help me with my lens wish list.

Current setup is s T3i with 18-135 lens. I like to shoot about everything wildlife, family, portraits, kids sports, landscape, zoo/vacations, lots of general family photography.
Help me build an equipment setup to suit my needs, please. I will probably upgrade to FF in the future, not for at least a year or more or ti don't mind spending the money on quality equipment. I was considering 24-105, but not sure it will be effective on my
crop camera.

I don't mind a little overlap in coverage.
My current wish list:
1. Canon 50mm
2. Canon 24-105 (better option?)
3. Canon 10-22
4. Longer telephoto lens. X-350ish maybe 250?

Also trying to decide on which flash I should buy leaning 580.

I know there are a ton of these threads, but this one is different. It's mine.


I really do appreciate all advice as this is newest challenge. I tend to think through these things a lot and ask tons of questions.

I like the 24-105 because it is so versatile. It is a great lens, maybe go into a shop and try one.

You have to remember most things can be on sold pretty easily without to much loss if you dont like it.

EF-S 55-250IS would be good( and cheap) for zoo/wildlife/some sports, and be a great partner to your 18-135. If not, the EF 70-200 f/4L IS would be even better (but smaller range), but >5x the price.

Price isn't a huge concern especially if it will stay with me when I upgrade. I look at lens as an investment, they seem to hold their value well. Photography makes me happy.

If you have no plans to move to a full frame camera then I would recommend that you get the EFs-15-85 in lieu of the 24-105, add the Tamron 70-300 VC it is better than any Canon that is not a L if you need wider the 10-22. Of course you could swap the 15-85 for 17-55 f2.8 and get the best zoom for indoor shots. Just my thoughts

I shoot about the same stuff. With my choice of 11 or 12 L-caliber lenses on a 7D or 5Dii body, I find that EF 24-105 f4.0L + 70-200 f4L (non IS) are practically all I use. For soccer; 1.4 TC brings the effective tele up to 450mm (with 1.6 crop). Great combo.

I have the advantage of FF - turning the 24-105 into a decent landscape lens (not great but passable). 24mm is also great for parties and events and f4.0 keeps it all in focus.

Prime shooting - it is nice having the 135 f2.0L for really luscious bokeh and generally bringing it up a notch at the expense of forfeitting anything wide. The 85 f1.8 is my go-to lens for pro looking portraits. 35mm is a fun street-photography length on a crop camera. 50mm ... just not for me.

To me; prime shooting is purely to satisfy that artsy side to shooting. Zooms are work-horses that offer 95% of a prime's IQ of the same length and 80% of the prime's beauty. With the possible exception of the 70-200 f4.0L at 200mm ... that baby brings in some very creative shots with beautiful boekh and amazing IQ!


Most of my shooting is just work-horse style ... I just want decent shots of what's happening without getting all perfection-crazy. So; these 2 zooms cover nearly everything - it's just a question of crop or FF. Somehow; I suspect yours is similar.

NBEast wrote in post #14659097
I shoot about the same stuff. With my choice of 11 or 12 L-caliber lenses on a 7D or 5Dii body, I find that EF 24-105 f4.0L + 70-200 f4L (non IS) are practically all I use. For soccer; 1.4 TC brings the effective tele up to 450mm (with 1.6 crop). Great combo.

I have the advantage of FF - turning the 24-105 into a decent landscape lens (not great but passable). 24mm is also great for parties and events and f4.0 keeps it all in focus.

Prime shooting - it is nice having the 135 f2.0L for really luscious bokeh and generally bringing it up a notch at the expense of forfeitting anything wide. The 85 f1.8 is my go-to lens for pro looking portraits. 35mm is a fun street-photography length on a crop camera. 50mm ... just not for me.

To me; prime shooting is purely to satisfy that artsy side to shooting. Zooms are work-horses that offer 95% of a prime's IQ of the same length and 80% of the prime's beauty. With the possible exception of the 70-200 f4.0L at 200mm ... that baby brings in some very creative shots with beautiful boekh and amazing IQ!


Most of my shooting is just work-horse style ... I just want decent shots of what's happening without getting all perfection-crazy. So; these 2 zooms cover nearly everything - it's just a question of crop or FF. Somehow; I suspect yours is similar.

Very informative! I probably (75%) will go FF within a year to 2. I want to build a lens collection first and get my feet under me better. Hoping to start a family next year, but I currently get quite a few pics of my brother in law (10.75 yr) and nephew (4.5). I'm in no way limiting myself to 4 more lens, just trying to build a road map.


Great info all around.

The combo you propose is very good on crop,but if you are planning to go FF soon you should consider the 17-40L instead of the 10-22. Start with 17-40 + 50/1.4 + 70-200/4 IS. This should get you going on the T3i and then you can get a FF kit with the 24-105. The 24-105 is much cheaper when it is sold in a kit...

