Lens for Canon DSLR for day to day pictures

Bloodrayne

Bloodrayne

Bloodrayne

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8 Feb 2004
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258
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In the wetlands...
Hi all,

When it comes to capturing day-to-day images (at relatively close range, people in the same room, etc) is there a particular lens I should be looking at? I saw the Canon EF-S 24 mm f/2.8 and thought that this might be what I'm after.

My current lenses tend to require me to be some distance away in order to capture things! Great most of the time, but not for more intimate shots around the back garden, etc.

Essentially, something that would replicate the standard distance for pictures as a compact camera (or iPhone, etc)

Thanks!
 
Which camera? 28mm lens on a crop body is going to give 38mm equivalent focal length. That's going to be too long if you're looking for similar to a phone, which normally gives a wide angle.

Edit: Had a quick look, phones give roughly around 26-28mm equivalent focal length, so if you have a crop body you'll need around a 17mm lens.

Depending on what lenses you currently have, you could look at the 10-18mm lens if you think you'd want wider than longer, or something like the 15-85mm which is more useful as a walkabout. Or if you want a low aperture lens, then one of the 17-50mm variants, or even the 17-40L or 17-55mm. There's a lot of options!
 
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Thanks - I have a EOS 60D; I have found it fantastic in a wide range of photos (and I've learned a lot since I got it, but never quite understood all of it...), but for things where I am in the same room as other people I've never really found a lens that covers it (without EXTREME CLOSEUPS)

I have EFS 60 and 55 - 250 lens.
 
Bloodrayne said:
Thanks - I have a EOS 60D; I have found it fantastic in a wide range of photos (and I've learned a lot since I got it, but never quite understood all of it...), but for things where I am in the same room as other people I've never really found a lens that covers it (without EXTREME CLOSEUPS)

I have EFS 60 and 55 - 250 lens.
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Wow no wondering why! To give comparison, I only really take photos at family ocassions nowadays so everything all relatively close up and most of my shots I prefer using a 35mm, otherwise in the past when I had my 5DII I would also use my 17-40mm. I'd have liked to ocassionally go into the 50-60mm range but wasn't an issue. I had an 85mm lens and wouldn't use that for family ocassions, at all. Your 55-250mm lens STARTS at 88mm (equivalent focal length).


When you say your never really found a lens that covers it, what lenses have you tried in the past that didn't work?
 
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Thanks for the feedback; I've not tried a great deal of other lenses to be honest (it's a cost thing... and I do love both my current lenses) just that I had the longer range lens, and the more standard range - this had been fine until a recent holiday when I wanted to be in the same room(ish) as those I was taking pictures of, and ended up resorting to the compact camera... It's really hard to take pictures of people when your constantly backing further and further away!

So, any particular recommendations welcomed!
 
Bloodrayne said:
Thanks for the feedback; I've not tried a great deal of other lenses to be honest (it's a cost thing... and I do love both my current lenses) just that I had the longer range lens, and the more standard range - this had been fine until a recent holiday when I wanted to be in the same room(ish) as those I was taking pictures of, and ended up resorting to the compact camera... It's really hard to take pictures of people when your constantly backing further and further away!

So, any particular recommendations welcomed!
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What's your budget?
 
The 24mm 2.8 is a decent lens and gives a really portable setup. For the most part it'll be pretty decent indoors depending on how small the room is and how many people you have. To give an example this is taken at 35mm so very slightly wider than the 24mm on crop. The table, IIRC, is maybe 1m in width.

DSCF4070.jpg
 
Thanks - budget is flexible, although wouldn't want to spend too much I do appreciate that it'll be a useful lens to have given my current photos... is £500 a reasonable ball-park?

@Razor-BladE thanks for that example, that's really useful - 1m is much closer than I can currently be with my current lenses!
 
From what it sounds like, a 17-50mm would be what you're after.

As Raymond has said the Tamron 17-50mm is very decent. I had one with the 450D, probably one of the sharpest lenses I've ever owned, but as with all the third party lenses, QC isn't as good as Canon, so buy from a forum so you know it's a sharp copy. They also have a VC (their term for optical stabilisation) version if you think you might need it. I'm not sure on prices now, but probably about £200-250?
 
Thanks both - will take a look, when you say 'buy from a forum' could you clarify? Is this as opposed to going through any other site that may have a good reputation and come near the top of Google results?

Do Canon do a similar lens? I can see similar sizes, but they all look quite a bit more money!
 
Hyburnate said:
I mean one option you've got, depending on how much you want to spend is a second hand 24-105L, probably one of the most versatile lenses. I'm not a Canon guy therefore I'm not hugely sure what's about anymore.
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Good lens on a nice day, but as a walkabout i find it heavy and quite big. I've found that although its varied range is good, for indoor darker stuff I've often felt I need a wider aperture and would have rather had a prime.
I've still to get that prime as yet.
 
Bloodrayne said:
Thanks both - will take a look, when you say 'buy from a forum' could you clarify? Is this as opposed to going through any other site that may have a good reputation and come near the top of Google results?

Do Canon do a similar lens? I can see similar sizes, but they all look quite a bit more money!
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I'm not sure on their classifieds criteria nowadays but have a look on TalkPhotography. Otherwise, if you still want to save some pennies to go down the secondhand route, look on wex or mpb. You can get the Tamron non-VC lens for £140 which is insanely cheap, the VC version or the Sigma variant for ~£200, or the Canon 15-85mm for ~£270 which doesn't have as large an aperture but has wider/longer focal range.
 
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