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Would you recommend improving glass before the camera?

ScottS
Enthusiast

Would you recommend improving glass before the camera? My situation is this: I own a Canon 40D, which I purchased very clean from a photographer who was upgrading to the 70D. I own only kit lenses at this point. One of them is the "Nifty Fifty" Canon 50mm 1.8. I can't afford my ultimate dream quite yet of full-frame and L series glass. I think I can begin to either upgrade my lenses or my camera.

 

My choice right now is between the following scenarios:

 

Stay with my Canon 40D ~ purchase the Canon 70-200mm 2.8 IS II

Stay with my Canon 40D ~ purchase the Sigma 18-35 MM 1.8 Art Lens

(possibly both of those)

OR

Purchase the Canon 7D Mark II w/ the 18-135 STM Kit Lens

Purchase the Canon 6D w/ the 24-105 f4 Lens

 

I am leaning toward better glass, because low light, clear, sharp photographs are my goal. Video and sports photography are not what I'm needing now.

 

I am very open to your thoughts and experience.

 

Thanks much!

Scott S

85 REPLIES 85


@ebiggs1 wrote:

"Canon seems to have gotten quite the product lifetime out of their image sensors in the past"

 

Yes sir they did get quite a run out of the 18MP Rebel sensor.  Smiley Very Happy

 

What is your first grandchild?  A little boy or girl?  I have nine.  6 girls and 3 boys.  All the girls love to have their pictuers taken.  And I love shooting them.

 

Second oldest is below.  Ain't it great? Smiley Very Happy

 

lindsey.jpg

 


It is indeed, Ernie (and that's a great picture, BTW). Grandparenthood affords many of the fun features of parenthood without any of the responsibilities. I have five grandchildren, ranging in age from 10 to 17. And it's easy for me to keep track of their ages, since their birthdays all fall into a seven-week period from December 25 to February 12.  Smiley Happy

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

GRANDPA POWER! Smiley Very Happy

 

I am so jealous, I can not remember birthdays or even how old they are.  But I have nine.  I think that one is 20.  And her birthday is........well she was born, I was there.Smiley Frustrated

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.

Weetbix
Contributor

just get a 6d and throw the 50mm on it and zoom with your feet 😛

 

if you do get a 6d you should also consider pairing it with the Tamron SP 24-70mm 2.8 Di VC usd, for some odd reason canon doesnt have a 24-70mm 2.8L lens with image stabilization

the 18-135mm stm is garbage and the sigma is a bit hard to sell off when your done due to its bulk and people not wanting to be stuck with a efs mount lens

 

as for the the 24-105 f4L (IS) starts off sharp but drops in resolution at the other end and at f5.6 to f8 you would have trouble trying to spot the difference between this and the kit lens on 40d 

Canon 1100d, Canon EF-M (manual focus film slr), Canon EOS 3, Canon EF-S 10-18/4.5-5.6 IS STM, Canon EF-S 55-250/4.0-5.6 IS II, Tamron EF SP 24-70/2.8 Di VC USD, Canon EF 28–70/3.5–4.5 II, Canon EF
35-350/3.5-5.6L USM.


@Weetbix wrote:

just get a 6d and throw the 50mm on it and zoom with your feet 😛

 

if you do get a 6d you should also consider pairing it with the Tamron SP 24-70mm 2.8 Di VC usd, for some odd reason canon doesnt have a 24-70mm 2.8L lens with image stabilization

the 18-135mm stm is garbage and the sigma is a bit hard to sell off when your done due to its bulk and people not wanting to be stuck with a efs mount lens

 

as for the the 24-105 f4L (IS) starts off sharp but drops in resolution at the other end and at f5.6 to f8 you would have trouble trying to spot the difference between this and the kit lens on 40d 


Wow, you're pretty hard on the 24-105L.  The only real knock against it is that it is not state of the art.  I wouldn't expect a 40D to realize much of the potential of the lens.  But, on a 6D it looks pretty darn good.

 

IMG_2037.pdn90.jpg

 

That shot was taken with a 6D at 24mm, f/8, 1/160, ISO-100. from a slowly moving and rocking boat.

--------------------------------------------------------
"Enjoying photography since 1972."

"just get a 6d and throw the 50mm on it and zoom with your feet Smiley Tongue

 

if you do get a 6d you should also consider pairing it with the Tamron SP 24-70mm 2.8 Di VC usd, for some odd reason canon doesnt have a 24-70mm 2.8L lens with image stabilization

the 18-135mm stm is garbage and the sigma is a bit hard to sell off when your done due to its bulk and people not wanting to be stuck with a efs mount lens

 

as for the the 24-105 f4L (IS) starts off sharp but drops in resolution at the other end and at f5.6 to f8 you would have trouble trying to spot the difference between this and the kit lens on 40d"

 

Just curious, are you a user or just a reader?   Never waste a bad review.

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.


@Waddizzle wrote:

@Weetbix wrote:
.....

