which lens on which body

hey everyone, i need some input, i currently have a 5D classic and a 7D, lens i have 85 1.8 and 24-70L.

which lens should i dedicate to which camera? right now i have the 24-70 on the 5D so i have wide to semi-zoom cover, and the 85 on my 7D to get my telephoto porition covered. i'm open to get another lens, any suggestions? i'm contemplating on making the move over to primes.

wasabean wrote in post #9245021
hey everyone, i need some input, i currently have a 5D classic and a 7D, lens i have 85 1.8 and 24-70L.

That seems pretty reasonable to me. If you need more reach than 85mm on 1.6X then I'd put a 100/2, 135/2 or 70-200 on the 7D.

What does that mean? If you need more reach on the 7D then get it.

Replacing the function of the 24-70 on the 5D is going to require at least two primes to cover wide angle and normal, and if you are not commited to changing lenses all the time (which carrying two bodies suggests you are not) then this is probably not a good idea.

Put the lenses you need for the shots you are trying to take on the two bodies.

If you want to go primes, I'd go with the 135mm first. I love it. It works great on FF and on a crop equally well. Add a 1.4x TC to that and you've got a nice sharp tele prime as well.

I would put the 24-70 on the 5D and the 85 on the 7D.
If you do reverse the 85 will be right in the middle of the 24-70 reach.

Now the 85mm will giving some telephoto reach and the 24-70 gives you the normal reach.

If the 85 on your crop is to short, I would go for a 100mm, 135mm or 200mm.

wasabean wrote in post #9245021
hey everyone, i need some input, i currently have a 5D classic and a 7D, lens i have 85 1.8 and 24-70L.

which lens should i dedicate to which camera? right now i have the 24-70 on the 5D so i have wide to semi-zoom cover, and the 85 on my 7D to get my telephoto porition covered. i'm open to get another lens, any suggestions? i'm contemplating on making the move over to primes.

Why this mania of "covering" zones of focal lenght?

(Before we go further: you realize that 85mm on your 7D is exactly the same "zoom factor" as your 85mm on 5D, I hope)

thank you all for your input, i was actually considering the 135 f/2, its pretty affordable and the IQ is excellent.

-elContrarian
yes i understand the "zoom factor" is the same, however, the framing is different so it gives the impression that it gets a further reach.

elContrarian wrote in post #9245485
(Before we go further: you realize that 85mm on your 7D is exactly the same "zoom factor" as your 85mm on 5D, I hope)

wasabean wrote in post #9245773
yes i understand the "zoom factor" is the same, however, the framing is different so it gives the impression that it gets a further reach.

Just so both of you know, the "zoom factor" of the 85mm lens is precisely 1 (one).

I do believe both of you are really referring to a different term but don't know it. That term is "focal length".

The term "zoom factor" refers to the ratio of the shortest to the longest focal length of an adjustable focal length (zoom) lens. For example, a 100mm-400mm zoom lens has a zoom factor of 4 - usually stated as 4X.

24-70 on 5d

wasabean wrote in post #9245021
which lens should i dedicate to which camera? right now i have the 24-70 on the 5D so i have wide to semi-zoom cover, and the 85 on my 7D to get my telephoto porition covered.

Yeah, that sounds the right way to do it when carrying both cameras as a walk around combo.

I'm puzzled by your talk of dedicating them though. That suggests that you are planning on this being a permanent arrangement. There are many times when you would be better off using one body with the other lens.

Two examples:

The FF of the 5D and the 85 are a great portrait combo. Ideal FL and all the shallow DoF you could want for subject seperation.

The 7D and 24-70 will be great for close in action work, say getting up close and underneath skateboarders on a ramp. Best AF, 8fps and reasonably wide angle for drama. In this situation, the 5D with 85 would be a great second combo for grabbing some portraits of the skateboarders.


So, yes, as a walk around pair the combination you have chosen is generally the most logical. Do consider what you will be shooting though, as sometimes they will be better off the other way around.

To simply work it out based on spread of FL is ignoring that the two cameras are very different animals and for many jobs one body is much better than the other, you then choose the best lens to put on it. There are many factors to consider when choosing which body and lens combo to use and they vary from shoot to shoot.

What do you shoot?

The 70-200 f/2.8 IS is more usable than a prime in many cases, and has great IQ. It's my fav zoom, then the 24-70, and the 16-35.

The 135 is a great prime, and I like the 50L for street shooting.