24-70 2.8L. This comes in at around £1000. It is very good, very heavy, and expensive. I think it's too heavy as an everyday lens, so i'd consider the next option,the 24-105L.
Canon's 24-105 F4 L. This is more like £900, but can often be found approaching £700 as a white boxed model. This lens is very very good, works wide open with little loss of image quality, and is an IS lens so you get the benefits of easier holdability in low light. It is about as good a general purpose lens as has been made.
Next down from Canon is the 24-85 3.5-4.5 USM. This is a good price (more like £300), and is light and generally pretty decent. It's not that fast, not that long, but for 95% of photography is a good bet.
From third party suppliers, I use the Tamron 28-75 2.8. This is a good lens wide open, very sharp from F4 and on, and is relatively light for it's maximum aperture. Problems with this lens are the build quality is a bit plasticky, and the autofocus is an old style motor rather than a USM. I've had great results out of my copy. Tamron also offer a 7 year warranty which should keep you going (I presume this is still the case).
If you are interested in primes rather than zooms, the canon 50/1.4, 50/1.8 and 85/1.8 are all very good lenses, and if you want standard/portrait length these are good bets.
So really it does depend on budget, but then, I guess you aren't surprised at this.
Cesare
To give you an idea, I have the following lenses at my disposal for canon full frame SLR/DSLR use:
Zooms:
Canon 17-40 F4L
Tamron 28-75 F2.8
Canon 70-200 IS F4 L
Primes:
35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2.8
My zooms are pretty comprehensive and i've nothing to complain about here. The primes could do with getting upgraded to more decent models at some point, but they each cost >£1000 to replace, so i keep shying away from this...
The best quality option is probably the Canon 24-70 2.8L. This comes in at around £1000. It is very good, very heavy, and expensive. I think it's too heavy as an everyday lens, so i'd consider the next option,the 24-105L.
Canon's 24-105 F4 L. This is more like £900, but can often be found approaching £700 as a white boxed model. This lens is very very good, works wide open with little loss of image quality, and is an IS lens so you get the benefits of easier holdability in low light. It is about as good a general purpose lens as has been made.
Next down from Canon is the 24-85 3.5-4.5 USM. This is a good price (more like £300), and is light and generally pretty decent. It's not that fast, not that long, but for 95% of photography is a good bet.
From third party suppliers, I use the Tamron 28-75 2.8. This is a good lens wide open, very sharp from F4 and on, and is relatively light for it's maximum aperture. Problems with this lens are the build quality is a bit plasticky, and the autofocus is an old style motor rather than a USM. I've had great results out of my copy. Tamron also offer a 7 year warranty which should keep you going (I presume this is still the case).
If you are interested in primes rather than zooms, the canon 50/1.4, 50/1.8 and 85/1.8 are all very good lenses, and if you want standard/portrait length these are good bets.
So really it does depend on budget, but then, I guess you aren't surprised at this.
Cesare
To give you an idea, I have the following lenses at my disposal for canon full frame SLR/DSLR use:
Zooms:
Canon 17-40 F4L
Tamron 28-75 F2.8
Canon 70-200 IS F4 L
Primes:
35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2.8
My zooms are pretty comprehensive and i've nothing to complain about here. The primes could do with getting upgraded to more decent models at some point, but they each cost >£1000 to replace, so i keep shying away from this...
DarrenW
Oxygen User
thsanks guys - being a bit thick here but how can you tell what is compatible to the 5 series as opposed to the 30d lenses she has now - need to flog the 30d and its lens to pay for a lens for the 5d so budget is pretty much fixed at what I can get for the 30D plus 17/85 lens
rgds
darren
rgds
darren
Darren,
Any lenses designated as EFs as opposed to EF do not work on the 5D. Other manufacturers have their own designation for smaller image circles.
Personally, if I were you and had a 30D and 17-85, i'd stick with this assuming you don't have additional money for lenses. I don't think you'll get enough money to buy decent full frame lenses if you want a zoom to go with this. The bargains are to be had for crop frame cameras since this is where most consumers live.
