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Canon or better?

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AC1

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I've kind of automatically defaulted to canon lenses to go with my 7D:

EF 50 f1.4
EF 70-200 f4 IS
EFS 10-22
EFS 15-85
EFS 18-135

And I've been toying with adding either the EF 24-105 or maybe an EF prime (35 or 85) to my lineup, with a view to eventually going full-frame at some point.

But if money was no object and I was after ultimate IQ, should I look beyond Canon lenses and if so, what?
 
There's something better than Canon !? LOL !! Couldn't resist !

I'd say, apart from a couple exceptions, the L series lens from Canon, are pretty much the best for IQ for Canon camera. I think the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM is such an exception, I agree with what others say, if it wasn't an EF-S lens, it'd be an L lens.

There's bargain to be had, bargain in term of DSLRs, no in term of Dollar Store ;) For example the 70-200 f/4, IS or not are bargains, I own the f/2.8 IS USM II, but I needed it for its maximum aperture.

Bernard

--

I measure my success in life not by my awards, but by the amount of smiles, hugs and kisses I get from my family on a daily basis !
 
For pure IQ there is better than Canon eg Zeiss, which is manual focus. I assume using an adapter will allow other great lens that can be mounted. For an AF 50mm 1.4, the Sigma is better than the Canon, but then the Canon 501.2 is better still. The Zeiss 50f2 is probably the best for pure IQ
 
My personal taste and style from the lenses I use most in my collection would be the 24-105mm f4 IS and the 28mm 1.8 USM. One is my general go to lens and the other is my indoor preferred lens.
--

Darkness is the monster and your shutter is your sword, aperture your shield and iso your armor. Strike fast with your sword and defend well with your shield and hope your armor holds up.
 
When you say the Zeiss 50f2 is best pure IQ, on which camera is that ? Because I don't think they make in EF mount ? And if you used an adaptor, wouldn't it affect the IQ ?

Although Zeiss do make excellent lens, manual focus isn't for everybody, depending on the subject, it isn't always the best solution.

Bernard

--

I measure my success in life not by my awards, but by the amount of smiles, hugs and kisses I get from my family on a daily basis !
 
If quality is the objective and money no object, all L primes. Possibly a few manual focus non-canon specialty lenses. You could spend $50,000 on glass if you want a set of fast telephotos.
 
Yes, there are great lenses out there, both Canon and otherwise. But to take advantage of the best ones, you should be using full frame body, especially the 5D2.

In the Canon line-up, the 17TS and 24TSII are awesome for their wide angle image quality, not even counting the tilt/shift functions. The 100L macro is amazing too (as is the 60 macro EF-S for your camera).

Canon has a few other great ones, but you would want to shift into Zeiss ZE (Canon EF mount) primes: 21/2.8, 35/2 (or 1.4), 50/2 MP (macro), 100/2 MP. These provide auto aperture, auto exposure, and exif data -- but are all manual focus.

With adapter, Contax (Zeiss) lenses are great, especially the 50/1.4. A terrific bargain is the 80-200/4 zoom. And (also with adapter) any Leica "R" lens provides superb results.

Don't be afraid of manual focus for high quality, well crafted photos.
 
I doubt I'll ever actually sell any lenses, you never know when they might come in handy as backups or lending to friends & family etc. and they don't really depreciate in value, so not a bad investment.

So I think I'll just add to my lineup, starting with the 24-105L and then a couple of primes (35mm and 85mm have caught my eye).
 
this is 2011 not 1960s, neither zeiss or leica makes better lenses than canon. today quality comes from R&D, advanced manufacturing process, and economy of scale on exotic materials, neither zeiss or leica has an edge on any of them.
 
AC1 said:
I've kind of automatically defaulted to canon lenses to go with my 7D:

EF 50 f1.4
EF 70-200 f4 IS
EFS 10-22
EFS 15-85
EFS 18-135

And I've been toying with adding either the EF 24-105 or maybe an EF prime (35 or 85) to my lineup, with a view to eventually going full-frame at some point.

But if money was no object and I was after ultimate IQ, should I look beyond Canon lenses and if so, what?
Click to expand...
This depends on the type of lens in question. Canon definitely makes some of the best out there, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't pay attention to other brands as well. Zeiss makes a line of lenses for EOS called the ZE series. Some of those lenses don't seem particularly amazing (50/1.4, 85/1.4) while others are considered the best in their class (21/2.8, 28/2, 50/2 macro, etc.). Sigma, Tokina and more recently, Samyang also make some excellent products. In fact, the Sigma 50/1.4 is IMO better than the Canon one, though maybe not quite as good as the Canon 50L.

I would suggest researching every purchase to see which lens fits your price/performance goal, regardless of what brand it is.

--
-Scott
 
AC1 said:
But if money was no object and I was after ultimate IQ, should I look beyond Canon lenses and if so, what?
Click to expand...
Most if not all lenses are built with compromises, so it depends on your definition of "ultimate IQ". One list could look for example like this:
  • 17mm Canon
  • 21mm Zeiss
  • 24mm Canon
  • 50mm Zeiss (if you don't need the speed, otherwise Canon or perhaps Sigma)
  • 85mm Canon
  • 100mm Zeiss
  • 135mm Canon
  • 200+mm Canon
Lenses with best IQ are not necessarily the most practical. For example, if you shoot sport, IS, AF and zoom may me more important for getting sharp and clear shot than sheer optical quality.
 
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