Help me choose lenses for my new Canon digital rebel.

[dascharisma]

I just bought a Canon digital rebel, and I need some lenses to get me started. I did not purchase the lense that was offered with the camera, so I am sarting from scratch. From reading this forum I have decided that the 100mm Canon Macro lense will be good for close up tank pictures. Will this lense also be suited to full tank shots, or do I need a wide angle lense or some other type of lense?
Besides my reef, I would like to take pictures of my dogs. What lense would be best suited for this purpose?
What lense is a good all around lense, the type I might use on vacation?

Thanks in advance,
Brad

[gho]

My Recommendations:

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM - Top notch prime
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM - Walk about lense
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM - Zoom

There's a gap in the zoom range from 40-70mm, the important focal length in that range is filled by the 50mm prime - will be the best/sharpest lense of the bunch.

[dcoufal]

No offense to pro photographers.... but, not everyone can afford L or IS lenses -- especially, if it's family type photos or "hobby" photography -- even more so if you already have another expensive hobby (reefing, for instance ;))

The list of lenses above is great; but, here are the current prices on B&H:

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro - $450
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM - Top notch prime - $300
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM - Walk about lense - $670
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM - Zoom - $1700
Total: $3120

Here's a nice "non-pro" list that is made up of good quality, well performing lenses that generally matches the focal length of the above list:
Canon EF 100mm f2.0 USM Macro - $375
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II - $75
Sigma 18-50 f/3.5-5.6 - $120
Sigma 70-300 f/4-5.6 DG - $140
Total: $710

Heck... I just picked up a used Sigma 50mm Macro lens for $65....


Dwain

[aural]

for starters i would get:

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro
and
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

and dcoufal - look at his tank/equipment list - i'd imagine he can afford to get a few nice lenses as well ;)

[reewik]

An alternative to the buget minded would be the 70-200 f4 L...$600.00

[bobioden]

For tank shots do you need a lens hood for the Canon 100mm 2.8 Macro?

Bob

[jwedehase]

No lens hood needed for the 100mm.

I would love to be able to use some of the lenses GHO has suggested. There are some great lenses in there. Someday, my list will include:

15mm fisheye
100mm macro f/2.8
16-35mm f/2.8L
24-70mm f/2.8L
70-200mm f2.8L

Until then, I backed up a step and went with the:

28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM ($404.95 @ B&H)
It's a great utility lens, and for me has proven to be a great compromise for such high versatility. I'm even able to use it for many tank shots. The IS sure is nice, as well.

[beerguy]

I just picked up that lens as well. I read a couple of reviews that were critical of it's sharpness but for the price I think that it's a great value.

[dascharisma]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I purchased an entry level digital slr so that I could spend my money on a nice set of lenses that will allow me to upgrade cameras once my skills warrant it. It looks like the first lense I will purchase will be the Canon 100mm macro lense, because i am most interested in macro photography.

What lense would be best for taking full tank shots? Would it be the Canon EF 17-40mm lense?

What brands of compact flash memory cards do you recommend?

For macro photography what type of tripod head should i get?

Thanks
Brad

[aural]

the 17-40mm lens would be perfect for full tank shots.

As for memory - i personally would suggest that you stick with a major brand. I like to have 2 1GB cards, that way one one goes bad you arent up that proverbial creek. Brands like SanDisk (the ULTRA series), LEXAR Media, RiDATA - just make sure you get the High Speed type.

For macro you just need something that is super sturdy. If you are planning to tote it around with you at all i would definitely suggest looking into carbon fiber legs. I prefer Manfrotto components. I have the Manfrotto 190MF4 Carbon fiber legs and love them. the type of head you want is up to you. there are so many different kinds. I really like the grip action ball heads because they allow for extremely easy and precise adjustments. I use the Manfrotto 3265 Ballhead. (these can be found on www.bhphoto.com of course)

I would also strongly suggest that you get an IR remote to trigger your shutter. the shake from just pushing the shutter button can cause serious blur when taking macro photography. You dont have to buy the Canon brand. an off brand remote that you get for $10-15 on eBay will work the exact same.

[dcoufal]

You can get a SanDisk 1GB Ultra II CF card from Amazon for $69.99 AR:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000CD0B7/qid=1133655226/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-5513104-3991249?n=507846&s=pc&v=glance

Dwain

[Obi-dad]

aural, do you have a link to the off-brand IR remote on ebay?

[dcoufal]

Do a search on eBay for "rebel ir remote" -- 11 results currently $14 - $18.

Dwain

[Philwd]

I recently bought a Rebel XT and I just started out with the Canon 17-85 IS USM and the Phoenix 100mm macro that also gets 1:1. It has pretty good reviews for a fraction of the price of Canon f2.8. This way I have a wide angle with some telephoto for everyday shots also and the 100mm for tank shots.

For CF cards I use the Sandisk 2Gb UltraII. At an airshow I got a burst of 10 shots and it never once even paused.

[aural]

rebel remote - http://cgi.ebay.com/32ft-IR-Remote-Control-for-Canon-Digital-Rebel-XT-RC-1_W0QQitemZ7568908308QQcategoryZ107909QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

the link to the CF card is good. $20 rebate is a big plus. ends on December 5th so act now. (i just bought one, so thx!)

this is my tripod - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=361992&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

This is all the tripod packages that B&H does with those particular legs included - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=search&Q=&a=0&a=522_4338&a=0&shs=&ci=5138&ac=&Submit.x=14&Submit.y=9

This is the monopod i use - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=353685&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation
i use that wil the 3229 swivel tilt head with quick release.

