what lens on a limited budget

[morris_jay]

Lets set the scene;

- You have decided on a 350D (no budging because you are stubborn as all hell)
- You have a limited budget for a lens ($250-300US)
- You are not a professional photographer, just a serious hobbyist

Do you:

a) Just get the body with the kit lens.

or

b) spend around 300 on a half-ok lens (I was thinking EF 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 USM).

[tim]

Get the body with the kit lens, and the 50mm F1.8 lens. Save up for a better lens like the Tamron 28-75 F2.8.

[Andy_T]

What Tim said.

Allow me to add that the Tamron 28-75/2.8 is a great lens and an absolute bargain at 350$
(so you won't have to save forever).

Best regards,
Andy

PS: And welcome to the forum :D

[kram]

The body with the kit lens is not a bad idea at all. I bought it and it does a decent job. You can at a later date upgrade to a better lens - gives you time to decide what type of lens you want.

I would also suggest the Tamron 28-75. Excellent quality and good value for money - try finding one!!

[condyk]

Just get the body with a Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 DG MAcro, or the Tamron. If you think indoor or lower light shooting will be a regular occurance, or just because you can, get the 50mm II.

I would get a 300D body and better lens or two every single time ... but you're too stubborn to do that :lol:

[Andy_T]

Hehe ... looks like the Tamron 28-75/2.8 even includes a free brain-wash:lol:
Once you have it, you join the ranks of the mindless drones that endorse it further :wink:

Condyk, thank you for breaking that up!

Best regards,
Andy

[morris_jay]

I just read up on the ef 50mm f1.8 II lens.

Its very cheap and sounds to be very good....

Strange...

Thanks alot guys.

I have decided on the kit lens + the 50mm f1.8 - for $75 US you can't ask much - but its sounds very good for this price.

Is there any cheap macro lenses that are good? (within my price range)

Or wait until funds are better and get a decent macro?

Cheers

[xstrio]

you will get the tamron 28-75/2.8

[Andy_T]

Is there any cheap macro lenses that are good? (within my price range)

How does $ 9,50 sound (+ shipping)?

Take a look at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7525522508

With that item you can mount your 18-55 (58 mm filter) or 50/1.8 (52 mm filter) to your camera in reversed position. Granted, it's all manual then (no focus, open aperture only), but it normally works great.

Look at this one as well ... more expensive, but with pictures showing the usage. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7523901386

That's what was called 'the poor man's macro' in the old days, when we still stuffed strange little strips of celluloid into our cameras...

Best regards,
Andy

[condyk]

Hehe ... looks like the Tamron 28-75/2.8 even includes a free brain-wash:lol: Once you have it, you join the ranks of the mindless drones that endorse it further :wink:

Condyk, thank you for breaking that up!

I wear a rubber suit that keeps me insulated from 'L' disease and the new Tamron sub strain ... at least that's what I told the wife when she found me wearing it the other day :lol: :lol:

[morris_jay]

it's all manual then (no focus, open aperture only), but it normally works great.

I don't understand how you can focus - without a focus?

Adjust the aperture until the image appears focused?

I think I will go one of those.... What lens would it work better on?

[Andy_T]

Well, as you will realize when you get your camera, you *can* focus those SLR lenses manually by turning the small ring in front of the lens.

Quite a lot of people actually did that before 1970 :lol:

The aperture can not be changed manually at the EOS lenses (only electronic), so it will be used in open aperture.

I would inquire if the Chinese adapter ring really allows both 52 and 58 mm threads (normally it's just one size, maybe some kind of dual thread). If that is the case, you can use both (otherwise you would need some kind of step-up or step-down ring).

I don't know which one would work better ... actually 'in the old days' you normally used a fast 50 mm lens (like the 50/1.8 ), but I read on photo.net that the 18-55 is actually awesome for that application.

THIS is the link (http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=007m6Z) to the home-made Rolls-Royce of macro adapters :lol:

Best regards,
Andy

[morris_jay]

Theres a wealth of knowledge here. Thank you everyone.

Thanks for your quick, informed replies Andy, very welcoming.

Now that we are on the subject of 2 minute photography courses... lol...

UV filters and similar - are they good, what do they do?

I will be shooting 90% outdoors portraits (fishing - lighting/shade isn't always the best) plus random shooting.

Would a UV filter or something similar be handy?

[tim]

I just read up on the ef 50mm f1.8 II lens.

Its very cheap and sounds to be very good....

Cheap is right, and it's good enough. I found mine had some issues with focusing, especially at close distances, even after calibration by Canon it wasn't right. It's a great value lens, and can take great photos, but some people find themselves upgrading to the more expensive 1.4 lens eventually. Don't let this put you off, having an F1.8 lens is a great way to learn.

[Andy_T]

UV filters and similar - are they good, what do they do?

I will be shooting 90% outdoors portraits (fishing - lighting/shade isn't always the best) plus random shooting.

Would a UV filter or something similar be handy?

THIS THREAD (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=64370&highlight=lens+hood+filter) should answer your question :wink:

If possible, I normally use filter+hood for lens protection ... but only if the lens is significantly more expensive than the filter+hood :lol:

Important ... you need a GOOD filter ... a cheap filter will give you bad images. So if you go for, e.g. a Hoya SMC PRO filter, this will be somewhere ~ 30$.

Best regards,
Andy

[kram]

I am amazed actually. I have posted atleast 5 messages in a month recommending the Tamron 28-75!! I wonder what I will end up doing after i pick up my first L in a couple of months:)

The issue is that it ends up being a two way fight for budget purchases - the 24-70 sigma or the 28-75 Tamron. The Canon lenses (17-40L or the 24-70L) are way too pricey.....