Lens Purchasing Help

[rfuschetti]

I have a Canon 70d and am looking for a lens that will look good for in person on camera interviews with artists. 

Right now I have the 70D DSLR Camera with 18-135mm IS STM Lens that came with a Best Buy bundle.

I'm thinking something wider might look better, not worried about having to zoom.

Any suggestions? Would like to keep it under $750 if possible 

[ebiggs1]

Actually the hood makes a lens look "good".  Try putting the hood on your lens and see if that doesn't do the trick.  Otherwise look for a lens that uses a large hood.  One of the WA lens will have large hoods.

You might find a broken one for cheap.  Call a camera store, not Best Buy, or service center.

[Waddizzle]

Yeah, a hood will make a lens look better. The hood for the EF-S 18-135mm IS STM is flower petal type. The hood will make the lens look great, in fact. As far as lens purchase goes, that one is a pretty good lens, despite the lens creep when you tilt the camera from horizontal. The only lenses that MIGHT look better would be an L lens with the red ring around the end of it. A hood is MUCH cheaper, and a good investment to boot.

[TCampbell]

Perhaps I misunderstood your request...

Are you concerned about the physcial appearance of the LENS... or are you concerned with the IMAGE quality provided by the lens?

Wide angle lenses strech the depth of a scene (subjects appear to be farther away then they really are and the farther away they are in reality, the greater the stretch.)  This can also cause some distortions which do not look flatering if subjects are close.

If you want a "normal" look (don't want wide-angle distortions) then keep the lens focal length at 28mm or longer.  If you want a beatufifully blurred background, longer focal length lenses with low focal ratios have a much easier time creating that effect. 

[ScottyP]

This is one of the more odd questions I have seen on this forum.  What?

[jrhoffman75]

I am guessing the OP is doing the interviewing.

I wouldn't go wider than 18mm. Test with your zoom at 24 and 35 and see which look you like. Then you have 24mm pancake or 35mm IS to choose from.

Wider aperture than the zoom lens for more light and nice background blur.