New camera, new lens.

[NewHampshire]

Well, in the next couple of months I am making the switch. I so dearly wanted to stay with film that I through common sense to the wind and bought the Canon EOS Elan 7 I currently have. GREAT camera, but alas I have admitted that I probably should have gone digital in the first place. So, since my sister has shown an interest in photography I have decided to give her the Elan7 for christmas and buy myself a Canon 400D. I will be giving her the 28-105 USM II lens I bought with the Elan 7, so of course I will have the opportunity to buy new glass. What a coincidence they just raised the limit on my credit card!!!!

So, I am looking for some opinions. The type of photography I like is very similar to what you folks here like (nature/hiking/scenic, etc.) so I think you can give me the help I need . Here is what the deal is......lets say I can spend about $400 on glass. Here is some of the combos I am looking at:

EF 50mm I know its not a super sturdy lens, but the reviews look promising including good image sharpness

-OR-

EF 28mmWide angle Prime, not super fast but respecable 2.8, great price

------------PLUS------------------

28-105mmThis is the lens I currently own. I like it, its a decent lens, but as is common with the vast amjority of budget zooms it does get soft on the higher end of the zoom range.

-OR-

Sigma 70-300 The range, for me, does not feel to ideal, but with the 50mm or 28mm above its not TOO bad. Its slow at f/4-5.6, but I can work around that. Its biggest pluses for me are a larger working zoom range and the macro feature.

Now, I could go for any combination of the two above and two below that keep me in the $400 range.......or I could blow it all on this lens:

Canon EF 28-235mm USM IS Its a bit slow, but the image stabilization will help a lot. respectable working zoom range though I will still some day look to go longer. But for now I can deal with it. It should make for a good workhorse lens until the future brings more funds my way (or the credit card company raises my limit again ).

So, what is your opinion?

Brian

 

[bikehikeskifish]

So, what is your opinion?

Pay down the balance on your credit card.

Tim

 

[Grumpy]

Pay down the balance on your credit card.

That always is most excellent advice!

But getting back to the question at hand ...

In choosing lenses for your digital camera don’t forget the image size multiplier factor (or whatever we call it) that tells you how a given focal length will behave on the digital SLR body. What the factor does is convert a given focal length for digital to its equivalent on 35mm film.

I think someone here posted earlier that the factor for Canon digital SLRs is 1.6 (Nikon uses 1.5).

So a 28mm lens on your Canon digital SLR would behave like a 45mm lens on a 35mm SLR. Looking at it another way, you would have to drop back to a 17mm or 18mm focal length on your digital SLR to achieve the field of view your 28mm lens exhibits on 35mm film.

G.

 

[DougPaul]

I think someone here posted earlier that the factor for Canon digital SLRs is 1.6 (Nikon uses 1.5).

Correct--the 400D, also known as the Digital Rebel XTi, does have a crop factor of 1.6. Other Canons have factors of 1.0 and 1.3, IIRC.

Doug

 

[NewHampshire]

In choosing lenses for your digital camera don’t forget the image size multiplier factor (or whatever we call it) that tells you how a given focal length will behave on the digital SLR body. What the factor does is convert a given focal length for digital to its equivalent on 35mm film.

Ahhh yes, that slipped my mind. So this won't change my mind really on the 28-105 and 28-235 IS Zoom lenses, but we will now exclude the Sigma. And instead of the 50mm Prime we will keep the 28mm as the only prime option. So, now, what does everyone like from these choices:

Canon EF 28mm (linked above)

Canon 28-105mm (linked above)

Quantray (made by Sigma) 18-135mm

OR

The Canon EF 28-235mm USM IS

Brian

 

[Grumpy]

I thought this discussion was beginning to seem a tad familiar, so I used the search function to look up "lens focal length" and, sure enough, I found some stuff that covered all or most of the ground right here.

G.

 

[Tim Seaver]

The Canon EF 28-135mm USM IS ( I WISH it went to 235mm!) is a great lens, and the image quality is not an issue - I have had images taken with this lens published in calendars and they look fine. The build quality isn't the same as the "L" series, but it is very light for it's focal range, and the IS is invaluable.

All the images in the "Foxtrot Traverse " were taken with this lens, although that was in "the film days"...

 

[DougPaul]

The Canon EF 28-135mm USM IS ( I WISH it went to 235mm!) is a great lens, and the image quality is not an issue - I have had images taken with this lens published in calendars and they look fine. The build quality isn't the same as the "L" series, but it is very light for it's focal range, and the IS is invaluable.

The Canon EF-S 17-85 IS USM on a 1.6 crop factor body will have the same eFL range. I have one and like it. If I had to carry only one lens, this would be it. (I have both wider and longer.)

Doug

 

[NewHampshire]

The Canon EF 28-135mm USM IS ( I WISH it went to 235mm!) is a great lens, and the image quality is not an issue - I have had images taken with this lens published in calendars and they look fine. The build quality isn't the same as the "L" series, but it is very light for it's focal range, and the IS is invaluable.

All the images in the "Foxtrot Traverse " were taken with this lens, although that was in "the film days"...

Ooops, my bad. 235mm would be nice, huh!?

Anyways, with such a glowing review as this I am sold. I am spending the whole shebang on this lens and will scrap cash together later for a better peice of glass in the 17mm range for scenic work.

Brian

 

[forestgnome]

I think your timing is perfect to swwitch to digital because you never paid $2000 on a 3mp body! My first digital was the 300D in 2004. My new 400D just arrived and I can't wait to get out there, hopefully tonight. I'll check in with some comments soon.

I would advise against the kit lens (18-55?), but you seem to already know that standard idea.

 

[NewHampshire]

I would advise against the kit lens (18-55?), but you seem to already know that standard idea.

When I bought the Elan 7 I had read the reviews of the kit lenses....yup, spend a little extra and get a bit more quality. Thats why I went with the 28-105 USM II. A few reviews highly reccomended it as a better upgrade to the kit lens. I did, and I like it a lot, which is why I contemplated purchasing another. Great walk around lens, though it can be a bit soft at the high end of magnification. In fact, some day I may just pick up another (or borrow it off my sister when I pass along the Elan 7) for general use.

Thanks again everyone!
Brian

 

[darren]

I'd be inclined to spent the extra $100 and get the EF-S 17-85 just to get the wider angle for landscape shots.

To get used to what 28-135 is going to be on a crop body, use your film body and set the zoom to 45mm and walk around and see what the view looks like. The 17 gets you to 27mm which is close to how the 28mm looks on your film body now.

The other route is to get the 28-135 and then a while from now pick up a really wide angle lens like the 10-22mm so you have everything covered. Well, except for a big tele, but that can be third on your list...

- darren

 

[darren]

Just saw that you already made your mind up. Congrats. Now the fun part starts.....what do you get next????

- darren