understanding lenses still got me confused

Ok so i read the stickies here.... all the different types of lenses and searched google for understanding canon dslr lense and read some more... wow my head hurts..

so my neighbor with the canon t1i told me he has a canon 70-200 and tamron 17-55 lenses. He also mentioned that he is missing a 55-70 lense.... undertandably anyone can see a gap in the numbers.... but..

1. does that matter? should you always have lenses in all ranges?

also on my readings.. the "White" lenses or professional lenses are not allowed to be used at say a NFL game or the sort by a consumer.... ok so then why buy one other than to take nice pics at home or kids at games???

so I am curious....

for a normal at home user that wants to take better than point shoot camera pics... is it worth going and spending all that money?

im looking at the canon t2i (narrowed it down to this pending a few things im trying to sell and if cant get that cash then the t1i for $585 will be it)....

and my question is.... can you recommend a lense(s) that would be handy on a budget but take really good pics to vouch the dslr. Understanding that alot needs to be learned to get to the good pictures.....
i do not plan on doing any studio work or dont even expect to do anyones wedding (not even a friends but will take pics that i normally would with a point and shoot)....

so is the t2i default lense 18-55mm a good start point and buy a 70-200 for say outside soccer and outdoor 6-9pm kids hockey games??

that is where im falling short... i would like to have say 1-3 lenses that can do what "I" need them to do... take family pics, take kids soccer/hockey pics, take pics when we go to the park... etc....

example... is something like this worth it?
Tamron Twin Zoom Kit 2: AF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical Lens and AF 55-200mm f/4.0-5.6 DI-II LD Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
http://www.amazon.com …/B000EXR0TM/ref​=pd_cp_p_1

i even went as far as looking at peoples signature and gear bag and googling to see... and wow... $500-$1500 per lense..... i would like to get to that point... but for now.. just need to get rolling with a camera on a working guys salary with a stay home wife and 2 kids in sports!!!!!!!!!!

like said the t1i can be had for $585 with a lense and i2i for $828 with a lense... so trying to see what is doable....

My advice to you is to start slow and see what you need. Since you are just starting you don't need all the high-end glass. You don't need to cover the whole range if you don't need to. Here are some examples of what some may own:

1. 18-55, 55-250, 50 1.8
2. 17-40 f4, 70-200 f4, 50 1.8
3. Tamron 17-50 non-VC, 70-200 f4, 50 1.8

You don't need to cover the full range. If you are missing the 50-70 range, that should be fine unless you always shoot at 60mm. I find that there are much compromise in lens choices (I guess that's how Canon makes money).

My advice is to go with option 1 for now and either the T1i or T2i. The tamron entry alternatives are not good in quality. If you want to upgrade later, you can always sell and then buy a higher quality Canon lens. Hope this helps .

BTW, once you go DSLR there's no wanting to go back to point and shoots

3. Tamron 17-50 non-VC, 70-200 f4, 50 1.8

Exactly the list of lenses I own. Zero need for anything else at present.

TeleFragger wrote in post #10706851
Ok so i read the stickies here.... all the different types of lenses and searched google for understanding canon dslr lense and read some more... wow my head hurts..

also on my readings.. the "White" lenses or professional lenses are not allowed to be used at say a NFL game or the sort by a consumer.... ok so then why buy one other than to take nice pics at home or kids at games???

.

I like to take nice pics at home

Anyways, just go out and buy the 18-55/55-250 combo for now. Add a 430EXII if you plan on shooting people indoors.

Take time to LEARN this gear inside and out (literally ) You should be able to take great pictures with this gear in a variety of situations. Only when you reach that point AND you can pinpoint EXACTLY where your current gear is lacking, you can then look into other gear. And since you've gained all this experience, it's usually much easier to pick more gear.

Good luck!

If your creative needs dont require you to have a particular range covered in your lens lineup, then you dont need it. Although I myself prefer to have lenses that cover from ultra wide to about 300mm. Keep in mind that by using focal length and distance to subject you can control perspective and get different looks from the same subjects. Try framing your subject the same with the 18-55 at the wide end and the long end and see how much difference it makes.

There is a delicate balance between covering the ranges you need, and buying quality lenses. You cant get the shots you need if you dont have the right lens. But good glass will make a real difference in your shots (once you reach a certain level of competence with your camera) so I would rather have one or two good lenses, than a collection of mediocre ones.

A lot depends on what you want out of photography and how much you are willing/able to put in.

A decent point and shoot camera may be all you need to begin with. They can take pretty good pictures and are easy to live with. They have smaller sensors and cheaper lenses than SLRs so the image quality is not as good. That said I've had 10x8s from a 2M pixel Fujifilm 2800 digital P&S that look great. For me the main drawback with P&S cameras is that they are just too darn slow to do what I want, especially for sports.

An SLR is a much better tool for photography, offering much more flexibility, much faster response and used properly will typically give better images than a P&S. However, in order to take advantage of being able to add different lenses and so on they become more expensive than P&S. Plus you end up with a lot more gear to lug around.

If you don't already know much about photography, then even with a P&S there is a learning curve to go through. On picking up the camera for the first time, through to the point where the camera is limiting your photographs in some way or other, you will have put in many hours and have taken many shots.

With an SLR, all of the work you've done on the P&S will help, but again there is a considerable learning curve to go through in order to get the best out of the camera.

The suggestions the other guys have made are pretty sound and will take you a long way. You also got it right by coming here and asking the questions, there are a lot of very knowledgeable and talented photographers here.

