Holy Grail - If Only One EF Lens

My one-and-only 10D lens must excell at studio photos of wood art* for use on the Web and for portfolio prints in the 5x7 to 8x10 range.

*Wood art = objects in the 4" to 16" diameter range, and 4" to 12' high.

All the rest is gravy.

Your best shot, please.

Correction ... that's 12" high, not 12' high.

One option is the 20-35 USM. I know it will focus close enough to fill the frame with a 6" subject, and it will give you a moderate wide-angle to longish-normal range. With that range, you'll be able to emphasize the shape of the object dramatically (using wide-angle perspective) but still make images of normal perspective on the long end. I have personally tested this lens in closeup details (see the photo I took of the name plate on the Big Dog motorcycle in my thread in the shared photos folder), and it seems as sharp as the 10D's sensor. Of course, the 10D only uses the sweet center of the field.

Another option if you want less drama but the ability to shoot fine details is the 50mm macro. This will give you a short telephoto lens on the 10D, but one with the ability to focus on a patch of wood grain as little as two inches wide. It's not too long to use as a general-purpose lens, but the 20-35 is probably more useful there.

The 50 is sharper and constrastier than the short zoom, of course, but it won't matter much unless you will be making prints larger than 8x10. Both will give you all you could hope to have in web-page and brochure photos or for a portfolio of 8x10's. If you have money left over, spend it on lighting equipment, which will give your images more drama than any lens.

Of course, there are many lenses in the normal range that might do as well as these, but I own these and know myself that they would do what you describe. Others will fill in my blanks, I'm sure.

Rick "who loves images of wood grain" Denney

Based on your work at
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=12451, the 20-35 USM is a definite contender.

Anyone else?

H

One question that may have an effct on recomendations is this;

How will you light the artwork?

The answer to this question will effect a second consideration,.

How far from or close to the subject does the camera need to be?

If your not doing true Macro work,. you may even start by getting the venerable 50mm f/1.8

But depending on your studio and lighting solution a macro may make sense like the recomended 50 macro or even the 100mm macro if need to be further from the subject.

After thousands of images, with a good portion of them portrait work, I find the most versatile of all my lenses is the Canon 28-70 2.8L. I read the new 24-70 is even better. The range on my D60 or 10D is well suited for studio work and it’s extremely sharp for a zoom. My two cents….Dan
http://www.pettusphoto​.com

I'm with Dan here. If you can only have one lens then my choice would be my 24-70 f2.8L. It is without a doubt the finest zoom in that range. YMMV

Thanks for the input. I'm convinced that the EF 24-70 f2.8L is the real deal.

Question: Price at B&H is $100 less for "Imported" v. "USA." ($1249 v. $1349)

Comments?

H

"Imported" means gray market--it is imported from wholesale suppliers overseas and not through the manufacturer's contracted U.S. distribution channels. It does not have a U.S. warranty, and you can't usually have it serviced at U.S. warranty centers. Some people want a good deal so bad that they will take that risk, but I'd rather spend the hundred bucks.

By the way, I looked at a 24-70L lens at the store the other day, and I agree it looks like a winner. But I forgot to check how close it will focus. Of course, if you spend $1300 for one of these, than another $250 or so for the 50mm macro seems like no big deal. (That line of thinking has gotten me in trouble, but there it is.)

Rick "who doesn't know how well Canon supports gray-market lenses in the U.S., but who is not inclined to test those waters" Denney

B&H sells both as you say. If something goes wrong, B&H will repair it themselves just like Canon would do it.There is "zero" difference in quality even though some people would like you to believe they are seconds. I just bought an 70-200 L lens and a 100 mm macro from B&H( imported) and couldn't be happier. Same box,case etc. It's your money though but I choose to save some bucks. I probably would think twice though if it were not B&H since I have all the trust in the world in them....my 2 cents....Brian

B&H sells both as you say. If something goes wrong, B&H will repair it themselves just like Canon would do it.There is "zero" difference in quality even though some people would like you to believe they are seconds. I just bought an 70-200 L lens and a 100 mm macro from B&H( imported) and couldn't be happier. Same box,case etc. It's your money though but I choose to save some bucks. I probably would think twice though if it were not B&H since I have all the trust in the world in them....my 2 cents....Brian

B&H sells both as you say. If something goes wrong, B&H will repair it themselves just like Canon would do it.There is "zero" difference in quality even though some people would like you to believe they are seconds. I just bought an 70-200 L lens and a 100 mm macro from B&H( imported) and couldn't be happier. Same box,case etc. It's your money though but I choose to save some bucks. I probably would think twice though if it were not B&H since I have all the trust in the world in them....my 2 cents....Brian