photography on a budget...

[mrc1703]

I was told by a co-worker who is very knowledgeable on Canon cameras that i should get a 24-105mm lens because it will give me a whole range of shooting options is that true? Pllus, they are almost 1000 dollars that's expensive for a beginner...Are used lenses a good idea and where can you buy a good used lens? Any help will be appreciated..

[ScottyP]

I'd suggest a brighter and cheaper lens, one that is designed for your camera: an EF-s 17-55 f/2.8 IS.  

1.) The 24-105 f/4 is a stop less bright at f/4. 

2.) The focal range of a 24-105 is designed for a full frame sensor camera, not for a crop sensor camera. Crop cameras have a narrower field of view due to the smaller sensor cropping the image circle coming through the lens.  A lens of any given focal length mounted on a crop camera has the field of view of a lens 1.6x that length mounted on full frame. That is why the walk around zooms for crop cameras are 17 or 18 mm on The wide end for a crop camera instead of 24mm as is standard on a full frame camera.   

The 24mm wide end would have the FOV of a 38mm lens if mounted on the crop camera. 17mm gives you the FOV equivalent of about 28mm after doing the 1.6x adjustment. You would miss out on the use of the wide end of your walk around lens if you got the 24-105. 

[Waddizzle]

Here are a few budget priced lenses by Canon, in no particular order.

• EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens
• EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens
• EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens
• EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens
• EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Lens

[ebiggs1]

"I'd suggest a brighter and cheaper lens, one that is designed for your camera: an EF-s 17-55 f/2.8 IS."

I, too, think this to be a better choice but not for the exact reasons stated above. Provided you own a crop sensor camera.  What camera do you have or are buying?  On a tight budget avoid prime lenses I.E. like the 50mm f1.8 or any non-zoom.

If you have a FF camera, the ef 24-105mm f4L is the best buy in a Canon "L" quality lens.  It is a good lens to check the used market on, too.  In addition, it can be had as a 'white box' version.  Same lens.  Same warranty.  Same, same just a much better price usually around $800 (version 1).

Remember if you buy an ef-s (ef-s 17-55 f/2.8 IS) lens for a crop camera and later decide to go FF, the lens WILL NOT fit.  I prefer and recommend you get 'ef' lenses from the get go.  Especially if you are budget minded.

[TTMartin]

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@mrc1703 wrote:

I was told by a co-worker who is very knowledgeable on Canon cameras that i should get a 24-105mm lens because it will give me a whole range of shooting options is that true? Pllus, they are almost 1000 dollars that's expensive for a beginner...Are used lenses a good idea and where can you buy a good used lens? Any help will be appreciated..

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You coworker like some on this forum are living in the past. Assuming on a budget you have an APS-C camera, stick with Canon's newer STM lenses. They offer image quality on par or better than the the EF 24-105 f4L IS. Instead look at the EF-S 18-135mm IS STM. That's one of the best things about Canon today, is you can get great lenses without spending a lot of money. 

[Waddizzle]

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@TTMartin wrote:

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@mrc1703 wrote:

I was told by a co-worker who is very knowledgeable on Canon cameras that i should get a 24-105mm lens because it will give me a whole range of shooting options is that true? Pllus, they are almost 1000 dollars that's expensive for a beginner...Are used lenses a good idea and where can you buy a good used lens? Any help will be appreciated..

---

You coworker like some on this forum are living in the past. Assuming on a budget you have an APS-C camera, stick with Canon's newer STM lenses. They offer image quality on par or better than the the EF 24-105 f4L IS. Instead look at the EF-S 18-135mm IS STM. That's one of the best things about Canon today, is you can get great lenses without spending a lot of money. 

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That is not exactly a budget priced lens, either.

[jrhoffman75]

18-135STM is $440 refurb price on the Canon site. Not a bad price.

[ebiggs1]

"18-135STM is $440 refurb price on the Canon site. Not a bad price."

And not an "L" either.  No matter what is said there is "L" and there is not.  All Canon lenses are good but there is a difference with the "L" line.  If you can't see it or tell it or feel it, save your money.

[TTMartin]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

And not an "L" either.  No matter what is said there is "L" and there is not.  All Canon lenses are good but there is a difference with the "L" line.  If you can't see it or tell it or feel it, save your money.

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Kind of like the Sigma 150-600 and Tamron 150-600 aren't L lenses. 'No matter what is said there is "L" and there is not.'

[Waddizzle]

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@jrhoffman75 wrote:

18-135STM is $440 refurb price on the Canon site. Not a bad price.

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Still not exactly a budget price in my book.  The EF 28-135mm that I posted above is currently selling at 50% off list at my favorite online NYC superstore..  I think the best first lens is either a budget standard zoom and/or a budget "normal" prime, like somewhere between 35mm to 70mm on a full frame.  You learn by doing and practicing.

While inexpensive lenses may not offer state of the art image quality, they are still cheaper than most photography classes.  There is so much stuff on the internet, that one must weigh the cost/benefit ratio of paying a significant sum on a photography class because you would still need to buy a lens to take the class.  You're better off buying a better lens, or a second lens.