Cesare
Any lenses designated as EFs as opposed to EF do not work on the 5D. Other manufacturers have their own designation for smaller image circles.
Personally, if I were you and had a 30D and 17-85, i'd stick with this assuming you don't have additional money for lenses. I don't think you'll get enough money to buy decent full frame lenses if you want a zoom to go with this. The bargains are to be had for crop frame cameras since this is where most consumers live.
Cesare
The 10D predates the EFs lenses, so isn't compatible with things like the 17-85 that darren is talking about. It's a great camera though, the 10D. I've still got my one (which replaced a D30, which was a really really good camera).
Cesare
DarrenW
Oxygen User
confused now - its a bit late to stick to the 30D as bought the 5d today
my plan was to use lauras old camera (the 30d and 17/85 lens) to fund the first lens for the 5d - she will then work to pay for other lenses
how much do you think the 30D and canon lens is worth? - looking at your recomendations above the canon at £300 seems a good fit or the tamron zoom
I like the idea of just getting her a 50mm prime and forcing her to use her feet though
we also have a 5D camera armour kit which isnt required so will sell that as well as a plastic fantastic that I bought on pfm for the 30D
tempted to keep the 30D myself if the second hand value isn;t good - laura could then use it as a second camera
thanks for the advice so far
cheers
darren
my plan was to use lauras old camera (the 30d and 17/85 lens) to fund the first lens for the 5d - she will then work to pay for other lenses
how much do you think the 30D and canon lens is worth? - looking at your recomendations above the canon at £300 seems a good fit or the tamron zoom
I like the idea of just getting her a 50mm prime and forcing her to use her feet though
we also have a 5D camera armour kit which isnt required so will sell that as well as a plastic fantastic that I bought on pfm for the 30D
tempted to keep the 30D myself if the second hand value isn;t good - laura could then use it as a second camera
thanks for the advice so far
cheers
darren
Darren, sorry, I thought you meant you were using the funds from the 30D + lens sale to buy the 5D as well as a lens... Hence I thought you'd probably have already used your budget...
I reckon you should be able to get the 50/1.8 prime and either the canon 24-85 or Tamron 28-75 as a good starting point. Probably cost around £400 for the pair i'd have thought.
If you can squeeze to the 24-105 F4 L then i'd seriously consider this though as it really is fantastic. Park have the white box version for £800. This was basically sold as a bundle of 5D Mark II + 24-105 IS and has been split for some reason, otherwise the same lens for a £100 discount.
http://www.parkcameras.com/6520/Canon-EF-24-105mm-f-4-0-L-IS-USM--White-Box-.html
Cesare
I reckon you should be able to get the 50/1.8 prime and either the canon 24-85 or Tamron 28-75 as a good starting point. Probably cost around £400 for the pair i'd have thought.
If you can squeeze to the 24-105 F4 L then i'd seriously consider this though as it really is fantastic. Park have the white box version for £800. This was basically sold as a bundle of 5D Mark II + 24-105 IS and has been split for some reason, otherwise the same lens for a £100 discount.
http://www.parkcameras.com/6520/Canon-EF-24-105mm-f-4-0-L-IS-USM--White-Box-.html
Cesare
DarrenW
Oxygen User
Cesare
no got the 5d from a friend for £650 with battery grip and a couple of spare batteries - its in pretty good nick so seems a fair price - should last my daughter (budding amateur) til she starts earning enough to buy her own cameras
if I get circa £400 plus for the 30 and lens then this would cover the 50mm prime you suggest and the tamron which seems favourite at the mo
depending on how selling a couple of guitars and hifi goes I may feel generous and stretch to the 24-105 - is it that good that it is worth the stretch?
rgds
darren
no got the 5d from a friend for £650 with battery grip and a couple of spare batteries - its in pretty good nick so seems a fair price - should last my daughter (budding amateur) til she starts earning enough to buy her own cameras
if I get circa £400 plus for the 30 and lens then this would cover the 50mm prime you suggest and the tamron which seems favourite at the mo
depending on how selling a couple of guitars and hifi goes I may feel generous and stretch to the 24-105 - is it that good that it is worth the stretch?