I don't understand why people always recommend to folks with a crop camera (with thoughts of moving to FF) to get lenses for later - meaning when they get a FF body. Get the lenses you need to accomplish your tasks that work with the tools you currently have. Sure, the 17-40 and 24-105 are wonderful lenses. But they are a totally different lenses (in terms of usage) on a crop v FF - especially the 17-40. If/when you do make the switch from crop to FF, you will likely end up retooling some/most of your lens lineup anyway just to accomplish the same tasks. Take care of your stuff, and when to time comes to make a switch you can sell what you no longer need to buy other stuff to use your your newly acquired tool set (i.e. 5Dx). If you are planning to buy a 5D very shortly, consider waiting to retool your lenses.

On my 7D, I use 10-22 and 17-55. If I were to switch to a 5Dx, I would probably switch my lenses to 17-40 and 24-105 just to accomplish roughly the exact same tasks/styles that I use today.

Oh yeah...definately get that flash. It is useful on both (crop and FF) and will totally change your photography once you learn how to use it.

^^^ Jump ship now! Go out and buy a 5D III with a 24-105 as a kit.. Save a few hundred. Sell the crop and it's lenses. Now, you don't need to worry about buying ef-s lenses anymore. No worrying about planning for the future as far as going FF, because you are already there. Done. No investing in the wrong lenses for later. As you will be full frame now, get the right lenses for - now!

wayne.robbins wrote in post #14659830
^^^ Jump ship now! Go out and buy a 5D III with a 24-105 as a kit.. Save a few hundred. Sell the crop and it's lenses. Now, you don't need to worry about buying ef-s lenses anymore. No worrying about planning for the future as far as going FF, because you are already there. Done. No investing in the wrong lenses for later. As you will be full frame now, get the right lenses for - now!

I would love to wake up tomorrow morning and the morning after. Trying to get bills paid off with in the next year and have a baby in 2013 hopefully. 2013 heading into 2024 will offer me much more money to play with my newest hobby. Wife may take this setup over, she wasn't that interested in photography before but has been playing with my camera.

Did I mention I tend to have expensive hobbies? Guns, motorcycle, atv, tools to an extent...

I partially agree with Mr B Pix. Get the lenses you want/need to accomplish what you want to do. But you can do it with some thought as to whether you might go to FF.

First figure out where (in terms of FL) you shoot most of the time. This can be quantitatively done in some image programs. It can also be done qualitatively. What do you find more frequent are you at the short end wanting to go wider, or the long end wanting more reach, or neither are you in the zoom range? Then decide what you like to shoot (you gave some ideas in your original post) and where (inside/outside, large spaces/confined spaces, etc...). Answering these should help some in deciding what you really want.

(If cost is no concern) IMO If you think you are going full frame, if you get a tele zoom get a 70-200 f/whatever. They are great on crop or FF. The 55-250 is great for the price, but can only be used on a crop camera. Don't worry about the range difference (you have it covered on the wide end) and a 1.4X teleconverter would take you a bit farther on the long end (with better IQ and as fast or faster aperture).

If you want a 50, get a 50 f/1.8. It is cheap (price and unfortunate build), has good IQ, and much faster aperture than you currently have. Otherwise figure what FL you use most and get a fast prime near that FL. (A first prime for me was easy, as I needed a macro and not a fast lens.)

One of the biggest holes I have is indoor shooting, in the house low light (regular lighting). I like to shoot lots of family photos of kids and suck many of which are inside. So inside small spaces is one goal. I want a little more zoom 250 would honestly probably do me, for some outdoor shooting park, soccer, etc. I was leaning 50mm for portraits and such. I will probably hold off on the ultra wide and just rent it for our trip next year.

I think I am going to tailor my lens purchases for the crop camera I have. With the intentions that my wife will probably take it over when I upgrade.

I forgot to mention, get a flash. Learn to use it (bounce &/or off camera).

And based on your last statement, get the 50mm f/1.8 (even with this you will at times want flash). Flash is sometimes about the only way to stop the movement of kids moving fast inside.

Plus get the 55-250, it is a good lens for the price (and it will give you reach).

crb wrote in post #14660612
One of the biggest holes I have is indoor shooting, in the house low light (regular lighting). I like to shoot lots of family photos of kids and suck many of which are inside. So inside small spaces is one goal. I want a little more zoom 250 would honestly probably do me, for some outdoor shooting park, soccer, etc. I was leaning 50mm for portraits and such. I will probably hold off on the ultra wide and just rent it for our trip next year.

I think I am going to tailor my lens purchases for the crop camera I have. With the intentions that my wife will probably take it over when I upgrade.

A flash will help more with your indoor shooting than a 50mm f/1.8.

Also, I agree with the statement above about buying lenses for the camera you have now, not for a camera you might have in the future. It would be different if you were definitely planning on buying a FF body in the next month or two, but that doesn't sound like the case here.

Personally, I would get a EFS 15-85mm instead of the 24-105L, sell the 18-135mm, and hold off buying a 10-22mm until you determine if 15mm will be wide enough for what you are shooting. Get a flash, and then add a telephoto -- the EFS 55-250mm is good if you are on a budget. The 100-400L is the ultimate zoo lens (you mentioned zoos in your original post), but it's probably out of your budget for now, based on what you've told us.