Wide Angle Lens Recommendations for EOS Rebel T5i

[warev]

Hi all,

This is my first post here. I am a complete photography newbie. I am learning a ton though. I am picking up a Canon T5i tomorrow and I am wanting to get a wide angle lens for it.

The camera will come with the kit 18-55mm lens and the 50mm f1.8 lens, I believe that is what is referred to as the "fifty fifty" lens. Seems to be a popular lens for this camera.

Im also wanting to pickup a wide angle lens for this camera and I am looking for suggestions. Googling can only get me so far informationally, but I am looking for practical experience from the think tank! I appreciate all of the feedback and I look forward to learning as much as I can!

[Waddizzle]

Make sure your lenses have metal mounts, not plastic. Plastic can wear out if you change lenses often. 

EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM, T5

 

[deebatman316]

I don't think any of the lenses the OP listed have plastic mounts. Only the EF 50mm F/1.8 II lens had a plastic mount. The 50mm F/1.8 STM lens has a metal mount. The 50mm F/1.8 version II had a problem with the mirror hitting or catching on the back of the lens. Because the plastic mount came loose over time. Also when this happened the lens couldn't be unmounted from the camera. Requiring a trip to Canon to have the lens unmounted. Now to the OP Canon does offer the less expensive EF-S 10-18mm F/4.5-5.6 IS STM lens. But I prefer the EF-S 10-22mm F/3.5-4.5 USM lens that Waddizzle (Bill) suggested.  

Edit: The EF-S 10-18mm F/4.5-5.6 IS STM lens has a plastic mount. So I'd look into the EF-S 10-22mm F/3.5-4.5 USM lens. Also it seems that most versions of the EF-S 18-55mm lens lineup uses a plastic mount.

[jrhoffman75]

Welcome to the forum. It's the "nifty fifty" - inexpensive but very good lens. In the "old" film days the 50mm lens commonly came with the cameras.

The 10-22 lens is good. There is also a 10-18mm lens. It is plastic mount. Not as durable as a metal mount but would take a lot of use to wear it out.

[justadude]

"Make sure your lenses have metal mounts, not plastic. Plastic can wear out if you change lenses often."

I think that might relate to how the equipment is handled by the user as well.  My wife and I each bought the nifty fifty with the plastic mount in 2010.  We both have had a LOT of use with these two lenses, and switch lenses very often (can't make up our minds which lens to use when on photo excursions - lol).  So 14 years, and hers is still in excellent shape.  I traded mine in for the RF version a couple months ago.  The guy at the camera shop said the old one looked practically new.  

So I guess I'm just curious.  Other than these two, and a much older Canon 28-80mm film lens from 1993, those are the only plastic mount lenses I've owned, and none of them have had wear issues.  Was it just certain lenses?  Asking because I've seen this mentioned a few times here on the forums.

[ebiggs1]

"Not as durable as a metal mount but would take a lot of use to wear it out."

Absolutely not a concern for the armature photographer.

"The camera will come with the kit 18-55mm lens..."

You know that is a WA lens anything under about 30mm on a T5i will be considered WA. A 10-22mm or10-18mm is considered a UWA  (ultra wide angle) lens.

[normadel]

The 18-55 "kit" lenses (nine versions) all have plastic mounts . . . up to and including the latest iteration.

[deebatman316]

I know the 2 STM versions of the lenses do. Yes Canon made an F/3.5-5.6 IS STM and an F/4-5.6 IS STM version of the lenses.

[zakslm]

My recommendation based on personal experience is the EF-S 10-18mm 4.5-5.6 IS STM.  It's a very sharp and versatile lens and produces really nice results.  

Don't be scared away by the lack of a metal lens mount.  You stated you're a "newbie" and it shouldn't matter to you that the lens mount is plastic (and not metal)  based on how most newbies and most other folks (like me) use their gear.  

Good luck and enjoy your new gear!

[zakslm]

Justadude,

FWIW, here's my anecdotal experience and observations with plastic mount lenses.  

When I first bought an EOS film camera, I bought a 35-105 zoom with a plastic mount.  It was fine, no complaints, wobbling or issues of any sort.  I traded it in on a 28-105 as that lens was a bit wider and a stop faster.  I bought a used nifty fifty with a plastic mount and used it a lot and changed lenses a lot and never had a problem.  It was a great lens and I wished I would have kept it but I sold all of my film gear including that lens years ago not knowing that I would get back into this obsessive hobby a bit over a year ago.

I bought a Rebel T7 kit with an 18-55 IS II plastic mount lens.  In short order, I bought other lenses including a used 55-250 IS II with a plastic mount (KEH in Bargain condition) and a 10-18 IS STM with a plastic mount (Amazon renewed).  I have other lenses with metal mounts as well.  I do use my gear a lot including all 3 plastic mount lenses. 

All of the plastic mount lenses work flawlessly and produce nice images.  However, I do notice that the 55-250 seems to mount and dismount from the camera a bit smoother that the other 2 plastic mount lenses.  It does not wobble or seem loose or insecure on the camera and takes sharp, well exposed photos.  I attribute the smoothness in mounting and dismounting to possibly having more wear on its plastic lens mount vs. the other 2 plastic mount lenses and I don't consider it to be a problem. 

The 55-250 is the longest and heaviest of the 3 and given that it was purchased used and is the oldest of the 3, it makes sense to me that the mount on that lens may be more worn than mounts on the other 2 lenses.