Canon Community

_abbey · ‎08-04-2022

Hi!! I am very new to this. I am wanting a lens where I can really zoom in on the sun during a sunset and the moon! I have a rebel t8i. The cheaper the better lol! Than you in advance!

amfoto1 · ‎08-15-2022

Your T8i came with an EF-S 18-55mm lens, which is a mildly wide, normal and short telephoto zoom lens, all in one.

For sunrises and sunsets, as well as other scenic shots, many people like to use a wide angle lens. Try your 18-55mm at the 18mm setting. Wide enough? If not, Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM is a bargain at $300 (plus the lens hood... $25 or less).

For birds, other critters and those shots of the moon, you usually will need a telephoto lens. A very good value that's compact and reasonably light weight is the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM, which also sells for about $300 (+$25 for its lens hood). Honestly, though, 250mm will be too short focal length to give much moon detail or get shots of small birds that aren't very close.

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 first version or II gets you a little more "reach". The current II version sells for $600 new, but the earlier version can be found for under $300 used. There also have been an "L" version that's more robust and a lot more expensive, as well as a "DO" version that uses diffractive optics to be a bit smaller, which used to be quite expensive but has come way down in price on the used market.

Avoid the EF 75-300mm III. There's a reason it's cheap... it simply isn't all that great a lens. I'd avoid all the EF 75-300mm versions, for that matter.

For shots of the moon and wildlife, even 300mm can often come up short. But beyond that focal length things start to get more expensive. Canon has offered two versions of EF 100-400mm L-series lenses, the first being very good and the current "II" being truly excellent... but over $2000! Sigma and Tamron both offer 100-400mm lenses that are a lot more affordable (well under $1000), but also aren't are sharp as the Canon lenses.

The next step up is a 150-600mm made by Tamron and Sigma. These cost between $900 and $2000, depending upon the model. They are fairly large and heavy, compared to everything above.... but will get you pretty close to those distant subjects.

***********

Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7DII (x2), 7D(x2) some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & ZENFOLIO

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Tronhard · ‎08-05-2022

I was searching for a couple of images in my library where I shot the sun with a long telephoto lens and this is really all i got:

This was carefully taken with much of the sun behind the cloud and it was seriously underexposed.

In fact the vast majority of the images I have taken are quite wide angle and use the light of the sun to lighten the clouds.

EOS M5, EF-M 22mm, f/8, 1/80sec, ISO-200

Again the actual sun is a very small part of the image, the light effects on the cloud are the significant elements, and again it is under-exposed.

So, approach sun shots with great care.

cheers, TREVOR

The mark of good photographer is less what they hold in their hand, it's more what they hold in their head;
"All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow", Leo Tolstoy;
"Skill in photography is acquired by practice and not by purchase" Percy W. Harris

_abbey · ‎08-05-2022

Would you suggest getting a lens that has more of a wide angle? I shoot mainly sunsets! I really want to get into taking pictures of birds and other animals while hiking! I love taking pictures during sunset at the beach too.

kvbarkley · ‎08-05-2022

The kit lens is probably wide enough for now (and panoramas are also an option for landscapes that are a bit wider), and if you add the 55 - 250 EF-S you can get pretty close-in images of wildlife. If you find that you consistently want just a bit wider at the short end, and a bit more reach at the long end you can look into getting other (more expensive!) lenses.

It is hard for us to judge what *you* want to take pictures of. The best way is to use what you have, note any deficiencies, and plan to remedy them.

I like to be ready for anything. My walking around lens is the 18-135 which works most of the time (I have never felt the need to go wider than 18mm). In my bag, I have my 70 - 300 II and my late, great EF-S 60 macro for bugs and such. If I think I need it - I don't always have it with me -, and I use it when we go to National Parks, Air Shows and moon/Sun/planet closeups, I have my Tamron 150 -600.

_abbey · ‎08-05-2022

Awesome thank you so much!! This was very helpful!!

kvbarkley · ‎08-05-2022

I have this one. 8^)

kvbarkley · ‎08-05-2022

And when you say the moon, do you mean a closeup of the moon as in the other images or the moon as a thematic element as here:

_abbey · ‎08-05-2022

I mean a close up of the moon! But this is an awesome picture!

wq9nsc · ‎08-05-2022

Abbey,

For fairly close photos of the moon, you need a pretty long telephoto and none of them are really cheap but I have been highly impressed with the Sigma 150-600 "contemporary" I picked up last month. I have several expensive Canon L series primes but I wanted a single fairly light and versatile lens for some longer hikes and I decided to try the Sigma and I was far more impressed than I expected. It is currently under $900 at B&H and worth serious consideration if you can fit that into your price range. Buying good quality glass is the best decision you can make in photography because a poor quality lens is a big handicap while good glass bought now will still serve you well with future camera body purchases.

I haven't done any serious lunar photography with the Sigma yet but while I was shooting a crop duster finishing up near sunset yesterday, I took a few photos of the moon while the sun was still up above the horizon and even under those conditions it did a nice job. The first photo is of the moon using the Sigma 150-600 @ f6.3, 1/800, ISO 800 with a Canon 1DX II body. The sky was still far too light for a good photo of the moon but I was curious how the Sigma would do and grabbed a couple of images.

The second image comes from a week ago when I was shooting a couple of Bel Jet Ranger crop dusting helicopters. I planned to primarily use my 1DX III with Canon EF 800 f5.6 for that shoot but I brought the Sigma 150-600 on a second body and used it for quite a few shots. This is one of the captures with the Sigma as the copter was making a pass over the corn. Shot at f5, 1/640, ISO 125. The Sigma did a great job of quickly capturing and holding focus.

The final two images are lunar photos under good conditions using very expensive glass, the first with the Canon EF 800 f5.6 and the second with a Celestron CPC 1100HD telescope. I look forward to testing the Sigma under similar conditions this winter and I expect, given the results from it on closer objects, that it will do extremely well.

Good luck with your choice!

And on edit, I added a fifth image which is a photo of the moon caught during dusk tonight with the Sigma 150-600 @600mm, f6.3, 1/125, ISO 160 with a Canon 1DX II.

Rodger

1DX II Sigma 150-6001DX II Sigma 150-600Canon 1DX III with EF 800 f5.6

Canon 1DX III Celestron CPC 1100HD

EOS 1DX M3, 1DX M2, 1DX, 5DS R, M6 Mark II, 1D M2, EOS 650 (film), many lenses, XF400 video

_abbey · ‎08-13-2022

Awesome pictures!! Thank you so much for your help!

ebiggs1 · ‎08-15-2022

Your Rebel T8i and the kit lens that came with it are all you need for sunsets and sunrises. You are all set there. It is always best to be safe but a red Sun isn't usually dangerous. Use caution though.

For dramatic photos of the Moon you need all the focal length you can get. This makes one of the 150-600mm super zooms form Tamron or Sigma a great buy. You also need a top quality tripod otherwise don't even think or consider a Moon shot. A good tripod is going to be expensive so get ready for it. Probably over $200 bucks.

There is always the used market for these items. A good top quality tripod rarely wears out so a good used buy.

EB
EOS 1D, EOS 1D MK IIn, EOS 1D MK III, EOS 1Ds MK III, EOS 1D MK IV and EOS 1DX and many lenses.

Canon Community

Lens Recommendations for Sunset and Moon Photography