Opinions on some specific lenses

[NicoleScraps]

I have the two lenses that came with my camera, EFS 18-55mm and EFS 55-250mm. I am looking into two more lenses and wanted to get some opinions on the specific ones.

First, I am looking for a lens that would be great for portraits. I think I want a prime lens for this.
I have looked at these two.
Canon U.S.A. : Consumer & Home Office : EF 50mm f/1.8 II

Canon U.S.A. : Consumer & Home Office : EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

There is a $300 price difference between the two, so I am sure the 2nd was is superior, but why? What is the difference? Would one of these be good for portraits? What else would be a good use for a lens like this?

The 2nd lens I am looking at is one for everyday family photos. Like around the house, playing in the yard, going on trips, stuff like that. What I specifcally want is a lens with a median focal range between the two that I already have. I have found that the 18-55 sometimes won't zoom far enough, yet the 55-250 sometimes is too much and I have to back way up. I want something kind of in between.

So I am thinking of one of these

Canon U.S.A. : Consumer & Home Office : EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

Canon U.S.A. : Consumer & Home Office : EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

First, any thoughts on which one would be better? And why? What is the difference between EF and EFS?
Thanks in advance

[zona5101]

On the 50s... the 1.4 is faster lets more light in...but it also has a better motor and is heftier/beefier.
The EF-S lens are designed for crop body, the EF will work on crop body or FF.

[inkista]

Originally Posted by NicoleScraps

First, I am looking for a lens that would be great for portraits. I think I want a prime lens for this.

Good choice. Primes go a lot faster (wider max. aperture) and tend to be sharper, smaller, and cheaper than their zoom counterparts.

When it comes to the EF 50 f/1.8 II vs.the EF 50 f/1.4 USM, there are a lot of usability differences, but in terms of image quality (on a crop body) they're roughly the same. The money on the f/1.4 version goes into:

• Better build quality: the f/1.4 has a metal mount; the f/1.8's mount is plastic
• USM (ultrasonic motor) for autofocus. The 50 f/1.4's focus can be adjusted manually without having to flip the MF/AF switch on the lens. It'll also be silent and very very fast.
• Autofocus accuracy: the f/1.4 tends to be a bit more accurate than the f/1.8
• 1/3 of a stop wider on the maximum aperture: it can gather more light.
• Better manual focus ring
• Focus scale: this is a scale on the lens that shows you how far away your focus distance is. This can be useful for setting focus manually if you can't look through the viewfinder or are trying to focus at the hyperfocal distance.
• 8 aperture blades instead of 5.

Most folks (myself included) would recommend purchasing the f/1.8 version as a beginner lens, simply because of the low cost. If it turns out you don't like shooting with a prime, you won't have lost much. There's also the crop body issue of whether or not a 50mm will give you a wide enough field of view for what you want to achieve. Some folks find the 50mm to be a little too long for general use, and better suited for head/torso shots.

In terms of the 18-135 vs. the 28-135, the 18-135 is the 28-135's replacement for crop bodies. It's sharper and goes wider and is probably a better fit, but it also lacks the USM motor that the 28-135 has. The 28-135 is an old film lens that people used for the zoom range on digital bodies, but found that they wanted something wider, which is why Canon introduced the 18-135.

"EF" stands for "Electronic Focus". "S" stands for "Short". Because of the smaller sensor size in some dSLRs, the lenses can sit closer to the sensor, and can project a smaller image circle to cover the entire sensor than film lenses need to. This is kind of like moving a film projector closer to the wall: the picture gets smaller, but sharper. So, EF-S lenses are easier to design to be sharp, and can be smaller and lighter than EF lenses.

However, there is a price to pay. EF-S lenses cannot be used on film or full-frame bodies. So if you plan to upgrade to a 5D in the near future, you probably want to keep your number of EF-S lenses down to a minimum. EF lenses can be used on both film and digital bodies and work just fine on full frame bodies like the 5D and the 1Ds.

[Michael_2010]

I got the 50mm f/1.8 a few weeks ago and I am very impressed with that little lens. Very sharp image and pretty darn versatile. The focal length is similar to what the eye sees, so instead of zooming in and out, you have to move around to get the shot you want.

[NicoleScraps]

Thanks so much for the info. My DH just bought a new gun this week so he owes me a big purchase Tit for tat, right?

[mattdm]

Nitpick:

Originally Posted by inkista

[*]1/3 of a stop wider on the maximum aperture: it can gather more light.

It's actually 2/3rds of a stop — f/1.6 would be a third of a stop; f/1.7 is half a stop, and f/1.8 is two-thirds of the way to f/2.

[Michael_2010]

Originally Posted by NicoleScraps

Thanks so much for the info. My DH just bought a new gun this week so he owes me a big purchase Tit for tat, right?

Every time I buy something new to sooth my digital addiction I always think to myself, cheaper than a new Bass boat. lol