Go for full focal length or wait a moment to start my dream setup?

Hello people!

My first post on this forum ever!
I really love to talk about photography gear and especially L lenses

You can look at my signature what lenses I've got now. But I am thinking to get something new.

I am getting a 5D mark II next week. I can't wait to get this (big) upgrade for my body.
But I want some more range. 70mm. on FF is not a huge zoom at al.

I thougt about a 70-200mm. F4 L, but I can buy a F4L IS now to with a cashback of 150 euros.

BUT, This is not my dream setup. I really want to have two lenses. The 24LII and the 85LII What should I do? Get the 70-200 F4 or save that money and buy one of those primes above?

I am a student. I can buy one of those lenses. But it still is A LOT of money. Photography is a hobby for me now... So I don't know what to do.

Complete my set for a moment so I'll get a:
- 24-70L
- 70-200L

Or save my money to get:
- 24-70L
- 85LII
In about a year? And upgrade later to a complete prime setup.

What would be your choice and why? And think about it: I am not a miljonair!

Are you buying these lenses just to have, or is there something you like to shoot with these particular focal lengths? Cannot make useful recommendations without knowing what it is you'll be shooting.

Your dream setup and current setup don't go beyond 85mm, so what is your reasoning for considering the 70-200 besides the fact that you could afford it now with cashback? :P

I've seen some really good results from the non L 85mm if you are on a student budget.

All depends on what you shoot. Without you absolutely knowing that, any recommendation would almost be pointless. The 70-200 f/4 IS and 85L are both stellar lenses but unless you have a need for either one then you would be buying just to have the lens. I shoot a variety of things so I have zooms that cover from 10-200mm and a couple of primes for more specific needs. I made a couple of mistake purchases early on and bought what I "thought" I needed instead of waiting until there was an actual need. I'm not saying that you don't know what you need, just share that and you will most likely get more informative recommendations.

I can use focal length for holidays to shoot monkeys or use it on the street to shoot some other monkeys.

I am also an Urbexer. I really like architecture and landscapes.
BUT my interests are changing a bit. Last holiday I was really enjoying to photograph people on the street. I never did that before.
I've got a flash with triggers and umbrella etc. since a couple of weeks now and I am planning to shoot some photoshoots with my girlfriend (just for fun).

So I do use lots of different lenghts. And I like all of them except real big zooms (200+).
I have had a Tokina 11-16. I loved that lens but sold it because the body upgrade.

I like the 70mm. on crop now. I liked it when I photographed random people in London.
70mm. on FF is a bit short I think.
24mm. on FF is wide enough for a while for me.

Why I love the 24LII and 85LII?
I have seen lots of pictures and these are the lenses which gave me a WOW fealing. (I like the 35L too, but I think I will go wider.)

I have got a 75-300 lens for my 1000D. But I really hate the quality of the pics from that lens. So I only use it to shoot some things which are to far away.

I am not the most poor person in the world. And you just live once. So someday the 85LII will be mine. Yes, I looked at other lenses like the 28F1.8 and the 85F1.8 and sigmaF1.4. But no, I just love the thiny depth of field, colour and contrast of those two primes.

The difference between 70mm and 85mm is so minimal that I don't get why the option is between an 85L and a 70-200/4 IS. They're two entirely different beasts.

Looking through your Flickr stream, your main subjects seem to be landscape and urban/street and what I'll call 'travel photography'. The focals in a lot of your shots tend towards the wide (ultra wide, in fact, I'm guessing you had a Tokina at some point?), equivalent to 16-17mm on full frame, as well as plenty that sit comfortably around the 24mm mark.

How much do you use your Nifty Fifty? Do you really, really, really like the focal? Or do you 'just' like the fact it's fast? Ever looked through your shots' EXIF info to see what focal length you spend most of your time on? Have you ever 'spent time' with glass longer than 70mm?

I have relatively similar tastes in subject matter (more landscape and candid portraits for me, though, less street), but people 'see' differently. And working with full frame changes things a lot - the 5DII is an absolute beast of a camera.

My suggestion: if you can afford the 70-200L right now, since you can get a cash back, why not just buy it. Gives you a great cover and one of Canon's best bits of glass. Worst case, you should be able to sell the 70-200 at pretty much zero loss down the line (i.e. after the cash back offer is no longer a factor), as it is by far one of the most popular bits of Canon glass out there. Or you may discover you really, really like it. If you can afford the financial hit, it's a no-lose situation.

