70D - Best Lense?

Hi,

Firstly i am new to this forum and secondly i would really appreciate some advise i looking to purchase the best Lense for the new 70D? I bought the body last year as i did not want to invest in the kit lense that usually comes with this. I am a wedding photographer and usually hire lenses so i can get the feel of it before i buy. Now my problem is that the 2 series lenses are too expensive... I have a friend who is wanting to sell me the
Canon 24-70 L1 2.8 Lense at £850 is this a reasonable price for a second hand Lense?

Any advise would be much appreciated

Thanks

CrystalCPhotography wrote in post #17478597
Hi,

Firstly i am new to this forum and secondly i would really appreciate some advise i looking to purchase the best Lense for the new 70D? I bought the body last year as i did not want to invest in the kit lense that usually comes with this. I am a wedding photographer and usually hire lenses so i can get the feel of it before i buy. Now my problem is that the 2 series lenses are too expensive... I have a friend who is wanting to sell me the
Canon 24-70 L1 2.8 Lense at £850 is this a reasonable price for a second hand Lense?

Any advise would be much appreciated

Thanks

Heya,

24-70 version 1 for that price seems really high. I'd pass.

So at the end of the day, there's no best lens for you. I wouldn't even bother with 24-70 on APS-C (70D). It's a nice lens, but the focal range doesn't get wide on APS-C, so it's a different lens all together on a 70D than it is on a full frame. This is why they have 17-50 F2.8's for APS-C. That said, it's not like you have to use it that way. That's up to you.

You need to figure this part out:

1. What focal ranges do you need? Or are you ok with a single focal length? (Zoom vs Prime)
2. How fast do you need the glass to be? Aperture range (F2.8 or slower, or do you need faster, like F1.4 or F2)?
3. What is your goal in the look of your photos? (Face shots, group shots, environmental context shots, isolation, everything in focus, etc)?
4. What lenses do you currently have, and what are they not doing for you that you want to improve on?

Very best,

The obvious equivalent to a 24-70 f/2.8 on an FF is the Sigma 18-35 f/1.8. OK it is a little less wide, and quite a bit shorter, but it has the DoF control of the f/2.8 equivalent zooms on FF. This seems an odd question though as surely you already have some lenses, for whatever camera you were using before the 70D? Other than the 18-35 one of the 17-50ish f/2.8 zooms are the natural choice for a crop camera like the 70D, although of course you lose 2/3 rd of a stop in DoF control compared to shooting on FF.

But then anyone shooting weddings for money really ought to know all of this already. I can understand asking specifics of which 17-50ish lens to choose, but as you say renting can let you discover that for your self.

Alan

Good advice already on here. I'd agree that a 24-70 is probably not the best choice for a crop, unless you had something to cover the wider shots AND you went for the 24-70II. On a crop body, I'd look at the Canon 17-55IS over the 24-70I. Remember that using an EF lens on a crop body means you're carrying glass that's large enough to cover the whole of a full frame sensor. As such, it'll likely be larger and heavier than an EF-S equivalent, so if there is a good EF-S alternative it's well worth considering.

The Sigma 18-35, as already mentioned, is superb for crop bodies.

If you have/are planning to have fast primes for shallow DOF and low light shots then don't discount the 15-85IS; it's a very good lens for the money.

A sensible (not crazy cost) selection for a crop would probably be:

Canon 10-22 (for wide interior portraits and "setting the scene")
Canon 17-55IS (for general purpose shots)
Canon 70-200 f/4 IS L (for tighter portrait shots with good "compression" and shallow DOF)

The Sigma 18-35 would be a great addition for shallower DOF and lower light scenes - especially if you went for a 15-85 instead of the 17-55 for the general purpose focal lengths.

The crazy money option would probably include some or all of the following:

Canon 10-22 (not sure if there are better ultrawide options for APS-C? Maybe the Tokina?)
Canon 16-35 f/4 IS L
Sigma 18-35
Sigma 35A
Sigma 50A
Canon 24-70II
Canon 85L
Canon 135L
Canon 70-200 f/2.8II

CrystalCPhotography wrote in post #17478597
..... I have a friend who is wanting to sell me the
Canon 24-70 L1 2.8 Lense at £850 is this a reasonable price for a second hand Lense?

The 24-70/2.8 L is typically going for £650-700 in the UK at the moment so it's about 20% over the top (but you would have the comfort factor of knowing where it came from).