[dcoufal]

Originally posted by aural
rebel remote - http://cgi.ebay.com/32ft-IR-Remote-Control-for-Canon-Digital-Rebel-XT-RC-1_W0QQitemZ7568908308QQcategoryZ107909QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

the link to the CF card is good. $20 rebate is a big plus. ends on December 5th so act now. (i just bought one, so thx!)



Your welcome... I bought one about 5 minutes before I posted the link. Sweet price!

I also picked up one of the eBay remotes. ;) :D

Dwain

[yarquint]

Brad, I had my first outing today with my new Canon- i have the 20d and finally got to play with it all day since it was Sat. Anyway, the lens i have that blew me away so far is the Canon 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM (this is the non-DO one- i have no idea what the "DO" means, but it's not a great lens apparently...) I'm very happy with it. I also used a Lexar 1Gb 80x CF card, and it was about $89 after rebate.
Do check out fredmiranda.com and dpreview.com before buying anything- these two sources helped me out a ton- you can also see my thread if you're interested, but it basically asked the same questions you are. it's titled Digital Slr's- sorry i'm to lazy to post the link to it-
Good Luck and happy shooting!

[APFparadise]

Here is my 20D bag :

100 mm 2.8 macro
12-24 Tokina Ultra wide
24-70 L Canon
70-200 Sigma DG (as good or better than Non-IS Canon)

[Obi-dad]

Bummer, these ebay remotes don't list the 20D. The 20D uses much of the same electronics as the Rebel, has anyone tried one of these remotes on the 20D?

[aural]

are you sure that the 20D supports an IR Remote trigger?

[royy]

I am looking into the macro lenses myself at this time. Fredmiranda.com seems to have good ratings for the Sigma macros if you want to go with a non Canon. The 150mm rates a 9.8 out of 10.

As far as an every day lens I can personally recomend the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8. Really sharp and a good zoom range. Great for family shots.

Roy

[cmhollis]

I have the 20D as well, and have the following:

18-55 kit lens - not great, but ok
70-200 f/2.8 - Awesome lens, around $1100 or so
580EX flash
Manfrotto 3021 Pro Tripod w/ 488RC2 ballhead

Next I hope to get the 100 f/2.8 macro, and the 17-40 f/4L. Maybe Santa will be good to me this year ;>

[louist]

What lense would be best for taking full tank shots? Would it be the Canon EF 17-40mm lense?
If you are the type of people that like to say things such as "buy once buy it right" or "you get what you paid for", then go for the 17-40 f4 L, great L lens at a great price. It's the most affordable L lens. I say those 2 things often to justify buying lots of expensive toys :D

What brands of compact flash memory cards do you recommend? In terms of brand, you will heard varying comments against almost every company on the market. I had issues with Lexar and wasn't happy with their customer service. On the other hand I know people who had Sandisk and got burnt by their customer service. Stick with the pro-grade of either Lexar or Sandisk and you should be fine. The pro-grade are the Sandisk Ultra/Extreme and the Lexar Pro's.

For macro photography what type of tripod head should i get?
Go with a 3-way pan-n-tilt head, and a nice set of tripod legs that will reach your eye level (approx) without extending the center column.

[uC]

For my macro, I use ring lights and handheld. Very hard to work with a tripod on none stationary macro subjects. Using a flash allows you to work unencumbered. The downside is that ringlights and macro lens can be heavy and perhaps a monopod would be a useful tool though I do not use one.

[uC]

I do not subscribe to the buy once buy it right. I am deeply involved in photography and have been shooting for the last 40 years. Over times your needs and desires change, technology advances, and your finances hopefully improve. You should buy what you can afford and want now, as things change sell and buy the new appropriate tool. Lenses do not depreciate rapidly. I actually buy and sell on fredmiranda.com with at times buying a lens for a specific short project that I then sell when done (it is much cheaper than renting, in fact it often comes out a wash).

[uC]

Oh, I meant to give suggestion. For a 1.6 crop camera I would consider EF-S 17-85 as a good walk around lens. I would advise against L lenses until you get more advanced (how do I know you ain't there? When you get there you will no longer request such advice :-). Yes, L lenses are better, but won't make a difference in the hands of an unexperienced photographer.

[joefish]

http://www.smilieshq.com/smilies/sign0179.gif (http://www.smilieshq.com) & Tag.

[Automag928]

I just received the tamron 28-75 2.8 for my 350d, and I absolutely love it...It takes tack sharp pics, and for the price, is pretty difficult to beat without dropping some bucks on canon L glass.

[gpodio]

Like most have said, the 17-40 L is a great lens, it won't dissapoint anyone and it's one of the few L lenses that are affordable and well worth the money. The 70-200 L f4 is another well priced L lens... I don't use it enough to justify the cost of the f2.8 version.

Another lens of interest is the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8, I've had one for a couple months now and it's actually staying on the camera more so than the 17-40.... results are similar and the f2.8 was the main reason for trying this lens. Plus it's so compact compared to other 2.8 lenses. Worth considering if 2.8 is important to you.

The 100mm f2.8 macro is a nice lens too, I don't think I pull mine out as often as I should. I really only use it as a macro lens.

And the 50mm f1.8 is hard to pass up for the money. I've used it for several full tank shots. It's cheap, fast and sharp...

The kit 18-55 that came with my camera is sitting in a box somewhere. I found it very soft personally. I was uncertain with the 17-85 IS ef-s, not sure if the ef-s line will have a short or long life, I feel most digital SLRs will be full frame shortly and the need for an ef-s lens could fade out... who knows, I often hear people say it is overpriced, I have never used one though.

Next on my wishlist is the Sigma 14mm f2.8 EX, I hear great things about it from a few friends that have one.

I'm sure you've been here before but just in case you haven't:
http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews