Syscrash wrote:
Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II
1. Only buy lenses that have a good chance of lasting until my next camera upgrade, possibly to a professional grade body
You've essentially got two choices, EF lenses compatible with all Canon DSLRs, or EF-S lenses that are compatible only with Canon's APS-C cameras (i.e. anything with a name that's a number of 7 or more - anything less than 7, eg 6D, is a full frame camera).
2. First, get a lens that addresses my normal shooting scnearios (aka without a tri-pod):
- Everyday, general shooting of people and places
- Mid-level zoom to cover outdoor shooting of sporting events and animal/landscape shots
- Some video recording
Everyday general shooting means zoom. You've got the 18-55. Alternatives will not be significantly sharper - the 18-55 has decent image quality. Instead you get either a greater zoom range (e.g. 18-135, 15-85) or a wider aperture (17-55, off brand 1x-50's).
On a crop.APS-C camera I'd be inclined to go for the convenience of a greater zoom range and get a fast prime for blurring backgrounds/very low light. Delay purchase until you know whether you will make more use of the wider end (go 15-85) or the longer end (18-135).
3. Progress into:
- In-door, low-light shooting, such as wedding receptions, chistmas day, etc.
- Portraits, including headshots
Indoor, low light, wedding receptions - this is what the flash is for (an f2.8 lens will still need some help indoors... or very high ISOs) so no particular need for a fast (ie large aperture) lens... but it helps.
A fast prime can be good - the 50 1.8 is cheap as chips, though often too long on a crop camera. If you had a full frame camera the 70-200 f2.8 would see a lot of use.
4. Then expand into more advanced shooting scenarios, such as:
- Macro
If you're considering going full frame at some point the 100 f2.8 USM is the logical choice. 3 versions available: the original and inferior non-USM version, the incredibly good USM version and the latest IS USM version. Either of the last two are excellent.
- Night-time
If shooting stars a fast (ie large aperture) lens is good.
- Extreme distance shooting with tri-pod or mono-pole
Haze in the air and heat haze mean extreme distance shots may not be very sharp. Not a problem if you're shooting a vista with a wide angle lens but annoying if using a long lens. Note for choosing a tripod for this sort of stuff: get a heavy one that can take a lot of weight and the beefiest head you can afford.
(Please note that I plan to get a decent speedlight, one that can deflect and diffuse the flash, first to aid in my low-light shooting scenarios. Then also upgrade to a better one, for master slave scenarios.)
Awesome. Flash makes your shots look great when you've learnt how to stop it making your shots look awful
Here's my plan:
1. Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM : Regular, mid-level zoom lens for everyday shooting (aka My go-to lens), including sports, indoor concerts and occasional low-light shooting.
24 gives too narrow a field of view on a crop. Solution? Keep the 18-55 handy.
2. Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM: Everyday, in-door, low-light shooting scenarios, including portraits, wedding receptions, christmas morning, etc.
Experiment with your zoom lens until you know what focal length best suits your needs, though 35 will undoubtedly be a better choice than 50mm.
3. Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto Zoom: Distance zoom, for shooting sports, general landscapes, animals, etc - day and night shooting. Of course, I'll need to win the lottery first before buying this one.
Best lens in its class. Consider also the 55-250 (good image quality, cheap so use up funds that would go towards 70-200, very light and compact so retains a role when you've got the large and heavy 70-200). Instead of the 55-250 you may also consider the 70-200 f4 (both with and without IS) and the 70-300 non-L and L lenses. Tamron also make a reasonably well regarded 70-300 VC (VC = Canon's IS)
My questions are:
1. Is my head on straight as far as a strategy goes for my needs?
Assuming you're going to move to full frame soon then yes. If you're not then consider substituting the 24-105 for the 15-85 or 18-135.
2. Are the options I have chosen good or should I be looking at something better? Really interested in whether or not my second lens should be the 35mm f/1.4L or 55mm f/1.2L lens given the scenarios I plan to shoot.
You will have the answer when you've used your kit lens for a bit and found which focal lengths you use most for the type of shots you want a prime for.
3. Since I am not planning a lot of movie shooting, I have not looked into STM lenses, but definitely want to get rid of the AF noise when using the bundled EF-S less (not STM or USM). I've read that USM focuses too quickly for quality movie making, which can jar the viewer from the clip. Whereas the STM option gives a slower, more exceptable effect when a movie changes focus. Since Im not making high-end movies (clips of kids romping around and such), should I worry at all about this phenomena?
STM is there purely because it's quieter. The talk of focusing slower so the viewer isn't jarred is nonsense: STM is slower than USM but faster than 'normal' focusing motors and normal focusing motors still focus pretty quick! Note the 18-135 STM is reputed to be sharper than it's non-STM 18-135 counterpart so the lens may be worth the premium it commands.
Sorry for making you read a book AND thank you in advance for all your assistance!
Happy to help.