rgds
darren
DarrenW
Oxygen User
varies - some commercial type shots (she is working with a professional as a kind of apperentice at weekends and holidays) she likes portraits and candid stuff
not much in the way of landscapes or sport - concerts and publicity shots a particular favourite
some wedding work (supporting steve not lead camera)
its more a cost thing really - I don;t want to put too much money into a lens but would rather buy quality and once - this purchase is to get her started and any future lens will come from her own money (paper round and odd photo she has managed to sell) - she is unlkly at 15 to be in a position to spend big bucks on a lens in future so tempted by the £700 canon 24-105 as it will cost me £300 plus what I get for her old 30D and lens
cheers
darren
not much in the way of landscapes or sport - concerts and publicity shots a particular favourite
some wedding work (supporting steve not lead camera)
its more a cost thing really - I don;t want to put too much money into a lens but would rather buy quality and once - this purchase is to get her started and any future lens will come from her own money (paper round and odd photo she has managed to sell) - she is unlkly at 15 to be in a position to spend big bucks on a lens in future so tempted by the £700 canon 24-105 as it will cost me £300 plus what I get for her old 30D and lens
cheers
darren
shrink
pfm Member
if you can stretch.. the 24-105 is the ONLY way forward for a 5D. The two were pretty much designed for each other, and the 24-105 was the kit lens of choice for the 5D.
Its a superbly useful range of focal lengths on a full frame camera and its a superbly built bit of kit. I've had a 24-105 for a little over two years now, and its been rock solid in all that time.
its image quality is comparable to the 24-70, but it has wider range, is lighter and costs less. The only real loss is that extra f stop of light capability that the 24-70 has. But the 24-105 makes up for it by having fantastic image stabilisation built in.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/canon24-105/pool/
some great examples of what this lens is capable of
Its a superbly useful range of focal lengths on a full frame camera and its a superbly built bit of kit. I've had a 24-105 for a little over two years now, and its been rock solid in all that time.
its image quality is comparable to the 24-70, but it has wider range, is lighter and costs less. The only real loss is that extra f stop of light capability that the 24-70 has. But the 24-105 makes up for it by having fantastic image stabilisation built in.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/canon24-105/pool/
some great examples of what this lens is capable of
re: Tamron 28-75 vs Canon 24-105
The big advantage for the Tamron here is the f/2.8 aperture and price.
The big advantage of the Canon is focal length and IS.
If she's into portraits the aperture of the Tamron is an advantage, although on the flipside the longer focal length of the Canon is also desirable for portraits.
I think the best way to think about it is in terms of what the final lens lineup is likely to be. Personally I have the 24-105 for the extremely useful range, but I also have a load of fast primes so the f/2.8 vs f/4 issue is mostly moot.
Another way of looking at it is that you can probably get something like the Tamron 28-75/2.8 + {one of Sigma 50/1.4, Canon 100/2, 85/1.8 or 135/2.8} for a similar price to the 24-105 alone.
Basically I'm not sure I'd be too happy with just the 24-105 if I were shooting a lot of portraits. On the other hand, the zoom range of the 24-105 really is great...
There are no easy answers I'm afraid!
The big advantage for the Tamron here is the f/2.8 aperture and price.
The big advantage of the Canon is focal length and IS.
If she's into portraits the aperture of the Tamron is an advantage, although on the flipside the longer focal length of the Canon is also desirable for portraits.
I think the best way to think about it is in terms of what the final lens lineup is likely to be. Personally I have the 24-105 for the extremely useful range, but I also have a load of fast primes so the f/2.8 vs f/4 issue is mostly moot.
Another way of looking at it is that you can probably get something like the Tamron 28-75/2.8 + {one of Sigma 50/1.4, Canon 100/2, 85/1.8 or 135/2.8} for a similar price to the 24-105 alone.
Basically I'm not sure I'd be too happy with just the 24-105 if I were shooting a lot of portraits. On the other hand, the zoom range of the 24-105 really is great...
There are no easy answers I'm afraid!