 

as for the the 24-105 f4L (IS) starts off sharp but drops in resolution at the other end and at f5.6 to f8 you would have trouble trying to spot the difference between this and the kit lens on 40d 


Wow, you're pretty hard on the 24-105L.  The only real knock against it is that it is not state of the art.  I wouldn't expect a 40D to realize much of the potential of the lens.  But, on a 6D it looks pretty darn good.

 

IMG_2037.pdn90.jpg

 

That shot was taken with a 6D at 24mm, f/8, 1/160, ISO-100. from a slowly moving and rocking boat.


I think the 24-105 f/4L IS on a 6D can produce some pretty sharp photos.  Can you see something orange in the top left window?

 

IMG_2037.pdn90.Cropped.JPG

 

It is one of the lighthouse museum's curators, the boss.  She oversaw the multi-year restoration project.  There are about 12 more people/hosts in orange shirts hiding out on the inside, just so that folks can take clean pictures.

--------------------------------------------------------
"Enjoying photography since 1972."


@ebiggs1 wrote:

"just get a 6d and throw the 50mm on it and zoom with your feet Smiley Tongue

 

if you do get a 6d you should also consider pairing it with the Tamron SP 24-70mm 2.8 Di VC usd, for some odd reason canon doesnt have a 24-70mm 2.8L lens with image stabilization

the 18-135mm stm is garbage and the sigma is a bit hard to sell off when your done due to its bulk and people not wanting to be stuck with a efs mount lens

 

as for the the 24-105 f4L (IS) starts off sharp but drops in resolution at the other end and at f5.6 to f8 you would have trouble trying to spot the difference between this and the kit lens on 40d"

 

Just curious, are you a user or just a reader?   Never waste a bad review.


a user, I used to have ef 24-105 f/4 usm L (IS) sold it cause i wasnt using it after aquiring the tamron 24-70 f2.8 SP Di VC, and I'm not that hard on the lens, i was refering to its the performace on the 40d and to be honest i find the kit lens 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 (IS) & 55-250mm (IS) f4-5.6 to be adequate on all aps-c bodies (even more so now newer bodies correct for chromatic abberations and peripheral fall off) I'm still shooting with the made in taiwan 1100d which only has the peripheral fall off correction

Canon 1100d, Canon EF-M (manual focus film slr), Canon EOS 3, Canon EF-S 10-18/4.5-5.6 IS STM, Canon EF-S 55-250/4.0-5.6 IS II, Tamron EF SP 24-70/2.8 Di VC USD, Canon EF 28–70/3.5–4.5 II, Canon EF
35-350/3.5-5.6L USM.

"just get a 6d and throw the 50mm on it and zoom with your feet Smiley Tongue"

 

But you recommended a 6D and a 50mm?  If you never used a 6D how could you recommend it to someone else?  Or, how the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens will work on it?

That is what I was wondering?

I share you thoughts on the Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 DI VC USD Lens for Canon.  It is a wonderful lens which I can highly recommend from personal experience with it.  My personal rating puts it in 2nd place to the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens.  Maybe a distant second but 2nd never-the-less.

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.


@ebiggs1 wrote:

"just get a 6d and throw the 50mm on it and zoom with your feet Smiley Tongue"

 

But you recommended a 6D and a 50mm?  If you never used a 6D how could you recommend it to someone else?  Or, how the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens will work on it?

That is what I was wondering?

I share you thoughts on the Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 DI VC USD Lens for Canon.  It is a wonderful lens which I can highly recommend from personal experience with it.  My personal rating puts it in 2nd place to the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens.  Maybe a distant second but 2nd never-the-less.


I admit I've never used a 6d, but i have used/hired the 1Ds mark2 (about 45 hours) and the 5d mark2 (3 weeks), but if i were to go out tomorrow and buy a fullframe camera it will be the 6d because i dont shoot for a living

 

 

Canon 1100d, Canon EF-M (manual focus film slr), Canon EOS 3, Canon EF-S 10-18/4.5-5.6 IS STM, Canon EF-S 55-250/4.0-5.6 IS II, Tamron EF SP 24-70/2.8 Di VC USD, Canon EF 28–70/3.5–4.5 II, Canon EF
35-350/3.5-5.6L USM.


@Weetbix wrote:

@ebiggs1 wrote:
...

a user, I used to have ef 24-105 f/4 usm L (IS) sold it cause i wasnt using it after aquiring the tamron 24-70 f2.8 SP Di VC, and I'm not that hard on the lens, i was refering to its the performace on the 40d and to be honest i find the kit lens 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 (IS) & 55-250mm (IS) f4-5.6 to be adequate on all aps-c bodies (even more so now newer bodies correct for chromatic abberations and peripheral fall off) I'm still shooting with the made in taiwan 1100d which only has the peripheral fall off correction


I have never used a 1100D, T3, but I have used the 1200D, T5.  The Rebel T5 captures images with the 24-105 f/4L that are comparable to those it captures with the 18-55mm kit lens that comes with it. 

I'm not sure whether to blame the 1200D or the 24-105 for that, though I am leaning hard towards the 1200D.  I have used lenses that can fit both cameras, and the 1200D consistently produces inferior, grainy looking images, many of which are comparable to the kit lenses.

--------------------------------------------------------
"Enjoying photography since 1972."
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