Cheers!

my suggestion is 18-55mmIS 55-250mmIS to start...and then i'd add something like the 85mm f1.8 for those evening hockey games....

granted you may find yourself limited by those lenses at some point....but if you are just starting out they should be good for a while, and then once you know why they are limiting you...you can upgrade, or add to them

^This

DreDaze wrote in post #10707926
my suggestion is 18-55mmIS 55-250mmIS to start...and then i'd add something like the 85mm f1.8 for those evening hockey games....

granted you may find yourself limited by those lenses at some point....but if you are just starting out they should be good for a while, and then once you know why they are limiting you...you can upgrade, or add to them

cant find that deal anymore....
how bout this one???
http://www.amazon.com …F8&qid=12817388​08&sr=1-12

i can get the body for $769... and put a lense or 2 (have $1050 to spend) or
i can get kit with 18-55 lense for $819 and find a 180 lense to go with it????

what do you think? im gonna heavily weigh in my choices this weekend.. and order up monday so appreciate all your help....

not trying to be annoying but trying to figure out what is a good starting point without having to buy too much more anytime soon...
thanks

Get a 18-55 and rebel first. Then when you see you NEED something more (bigger aperture, faster AF, better image quality) you will start to know what lenses you will need. When I first used a 18-55 I was impressed by how much better the pictures were compared to my Fuji P&S.

I agree with SiaoP. I was drooling over my kit lens for months.

SiaoP wrote in post #10716829
Get a 18-55 and rebel first. Then when you see you NEED something more (bigger aperture, faster AF, better image quality) you will start to know what lenses you will need. When I first used a 18-55 I was impressed by how much better the pictures were compared to my Fuji P&S.

see i guess what im missing is this....

i understand 18 is the width (right?) and 55mm is zoom... well how far is that?
will i be happy with taking pics of my son at soccer across the field?

my kid in goal... look at the haze.. i have better pics but have to look for them...

alemerson wrote in post #10716964
I agree with SiaoP. I was drooling over my kit lens for months.

ok got me sold....

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

pkphotography wrote in post #10707129
My advice to you is to start slow and see what you need. Since you are just starting you don't need all the high-end glass. You don't need to cover the whole range if you don't need to. Here are some examples of what some may own:

1. 18-55, 55-250, 50 1.8

You don't need to cover the full range. If you are missing the 50-70 range, that should be fine unless you always shoot at 60mm. I find that there are much compromise in lens choices (I guess that's how Canon makes money).

My advice is to go with option 1 for now and either the T1i or T2i. The tamron entry alternatives are not good in quality. If you want to upgrade later, you can always sell and then buy a higher quality Canon lens. Hope this helps .

BTW, once you go DSLR there's no wanting to go back to point and shoots

Pretty much on the spot advice here. I would second that first lineup, also; it will give you most (if not all) of the focal range you'll need to get rolling and find out where your shooting style puts you as far as necessary focal lengths.

Personally, I've found that the 55-70 gap is a huge hole for me, so I just (today) filled it with the 24-105, as it's the only lens in that range that I can find with IS that I like.

TeleFragger wrote in post #10717006
see i guess what im missing is this....

i understand 18 is the width (right?) and 55mm is zoom... well how far is that?
...

The 18 and the 55 are the wider and longer ends of the lens focal lengths, in mm. So, when you are fully zoomed out it acts as an 18mm and when fully zoomed in it acts as a 55mm. 55mm really isn't very "far", you'd want the aforementioned 55-250mm lens for shooting across the field; and even then, you'll learn the one sad truth about cameras and telephoto lenses...there's NEVER enough reach

Much more reading and info on lenses here: https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=86975

Also, be sure to check out the following threads; they're full of terrific info:
Ben's Newbie Guide to Digital SLR Photography
Photography Tips and Tutorials
Perspective Control in Images

Welcome to the wild and crazy world of SLR photography

If you decide you want to add the Canon 55-250 that others have mentioned, you can get a Refurbished one from Adorama for only $199.99.

However if you're dead-set on trying to capture usable images from the night-time soccer games, the suggestion about the Canon 85mm f1.8 lens would be better than getting the 55-250 for now.

Whatever body/lens(es) you decide, spend some time with any tutorials you can find on the web (I think Canon has a learning section). Reading, asking questions (like you're doing here), and practice are the way to becoming proficient.

tempest68 wrote in post #10717092
If you decide you want to add the Canon 55-250 that others have mentioned, you can get a Refurbished one from Adorama for only $199.99.

However if you're dead-set on trying to capture usable images from the night-time soccer games, the suggestion about the Canon 85mm f1.8 lens would be better than getting the 55-250 for now.

Whatever body/lens(es) you decide, spend some time with any tutorials you can find on the web (I think Canon has a learning section). Reading, asking questions (like you're doing here), and practice are the way to becoming proficient.

originally i found a kit with both the 18-50 and 50-250 for only $80 more... with a new lense.. that is why i was thinking of going with that.. cant find it now....

i am dead set on images for night Hockey Games.. soccer is during the day 3pm at latest and hockey seems to start at 6pm or up to 9pm!! IN THE COLD!!!! it is deck hockey on foot with a ball but cold, rainy and bad weather (last year).. so if no rain.. im hoping to get some good pics!!!!!

camera is ordered up.... now i have to play the waiting game.... for it to come in... $819 shipped from www.fumfie.com
i wouldnt trust them but my boss got his $585 t1i from them... they will not place the order till they talk to you and i have to wait till monday for them to call as it is the weekend...
now they tried the pitch with him.. we recommend this and that and this and that.. he told them to cancel the order... he said they were persistent.. im just gonna tell the dude when he calls... look my boss already did this with you guys.... just ship my camera as i dont want nothing else....


http://www.fumfie.com …SLR_Kit_W__EF_S​_18_55_IS_