@greyhorse wrote:
Sorry about the type error. Yes I was asking about the 7d mk11. The kit lens was the 18-135m.m. Also is it better to have a battery grip or not have one?
Thanks
LENSES:
Seeing that you have the 18-135mm, some good zooms to complement it would be EF-S 10-18mm IS STM and EF 100-400L IS USM Mark II. Alternatives are the EF-S 10-22mm USM, EF 70-300 (several models), EF 70-200mm (several models to choose among: f4 & f2.8, IS and non-IS), or EF-S 55-250 IS (two versions, the STM has better auto focus performance).
The above has particularly large aperture for low light shooting, A few of the zooms are f2.8, but if you want larger than that you may want one or two fast primes, too: EF 28/1.8 USM, EF 35/2 IS USM, EF 35/1.4L USM, EF 50/1.4 USM, EF 50/1.2L USM, EF 85/1.8 USM, EF 85/1.2L USM II all would be good, useful possibilities. Third party, Sigma 30/1.4 DC, 35/1.4 DG "Art", 50/1.4 DG "Art", 85/1.4 "Art".
The EF-S 10-18mm is a neat ultrawide that's a real bargain for $300. (That's about half the price of the even nicer EF-S 10-22mm).
The 100-400mm Mark II is a new model that's getting great reviews and is a nice step up from the older version it's replacing, but at $2200 is a bit more than your budget. The original 100-400mm is still a pretty good lens that can still be found for about $1700.
Third party ultrawide zooms abound: Sigma 8-16mm, 10-20mm (two versions), Tamron 10-24mm, Tokina 11-20/2.8, 12-28/4 (and the Tokina 11-16/2.8, 12-24/4 they recently superseded) are all possibilities.
There are a number of third party telezooms, too: Sigma has two versions of their new 150-600mm, and the 120-400mm and 150-500mm lenses being replaced are still widely available. Tamron also offers a 150-600mm. If the above are larger and heavier than you want to carry around, both Sigma and Tamron also offer 70-200s.
BATTERY GRIP
I use a battery grip on all my DSLRs. I appreciate having twice the batteries for longer shooting sessions, but my main reasons are the vertical grip and controls for portrait orientation shots. And it's true, the little bit of extra mass of the grip and its batteries helps balance when using big glass on the camera.
Even tho I rarely do so, I prefer a camera with a removeable grip (like 7D) that can be removed to make the camera a little lighter and/or more compact.
There are Canon OEM battery grips, as well as cheaper third party grips. Personally I stick with Canon's own because I've heard and read about some issues with the third party on various camera models over the years.
It really comes down to personal preference, whether or not to use a battery grip. I like using one, but as you can see from other responses, not everyone feels the same as me. So, best I can suggest is give it a try and see for yourself.
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Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7D(x2), 50D(x3), some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & PRINTROOM
