DSLR beginner lens

Guitarman0

Guitarman0

Guitarman0

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I am interested in possibly entering the world of photography. I was just wondering, what sort of a lens should I look for as a beginner? I have no idea what to look for and want just 1 lens to start with (cheap) that will basically be able to do the same as a point an shoot (i.e. most macro situations and day to day holiday shots etc.)

Also, does the depth of field vary per lens and can it be adjusted on each lens?

Thanks
 
Most kit lenses should be decent enough from the off. Then go from there, I think it more about deciding who's bodies you like most to start with as the glass is transferable as you upgrade.


ps. I'm a newbie myself so I'll be ready to stand corrected :)
 
Depending on the camera you get the Kit lens might not be the best lens but is imo a good starter lens for a beginner, once you have got to grips with the kit lens you can then look at the shots you have been taking and decide on what kind of lens you should go for next.

Ofcourse there is a lot of love out there for the nifty fifty 50mm 1.8 lens which is a cheap but very good and fun lens for less than £100
 
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50mm prime f1.8

a great learning lens and down at the lower F-stops you can get some impessively shallow d.o.f which is often pleasing to the eye.

edit - beaten to it
 
Start with the kit lens. It won't do macro without attachments (that's another thread...) but it will be fine for day to day use, general snaps.

Depth of field varies on the lens chosen, and the setting that is being used. I suggest you pick up some books or find some resources online.
 
F-Stops, DOF, Prime ..... you've scared him off already :D

Oh and another vote for Understanding Exposure here !
 
Another vote for a 50mm f/1.8 prime.

Usually cheap, decent enough optically, fast aperture and when you move onto more expensive lenses it is certainly one to keep hold of.

Definately a good lens to learn the relationships between Apertures and Shutter Speeds and Depth of Field.
 
Definitely avoid the 50mm as your only lens - it is simply not the best lens to take a range of photos with. Until you know what type of photos you major in (if anything) then you will probably find the lack of a zoom annoying and very limiting. I say go for a kit lens. They are not the "best" quality, but until you "know" what you're doing that's not going to be a problem for you and by then you'll have a much better idea of what works for you.
 
Thanks for the replies so far!

neoboy said:
Do you already have a body? If not what's your total budget?
Click to expand...

No I don't. I have been looking at the Canon 550D as I would also like HD video but at the moment this is just an idea and I am not confirming I am even going to buy a camera. I am really just looking around to see how much it would cost and then base my decision from there.

Cheers
 
go second hand - that way if you dont like it you will lose ebay fees only.

500d + 50mm F1.8

If i were to start again i would have gone second hand.
 
Well I started off not long ago with a nifty fifty as my starter lens and while optically it is fine, lack of focal range particularly when starting out is somewhat limiting. I also found myself not being able to live with the build quality of it so I sold it on without using it much. Been using Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 and been much happier with it although found myself wanting a lens with a different focal range due to what I like to shoot (just took delivery of Canon 70-200 f/4 today infact).

As for price of DSLRs, you are paying a very big premium to have a video on it as opposed to paying for a camera that would just produce good stills so bear that in mind.
 
neoboy said:
As for price of DSLRs, you are paying a very big premium to have a video on it as opposed to paying for a camera that would just produce good stills so bear that in mind.
Click to expand...

Exactly, and go used then you could probably get a decent camcorder as well for the same money.
 
The Modern Nikon kit lenses are very sharp and have very good distortion, CA and vignetting performance, and fast focus considering the price and focal ranges. What you loose out on is wide apertures, creamy bokeh and build quality.

E.g. a Photo from an 18-105 VR is just as sharp as the pro 17-55 2.8 on a 12MP sensor.
This makes them great lenses for landscapes and general snaps.

Shallow DoF, creamy bokeh, macro capability -- well these are different lenses.
The nearest to this would be the Sigma 2.8-4.0 17-70. But that wont do either of those things very well, just be ok/good at most.


The bottom line is DSLRs need a set of lenses + lots of extras. The Camera body should work out at about 1/th of a total system, for a beginner expect to the body to be about 1/3rd of a system that covers most of your needs.
You quickly find you will want either a wide angle or a telephoto or both, a fast prime or 2 or a fast 2.8 normal zoom. Then you might get interest in macro and need a macro lens, or in flash photography. A tripod should be one of the earliest purchases, and that will set you back more than a lens.
 
Use the bog standard kit lens (likely to be an 18-55mm) that comes with the DSLR, and grab a 50mm f1.8 as already suggested. That is a very good combo to start out with, and then work your way upwards from there.
 
Having just a 50mm can be quite a challenge, especially on a crop sensor, as your effective focal length will be 75-80mm, which might find you having to clamber into unusual positions to get far enough away from your subject when shooting family indoors.

On the plus side, they're cheap, sharp and bright, a must have, but preferably in conjunction with something wider as well. As mentioned already the combo of kit lens and 50mm would be ideal as a starter package.

If HD video is a must-have, then new is probably the way to go, however you can save money and get top end performance if you sacrifice bells and whistles like video and go secondhand.
 
I had a Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens, it's not the cheapest but worked really well in a range of situations and the Image Stabilisation allowed me to take sharp photos in comparatively low light situations.
 
O.k., so if video I said I could live without HD video, which body in the Canon range would you recommend to me? I would prefer to use canon as I am used to how they work and have had very good experiences with them.
 
The Nikon 35mm 1.8 AFS is a fantastic lense, very sharp and fast, and gives a more acceptable 50mm ish focal length on the Nikon crop bodies, AND works very well on the FX bodies also with minimal vignetting. Good if you are wanting to shoot indoors, much better than a P+S.
 
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