Lens broke on canon T7... should I get another 18-55mm or get a 75-300mm?

[WillowWyatt]

Hi there! My lens broke on my canon T7, I got this camera as a good starter to help me get the hang of photography. I mainly take pictures of my family with my camera.

I had a 18-55mm lens but saw a deal for a 75-300mm lens, it’s the same price as the 18-55. Both come from the Canon store. Should I get another 18-55 mm lens or the 75-300? Which is better for family portraits?

[rs-eos]

Assuming that you need to capture of groups of people rather than just individuals, you'd be better off with the 18-55.  On your camera, that would provide fields of view ranging from wide-angle to short telephoto.  Whereas with the 75-300, you'd only have telephoto field of view options.  And to get any group shots, you'd have to stand quite far back; something that may not be doable when working indoors.

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

I like the 18~135 over the 18~55 personally.

[Waddizzle]

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@shadowsports wrote:

Greetings,

I like the 18~135 over the 18~55 personally.

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Me, too.  I think budget might be an obstacle, though.

[kvbarkley]

You might want to split the difference, spend a little more and get the 18-135. It is a better lens and gives more telephoto than the 18-55.

[Waddizzle]

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@WillowWyatt wrote:

Hi there! My lens broke on my canon T7, I got this camera as a good starter to help me get the hang of photography. I mainly take pictures of my family with my camera.

I had a 18-55mm lens but saw a deal for a 75-300mm lens, it’s the same price as the 18-55. Both come from the Canon store. Should I get another 18-55 mm lens or the 75-300? Which is better for family portraits?

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If the 75-300 were going to be your only lens, then I would not advise purchasing it, not unless you plan to only photograph wildlife and sports.  Even so, the 75-300 is not Canon's best efforts when it comes to telephoto lenses.  It has poor IQ, image quality.

If you are to own only one lens for now, then I would recommend a standard zoom, which on an APS-C sensor body camera falls in the range of 18-55mm.  The version of the 18-55mm that comes in the T7 camera kits is an older model, which is yet another one of Canon's least best efforts.

What is your budget for a new lens?  If you are considering a 75-300, then your budget seems to be on the modest side.  Lenses are where you want to invest your money, not in camera bodies.  Canon sells an updated version of the EF-S 18-55mm IS STM lens. Notice the "STM" on the end of the model number.  I suggest that you only invest in Canon STM lenses.

[ebiggs1]

"Should I get another 18-55 mm lens or the 75-300?"

18-55mm

Which is better for family portraits?"

18-55mm

[ebiggs1]

"I had a 18-55mm lens but saw a deal ..."

If you were happy with your 18-55mm lens why not buy another?  However, great photos are more of a lens issue than a camera. So, this may be the time to upgrade your lens. The suggested EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens is about $600 bucks, I think. The very much better EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens, and what I would buy, is about $850.  The good thing about these better lens, and best lens, choices is they can take you a long way even when, if, you decide to upgrade your camera.

In fact the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens is Canon's best lens made for the Rebel series of cameras. It rivals some of the very much more expensive "pro" level lenses. Sometimes spending more now ends up spending less!