Upgrade for EF-S 18-55 STM kit lens

I’m looking for an improvement on the kit EFS 18-55 IS STM lens that I have, it’s about what I need, but the flimsy, loose focus ring & STM set-up are quite an irritation.

It’s for very small studio work with strobes that’s verging on table top, most subjects are hand tool size, decent DOF is required & everything ultimately ends up on a white background. Ideal working distance is around 1M & zoom would be preferred so that the frame can be filled without too much back / forth with the camera.


* Camera is a EOS70D / APS-C.

* It doesn’t need to be as wide as 18 – 99% of use is between 24>55.

* Focusing is manual, so a decent “real” & always on focus ring is a must & autofocus ability not important.

* Tripod & tethered, so stabilisation not important.

* If it makes any odds, much work is on metallic / chrome / reflective subjects.

* EF-S or L preferred - don't mind spending, but don't want to get it wrong.

Thanks.

Canon's EF-S 15-85 mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM would at least do the job, and have the characteristics you ask for. But considering your rather specific description of your needs, you shouild perhaps venture out in third party land, to find something manual focus only. I'm not familiar with those, but perhaps somebody else will chime in and direct you.

Get yourself a Canon EF 100mm f2.8 Macro lens. Great lens for tabletop studio shooting. I use mine for close-up shooting of flowers on tabletop. You can pick them up off eBay for around $200-300. That is the price for the non-L version.

If you need something in a zoom, you can look at the Canon EF 24-105mm f4L, or the Canon EF 24-70mm f4L. Nice quality and a good focusing ring for manual focus. I've used the Canon EF 24-105mm f4L IS USM for tabletop flower shooting, and it works well. I do not get as good close focusing as the 100mm macro lens, but I can get some decent shots. The EF 24-105mm f4L IS USM lenses are pretty cheap, going for around $400 on eBay. I have not shot the 24-70mm f4L, but I've heard it is a better lens than the 24-105mm f4L.

While it's a superb lens, I don't think the Canon EF 100mm Macro will work for you. From your description, the products you are shooting are relatively large and you have very limited working distance in a small studio space.

Check the minimum focus distance on any of the below lenses, to be sure they will work for you... but you also can add a macro extension tube to any of them to make them closer focusing, if needed.

Both the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM and EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM are excellent lenses. They are as close to "L quality" as you will get with an EF-S lens. Prices to purchase either new are around $700 to $800, but there are also a lot of lightly used ones around for a lot less.

If you are working with available light or manual studio lighting, the non-variable f/2.8 aperture of the 17-55mm might be preferable. But you get a better range of focal lengths if the variable f/3.5-5.6 of the 15-85mm is okay for your purposes.

Outside of those two, there are many good zooms that will cover the focal lengths you say are most important. Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM (two versions, both quite good optically, II version a bit more robust build) or EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM (version II better optically) or EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM (only one version ever offered). Note that the latter two have IS, while the f/2.8 lens doesn't... if that's a consideration. Some of these have been discontinued and are now only available used.

It sounds as if you are doing "table top studio" work. My go-to lenses for that sort of thing have been the Canon "Tilt-Shift" TS-E 24mm f/3.5L, TS-E 45mm f/2.8 and TS-E 90mm f/2.8 (I don't currently have a copy of the last one, but do still have the other two). Newer versions of these lenses are improved in various ways. Those include the TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II (improved optically), TS-E 50mm f/2.8L Macro and TS-E 90mm f/2.8L Macro. The latter two are now closer focusing, but the earlier 45mm and 90mm are actually pretty close focusing already, plus any of them can easily be used with macro extension tubes to make them closer focusing.

Tilt-Shift lenses give means of adjusting the focal plane to keep an object set on a diagonal fully in focus. The shift mechanism also can be handy to "dodge" unwanted "self portraits" in highly reflective objects. Their aperture works like any other Canon lens (via the camera controls and with all the usual auto exposure modes), but these are all manual focus lenses. That's no problem with focus assist features in most Canon cameras,. Set to One Shot so Focus Confirmation can work. Or use Live View and the magnification possible there to check focus. Or tether to a computer or pad for a larger view.

One difference between the old and the new TS-E lenses is all the newer ones ("II" or "Macro") have two planes of rotation to orient the tilt and shift functions with relation to the subject and to each other. The older version only have a single plane of rotation... which works fine when using one of the functions or the other, but doesn't allow easily changing the two movements' orientation with each other (it can be done, but requires partial disassembly of the lens). On the older lenses the two movements are typically 90 degrees out of phase with each other. This is rarely a problem... has never been a problem for my purposes... but you never know.

