Best lenses for the 7D

[jeppoy]

Originally Posted by XterraJohn

I didn't realize that so many people were against the 70-200 f/2.8L IS.

they are against it because they can't afford it and too wuzz to hold it , me personally, I can't afford it and I'm not about to make excuses for it. I'll just enjoy my "not the supreme of all telephotos according to john swan the master of 7D lenses".

[jeppoy]

John, does the 7D comes with coffee maker and auto monkey clicker? that would be nice, I won't have to click because it would be a drag holding a cup of coffee and clicking the same time.

[behmer]

So, being on the verge of purchasing my 7D, I ended up here in hopes to read up on different lens options for the camera (I new to Canon DSLR's) I thought I struck a gold mine from the first post but apparently everyone else would disagree?

I just want some good un-biased advice on a SINGLE zoom-lens that could hopefully cover my needs until I am ready to buy more glass.

My needs:

I want the lens to be fairly wide and perform well in low light situations (Night Club/Event photos)

I am also extremely excited to utilize the video capabilities of this camera so I must have IS and maybe other features?

I also am about to take on a fine jewelry client (Im a freelance web developer) and would like to possibly take over their product shots since they are overpaying for them (Yes I do have a studio setup for this). I would like this one lens to perform well in these conditions as well until I can get a nice prime.

Thanks helping me out...and thanks to the original poster and anyone else who has shared their opinions on specific lenses to help out the new guys.

From my research so far I am leaning towards the Canon EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM

Thanks again..Glad to be here

[WayneHawn]

behmer:

You know, despite the nasty comments towards, and overly defensive responses from the OP, I like the OP's lens list, and it almost describes what I have in my bag. (I went with the 70-300 *gasp* for the reach and size).

I have not had the 17-55 all that long, but from what I have shot, it is a great lens. Combined with the 7d, you can get some very decent images in low light w/o flash. While shooting a very controlled environment under strict testing protocols (NOT) in my living room taking snap shots of my dog, I commented to my wife that the low light performance of the 7d and the 17-55 was just ridiculously good. An added benifit of the wide open aperture is the fast low light AF.

Keep in mind that I am a rank amateure, but I am really happy with the above combo and think it would serve your purposes very, very well. In my opinion, the 17-55 is overpriced if you don't use the 2.8 and can get the shots you need with a variable aperture lens, but for night club and event photos, it sounds like just the ticket.

I would also look into a 50 1.8 just for kicks, for the price, why not? Sometimes you can find the Mark 1 on Craigslist attached to an older camera. No IS, but the shallow dof and the speed are a blast, and it might make some really neat night club shots, especially with just enough flash to freeze the action up close while still getting some background light in.

But then, most of this is just me talking out of my.......well, anyway, my opinion is worth what you pay.

Wayne

[RiaGurl]

100mm 2.8L Macro.

[sabesh]

24L-II & 50L are my favs for the 7D
.

[say_cheese]

My 17-85 is definetly not a "horrible" lens as you state. I use it on my 40D and it takes exceptional pictures. 8 x 10 pictures from it are as good as from my L zooms on my 1D. My L's are faster and provide more capability (weather sealing, build, low light performance etc.) but that's expected at those prices. For general purpose outdoor shooting, if can't take a good picture with the 17-85 the problem is not the tool but the worker.

[luigis]

How could you forget the 28-135 ? That one is better than several of the lenses you listed, I know it because a friend of mine has one and could shoot a bird from his house window.
I bet no lens on your list can do that

[Jethro790]

I'm getting a 15-85 to go along with my 7D. And this is in addition to the 17-55 which I have been shooting for the past year and love. The 7D is capable of such good images at high iso that I am going to try the 15-85 in the hopes of being able to leave the 10-22, 17-55 and 70-300 at home when I am backcountry or snowmobiling, fishing... anything I can do to have a smaller, lighter camera kit. With the performance I am seeing out of the 15-85, I am not concerned about it being slower- especially on my new 7D.

[sebr]

Originally Posted by jeppoy

John, does the 7D comes with coffee maker and auto monkey clicker? that would be nice, I won't have to click because it would be a drag holding a cup of coffee and clicking the same time.

Camera that come with a coffee maker should have IS.

[LibertyToad]

Originally Posted by gasrocks

Welcome to the forum. Too bad you have a habit of making sweeping generalizations and bold statements that not all agree with.

That's a little harsh....

[amfoto1]

How did I overlook this post for so long? Sorry, I didn't have time to read all the responses.... just a few pages' worth.

Hey, this is just like Health Care Reform, Cap and Trade, and the other "big government" coming out of Washington DC these days, except it's for something much more near and dear to my heart: photography!

I must say, I am so relieved that someone has so eruditely worked it all out for me... I can stop thinking for myself now.

I now know what I must do... A bunch of my lenses are going up on Craigslist as soon as I get finished typing here... I'll sell off the unapproved lenses to the uninformed, so that I can correct the error of my ways immediately.

Please tell us more. How should we live our lives? Where should we attend school and what should we study? Then where should we go to work? What should we eat? Wear? What religion should we practice? What cars should we drive?

Will there be a Photography Czar? Can we nominate someone for the job?

Thanks for telling us exactly what we should buy to take photos. What a relief!

[RiaGurl]

amfoto, man, you have 3 50d's and 2 7d's? and a 5d2? jesus.you must have someone working for you, as I cannot see you lugging all of those around or even 3, for backup.

[Linford]

Wow. I just purchased the 7d and up to this point I was excited about reading this posting. Wow. I can't believe that you guys would be so petty as to fight like children.................... Give your opinion and move on. Some of you guys need to grow up.............bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla.........

[RPCrowe]

John Swan said:

"EF-S 17-55 IS f/2.8

Finally – is this the best walking around lens for use with the 7D? The simply answer is YES! There you go, I have said it – for the first time ever I am recommending the purchase of an EF-S lens. Yes ,this looks and feels like a lump of plastic, but it’s great in low light with f/2.8 throughout the range and with IS, this lens should be purchased alongside a 7D body only.

To conclude:

The recommended basic lenses for use with the 7D are as follows:

Canon EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS
Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS
Canon EF-S 10-22 f/3.5-4.5"

I will come close to agreeing especially regarding the focal ranges which you have pegged down nicely. However, to book end the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens, I would suggest:

11-16mm f/2.8 Tokina which is a half stop to a stop and a half faster (depending on the focal length) than the canon UWA since it has a constant f/2.8 aperture.

I would also suggest the 70-200mm f/4L IS lens rather than the f/2.8 version because of the compact size and weight of the f/4L IS model.

I use the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS and 70-200mm f/4L IS lens on a pair of 1.6x bodies and use a 12-24mm Tokina f/4 which I purchased prior to the 11-16mm being released. I won't change lenses but, if I were buying today; I would definitely select the 11-16mm f/2.8 Tokina as my wide angle lens.