Help with lenses

[ahmadof]

i would like to get some new lenses (ie L) stuff. I have come to this conclusion after realizing that i have learned everything there is to learn about technique and now it is only equipment holding me back.... just kidding, but i am sufficiently expereinced now to see the difference and i want to start buiding my collection. Too embarrased to tell you what i have now. So, i want to get really nice stuff even if it takes me a long time to compete a nice collection of lenses. I have always ignored the posts about lenses because i wansn't looking to buy. Now, i go back and read all of them. WOW, my head is spinning. I honest't can't tell what youy guys would recommend for me. each thread at some point asks "what will you be shooting" So, i shoot a lot of landscape, water stuff. Low light indoor portrait type stuff and occasional autocross (my dream of quitting work and following the F1 circuit seems to be fading, but you never know). So, any help? Remember, i would rather have a really nice lens and wait to get something else to complete the "range".

oh yeah, i have 10D

p.s. i know there are a ton of lens threads, butplease help, or i'm going to have to re-post with title "hi, 21 y.o co-ed just joined and wanted to say hi and learn about photographing chipmunks :)

[jbradc]

I have a 10D also and my favorite lens is my 24-70 F2.8L, it is a great "walk around" lens. Yes it is big and heavy, but it is also fast and sharp! If I could only have 1 lens that would be it.

[cactusclay]

I would start with a widish angle L zoom by what you are saying. I have the 17-40 now and it's a nice light L zoom, specially for landscapes, if you are going to be shooting in low light conditions, then the 16-35 or the 24-70 2.8's might be a better choice. The Canon prime lens in the non L versions are very nice and not all that expensive. So now you are left with the choice that stumps most peopel -prime or zoom, zoom or prime, prime or zoom- maybe both?

[gramps]

I'm VERY happy with the lenses in my signature. I still want to add the 10- 22 and the 100 Macro.

[aam1234]

I think this range 24-70 (or there about) is an excellent range for general purpose lens. So unless you have a specific purpose in mind, I would suggest , well you guessed it, Canon 24-70 L. Bought it recently and the more I use it the more I love it. Check it out.

[Citizensmith]

You could definitely start looking at primes as that way you can get the quality you desire without spending a fortune.

The 24 f/2.8 is small, light, great quality and a good walk-around prime for a 1.6x DSLR.
The 50 f/1.4 is a very fast lens in the short portrait range and again top quality.
The 85 f/1.8 (one of my favovites) is a wonderful portrait lens and also fast.
Any of these would be a great addition. Optically they are as good or better than the L zooms and much cheaper.

For L zooms the 17-40 and 70-200 f/4L are great and good value for money. The 17-40 makes a good general use lens if you tend to be taking photos wide. If you tend to go long then the 24-70 would be a better but more expensive choice. For low light telephoto work the 70-200 f/2.8L IS is unbeatable, but twice the price of the f/4 version.

I've been taking photos with an SLR for about 20 years. I started with a lil konica with a fixed 50mm on it. Only this month did I finally achieve my aim of having a bag of nothing but primes and L zooms. It was worth the wait though.

[mdr]

The 17-40mm f4 L, 24-70mm f2.8 L, 70-200mm f4 L and 100-400mm f4-5.6 L seem to be the favorites with this forum. I've got the first, and I'm saving up for the other three, slowly :confused:.

Another forum favorite appears to be the Tamron 28-75mm. It doesn't have a red stripe so it won't alleviate my L fever.

Oh yeah, I have the 20D, but nothing beats my EOS 3 with Velvia 50 :D. With Velvia Vision from www.fredmiranda.com (http://www.fredmiranda.com), digital comes close, but nothing beats looking at a Velvia slide on the big screen or through a loupe.

Oh yeah, I used Nikon for decades, but changed to Canon for its autofocus and digital superiority :evil:. Still got a Nikon FE loaded with Ilford HP5 in my bag though.

[Andy_T]

Ahmadof,

I've been very happy with the Tamron 28-75/2.8 XR DI on my 20D as 'walkaround lens' for the short time that I've been owning it. At 300$, it really can't be beat for near-L-picture quality and a reasonable build.

For indoor portraits, the 50/1.4 (or 50/1.8 if you want to save a bit) seem to be the best bet.

Best regards,
Andy

[AcuraFan]

i recently got second hand 17-40 and a 28-70 lens - they are great to walk around shooting