Bob

I shoot a 70d w/ sigma 18-35 + sigma 50-150mm OS

As long as it doesn't bother you buying lenses that are only made for crop cameras, this is in my opinion the "best" setup, haha.

rebelsimon wrote in post #17478761
I shoot a 70d w/ sigma 18-35 + sigma 50-150mm OS

As long as it doesn't bother you buying lenses that are only made for crop cameras, this is in my opinion the "best" setup, haha.

Fully agree with that. Unless you plan on switching to ff in the near future there are better lenses on a crop then the 24-70.

The sigma 18-35 and 50-150 OS is, in my opinion, the ultimate general purpose crop combo.

How about a little more info on the 50-150 os... Is it a fixed f stop or variable, if variable, whats the range likewise for fixed..

I just bought a 15-85 IS USM for my 70D lense... its only f3.5 but thats good enough for what I use it for. All of the reviews that I have read say that it is as sharp or sharper than the 17-55 plus it comes with a wider focal range.

If you feel the need for an L lense I'd look into a 16-35 would be the crop equivalent of a 24-70ish (26-56 technically)

electricme wrote in post #17479250
I just bought a 15-85 IS USM for my 70D lense... its only f3.5 but thats good enough for what I use it for. All of the reviews that I have read say that it is as sharp or sharper than the 17-55 plus it comes with a wider focal range.

If you feel the need for an L lense I'd look into a 16-35 would be the crop equivalent of a 24-70ish (26-56 technically)

The 15-85 is very underrated. OK, it's a little slow at the long end (f/5.6), and I've seen reports go either way vs the 17-55 (in terms of sharpness), but it's a very good all rounder. It seems to generally be best at the wide end, so great for landscapers. If I were primarily a portrait shooter I'd probably lean towards the 17-55 though.

Only one body for a wedding photographer? I would be skeered something would break down during the wedding and no back up to be had. That would not be a pretty sight.

Bianchi wrote in post #17479210
How about a little more info on the 50-150 os... Is it a fixed f stop or variable, if variable, whats the range likewise for fixed..

It's a constant f2.8 aperture. Gives a similar field of view on a crop as a 70-200 does on a ff. The down side; sigma discontinued it last year so it can be hard to find right now. Still one of the truly amazing crop sensor lenses.

MT Stringer wrote in post #17479509
Only one body for a wedding photographer? I would be skeered something would break down during the wedding and no back up to be had. That would not be a pretty sight.

It did cross my mind with regard to the OP's post. At least one backup body, and a main body that records to multiple cards would be a good idea; no "oops, can we just re-shoot that bit tomorrow?" option in that line of work.

Most wedding shooters I know also have "backup person insurance" (I don't know the correct nomenclature) - basically a scheme where you have a backup pro shooter in case your main guy is taken ill on the day.

There does seem to be a not unreasonable amount of low light work too, which makes a FF sensor that bit more desirable, and you rarely need to the reach of a crop. But, I suspect it wouldn't really have been helpful to tell the OP he needs a pair of 5D3s with a set of L lenses


EDIT: typo fix

My vote would be for the Canon 17-55/2.8 IS. Fast, sharp, quick focus, quiet and image stabilization. It's just a bit longer on both ends on a crop as the 24-70 on full frame, but I find the focal length very convenient for events. The only downsides is that it's for crop-sensor cameras only, no red ring, and fairly pricey for an EF-S lens. But the build quality is great and its supported by CPS, if you decide to eventually add the qualifying gear and subscribe.

Then I'd add a Canon 85/1.8. Also very sharp and quick to focus.

The Sigma 50-150 is discontinued. Some of the reviews I've seen indicated it doesn't focus quickly or reliably. Pity, because if you're committed to crop sensor this would appear to be the ideal focal length to pair with a 17-5x. I wonder why Sigma cancelled it?

I'd also strongly recommend a backup body and lens. Perhaps a 50D plus an 18-135 STM.

My friend here in the forum, Jim Askew, has had several great Canon cameras and lenses, but he depends on his 17-55 for his wedding shoots like I depend on my 24-70 L for mine. The price for the used 24-70 is too high. The older version is good, but is very heavy and has been improved. The focal range is also not wide enough, IMO for your 70D. I shoot with the 24-70 on my 5D2.

I am a wedding photographer, and I like the new STM lenses a lot, even though they are not L quality or build. I am working with a 7DII, 7D, and SL1 with my 5D2 and I find the 7DII with any of the STM lenses is quiet and fast and sharp. So, before you invest in a non-STM lens, for the price, check those out. I know the kit lenses get a bad reputation, but I've been impressed by them. My best set up is my 5DII with 24-70 but the other combos are now getting a lot of use. Don't discount the 17-55, but look at the new lenses Canon is offering, too.