The newer lenses are a WHOLE LOT more expensive. The older ones were pricey in their day, too... but have come way down in price on the used market. And there is a healthy used market for them, since they are rather specialized lenses that a lot of photographers purchase for a particular job, then sell off when done with the work and no longer needing the lens. Note: There are also TS-E 17mm f/4L and TS-E 135mm f/4L Macro lenses... but you probably don't need those. The 17mm is a great lens for architecture, while the 135mm is probably too long for your size studio. These two also tend to be among the most expensive, BTW.

I mentioned macro extension tubes several times above. If you don't have any and feel you need them, I recommend the Kenko set for Canon EF/EF-S. It's well made and includes 12mm, 20mm and 36mm tubes. Costs about $130. Canon's own extension tubes are also well made, but they have actually been discontinued, only offered 12mm and 25mm and only sold them individually. The 12mm typically costs around $90 and the 25mm costs about $140 (more than the full set of Kenko tubes, which are similar quality and identical in function).

Here are some sample close up images done with a couple of the lenses mentioned above. The first two were taken with the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM (1st version) near it's closest focus distance.

Fall leaves (approx. actual size as shown here)
EF 24-70mm @ 63mm on full frame (= to 39mm on 70D), f/8, B+W Polarizing filter

apersson850 wrote in post #19452190
Canon's EF-S 15-85 mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM would at least do the job

I'll have a look at that.

Eric Hopp wrote in post #19452228
If you need something in a zoom, you can look at the Canon EF 24-105mm f4L, or the Canon EF 24-70mm f4L.

Yes on zoom & the EF 24-70 f4L was one that I was looking at, so good to hear it's a realistic possibility.

amfoto1 wrote in post #19453281
While it's a superb lens, I don't think the Canon EF 100mm Macro will work for you. From your description, the products you are shooting are relatively large and you have very limited working distance in a small studio space

The majority of products are around 20x10cm, so not that large, but your images (thanks) show me that the EF 100 Macro isn't really what I'm looking for & I have an EF-S 60 Macro & extension tubes that seem to cover the really small products reasonably well.

I don't think that a TS lens is for me, but it's encouraging to see another mention of the Canon 24-70.

I think I'm just adding confusion for myself here, but I'm mildly confused on crop factor, is this correct;

Focal lengths are all calculated on the basis of FF or 35mm & not in relation to the sensor size that they are designed for?

I don't find myself going wider than around 24mm on the 18-55 EF-S kit lens & assume that an EF 24-70 would cover what I'm doing (24+) - just concerned that if crop factor comes into it I'll end up with a lens that's comparative to 38-112 which wouldn't work - I think this is nonsense & please excuse the ignorance!


Thanks all.

Another to consider would be the Sigma 17-70 f/2.8-4 Contemporary. Like you, but back around 2019 I wanted something better than the Canon kit lens so that is what I bought. You can see details and reviews at https://www.amazon.com …-Macro/dp/B00AXZYY86?th​=1. There are also some reviews at Adorama, see https://www.adorama.co​m/sg1770neos.html. Note that the lens was discontinued a few years ago, hence its current pricing down around $390. It was originally up around the $800 mark.

If you opt to possibly purchase that lens, I would seek out a used “dock. If you aren’t familiar with that it enables you to tweak the focusing of the lens to better match the focusing parameters of the camera body.

When you use your efs18-55 on your 70d and set it to 24mm it is identical to using the 24mm of the ef 24 70
If you use a full frame camera and wants to have similar framing then you will have to be at 38mm set up (24×1.6)
The 24 70 f4 is a very good lens and the fixed aperture is handy if you want to keep the exposure set while adjusting your focal length (=framing)

omer wrote in post #19453694
When you use your efs18-55 on your 70d and set it to 24mm it is identical to using the 24mm of the ef 24 70

Thanks for the clarification.

Don't overlook the EF-S 18-135 USM Nano Kit lens. Tack sharp, very versatile, and cheap. I have two. One I use on my 7D MkII and the other adapted to my Sony A6000. Both produce amazing results.

In my opinion, the EF 24-70 f/2.8L II ticks all your boxes (short zoom, excellent “always on” focus ring, no IS, L-series, cost not a factor).

This lens on a crop body will allow a billfold wallet to exactly fill the frame at 70mm at the minimum focus distance.

fergusm wrote in post #19453592
Focal lengths are all calculated on the basis of FF or 35mm & not in relation to the sensor size that they are designed for?

Focal length is a physical property of the lens. It will remain the same regardless of which camera it's mounted on, or if the lens it dismounted and just sitting on a table.

Angle of view, on the other hand, depends on the size of the sensor.

Thanks all.

I've got an EF 24-70 F4 L on order & I'll see how it goes.