Most importantly, however, go play and shoot with your new 5D. Learn its strengths and weaknesses. Experience how your existing glass works on camera. See what focal lengths you end up using. Find out if you want more reach, less reach. For example, I find 50mm to be 'ok' on crop, but nothing thrilling, but I really do like it on FF (see sig, self-evident). For walkaround/street/clos​e quarters people, however, I prefer 35mm. And I tend to 'see' outdoor candid portraits at 135. So it made sense for me to get those primes. I still want a 24LII, or better, a Zeiss 21mm to round out the 'primes' collection, but I'll admit it's a 'luxeprobleem'

EDIT: reading your reply, maybe consider the 135L. Only a little longer than 70mm on crop, very, very sharp, lighter than the 85L, faster focus, and I think it really has that magic look to it.

You're not a millionaire but you want very expensive lenses...

24mm poor man's lenses : 24 f/2.8, Sigma 24 f/1.8, future Samyang/Rokinon 24 f/1.4
85mm poor man's lenses : Canon 85mm f/1.8, Rokinon 85 f/1.4, Sigma 85 f/1.4 (more expensive)

Titi

If it were me I would get the 70-200 and save for the 85L. Going to the 5D2 you will be losing the crop factor so my guess is that you will want more reach, especially if you are doing street photography and want to be discreet about it so as not to freak people out. In the mean time you can use the 50 or 24-70 for portraits. The 70-200 would be decent at portraits too as long as you aren't trying for a really shallow DOF.

First of all... photography is a life long hobby... you don't need to buy all the parts from the start.
Second... your photography experience is a journey not just a destination.

So while you may have a "dream" lens set up right now... you may find out in time that your dream has changed.

If you want to try out a 70-200mm f4 right now then you should go for it. It was my first L lens and the one lens that I will most likely never sell. Even if you decide to try something different in the future, the 70-200mm's all hold their value quite well.

John

I'd say start with the 24-70L and then buy a 70-200 2.8 or 4. The f4L is amazing for the cost. I have one and can vouch for it. Why go prime on an L series if you don't need it? You'll get the coverage from 24-200 through those 2 lens' and they're both amazing. the 4 you can get used for anywhere from 450-600 which is nothing for an L series lens. Thats my recommendation.

I would suggest you wait until you have the 5D before you decided to buy any of the primes. Shoot with the 24-70 on that for a while ... it will be totally different to the 1000D. You'll be able to evaluate the 24mm focal length by using the 24-70 at 24mm ... also consider the 35mm length which is similar to what the 24-70 would be giving you right now on the 1000D.

A case can be made for the 70-200mm here as well - and as a poster above has pointed out, particularly with your saving in the rebate, with a high re-sale value you can use this lens for a while and then sell it on if you wish to without incurring a loss. With the 70-200 you could evaluate whether an 85, 100 or even 135mm prime is more suited to your needs ... or indeed if you prefer the flexibility of a zoom.

My advice is to hold fire on buying a specific focal length lens until you're sure, with your new full frame body, that it suits what you're shooting and how you're shooting it ...

jwp721 wrote in post #13725356
First of all... photography is a life long hobby... you don't need to buy all the parts from the start.
Second... your photography experience is a journey not just a destination.

So while you may have a "dream" lens set up right now... you may find out in time that your dream has changed.


John

I definitely agree with the above, although I know what it is like to "want".

With your status, and youth, I would wait before purchasing such expensive glass.

1. keep what you have and see how you like it on the 5DII.
2. Purchase the 85 1.8 - it is a great lens and you will get the experience of the focal lenth without too much of a $ burden.

After some time shooting with those it will be a lot easier to make up your mind later.

I've got a 5D2 and it came with the 24-105 f4 L IS which is a brilliant lens for FF. Great focal range and great image quality and also very able on a crop body too as I often use it on my 7D. I've also got a 70-200 f4 L which gives fantastic IQ on both bodies too although this lens is up for sale in the classifieds as I'm after getting a 2.8 IS mkI. The f4 is light enough for all day hand held shooting. The 24-105 f4 L and 70-200 f4 L is a great pairing with enough crossover to suit any changes of shooting style.