Help me finalize my new lens choices please

[LauraSAnne]

I've had an Olympus E-400 with kit lenses for about the last two years and am getting ready to "upgrade" to a Canon XSi (though I'm sure many would not actually consider this an upgrade). I've been contemplating what lenses to get for over a year and I think I've finally gotten it pretty narrowed down. What I'm planning on getting is:

Canon XSi body
18-55 kit lens
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS

Now I need some reassurance and/or opinions from you guys! And please, if you think I shouldn't get one of these, let me know. Here's a little more information to help:

My idea was to cover most of the ranges except for macro. My main desire is to work on my portraiture/family shots, hence the 85mm but I also enjoy travel photography at Disney too. My overall budget is around $1100. I don't use flashes, as I'm trying to get fully comfortable with available light shooting before I move on to flashes. At first I was going to go with a 50mm 1.8 and fore go the 85mm to save some money but I REALLY want that 85mm so I axed the 50mm. Is that a good choice? Should I just go with a body only and pick up an additional lens? I really would like a decent walk around lens that I can use in lower light settings and I'm not sure the 85mm is going to do that for me. Another lens I have on my wish list is the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM but it's going to be a good year or more before I spend that much.

Any advice or thoughts would be very appreciated and just ask if you need any more information from me.

[bearly]

on a crop body the 50mm lens essentially turns into an 80mm lens... so if its that focal length you really want, the 50 will provide. also if i were you i'd consider selling/not getting the 18-55 and putting that $200 into a better lens, because that one isn't the greatest...

i personally think you would be better off getting a lens/lenses that don't cover quite as wide of a focal range, but are higher quality glass

[Photoboothguy]

Good setup, almost identical to what I started with last year. The kit lens and the 55-250mm are both good lenses.

The 85mm is nice, but it's a little long for me. I have a 24-70mm f2.8, 50mm f1.4, and 70-200mm f2.8. For portraits, it's either the 50mm or the 24-70...and if I use the 24-70, it's never longer than 50mm.

I've been shooting baby photos for the past couple months for friends of mine. We set up a small studio in their living room (12' x 12' room) and shoot in there. 85mm would be way too long...for the family shots, I have to use the Sigma 24-70 because I'm too close with the 50mm. And when I go shoot bartenders for the local paper, I usually take the 24-70 instead of the 50 because I don't know how much space I'll have to shoot (though I've been gambling more lately and taking the 50)

And one of the guys I shoot weddings with drools over my Sigma 50mm f1.4, and he has the 85mm f1.8. It's a little more money, but well worth it. The 50mm is much sharper than anything else I've used, and looks really good at f2.0 and higher. At f1.4 it gets a little soft, but that's to be expected.

And yeah, the Canon 10-22 is fun to play with We've borrowed one from a friend when we've shot weddings, and you can get really creative with it. I luckily just snagged a Tamron 11-18mm off craigslist for $120, and can't wait to shoot another wedding

And yes, I'd highly recommend a flash as well. I can't live without my 580exII.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by bearly

on a crop body the 50mm lens essentially turns into an 80mm lens... so if its that focal length you really want, the 50 will provide. also if i were you i'd consider selling/not getting the 18-55 and putting that $200 into a better lens, because that one isn't the greatest...

i personally think you would be better off getting a lens/lenses that don't cover quite as wide of a focal range, but are higher quality glass

Agree and disagree. While the 50 does effectively become an 80, the 85 becomes a 135, which is classic portrait lens territory. It also provides the telephoto perspective that the 50 cant offer, as well as better built, bokeh and sharpness. I'd definitely go to the 85.

I would also like to advise against the 18-55+55-250 set: look at maybe the 18-135 or the 15-85 with a potential 70-300 or 70-200 in the mix later on.

[LauraSAnne]

Excellent! This is just the sort of information and advice that I needed. I'm totally fine with giving up the kit lens and even the 55-250 if I can get something that covers most of the ranges.

Rethinking my original choices, "for sures" will still be:

Xsi Body
85mm 1.8

But from what you've all said so far, the combo of the 18-135 sounds great (or something like it). I'd like something to cover the lower range and a zoom up around 150ish (sorry if my photography lingo isn't that great). So how about:

Xsi body
85mm 1.8
50mm 1.8 (going with the 1.4 might put me out of my price range)
18-135mm

Keep the advice coming though--it's so great and helpful!

[acedrew]

I too can vouch for the Sigma 50mm 1.4, and on DSLRGEAR.com, it out performs both the canon and the Zeiss... I love my 50!

Andrew Rodgers
Perfected Perspectives -- Photography by Andrew Rodgers | Andrew Rodgers (acedrew) on Twitter | Login | Facebook

[inkista]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Agree and disagree. While the 50 does effectively become an 80, the 85 becomes a 135, which is classic portrait lens territory. It also provides the telephoto perspective that the 50 cant offer, as well as better built, bokeh and sharpness. I'd definitely go to the 85.

+1, with the proviso that you know you use the working distance an 85 gives you. Some folks find the 50 to be too long. I'd say use ExposurePlot to see what lengths you liked shooting with on the E-400, and plan your primes accordingly.

I would also like to advise against the 18-55+55-250 set: look at maybe the 18-135 or the 15-85 with a potential 70-300 or 70-200 in the mix later on.

To me, this is good advice, assuming you'll have enough money to afford a $600 telephoto zoom as well as the price increase on the more expensive kit lenses relatively soon. The 18-55/55-250 set costs you about $300 if you get them with the body. The 18-135 alone is $424. The 15-85 is $728. Both have similar max. apertures to the two-lens kit, and the 18-135 doesn't have USM, either, and is in similar "training wheels/kit lens" territory as the two lens kit. With less focal length coverage. I think the 15-85 is worth it, but if you could afford that, you wouldn't be looking at an XSi.

I think the 18-55/55-250 IS kit is a good choice if it's going to be a while (say two or three years) to save up for better glass. You'll have wide-to-telephoto covered. While the image quality will be lower on the telephoto zoom, you'll have the lens to shoot with while you're saving up, and the experience to tell you if you want the IS and length of the 70-300 or the L glass of the 70-200. Or if you want to save up even more for IS or f/2.8 on the L.

[Juju]

I've had my Xsi for not quite a year now, and I can vouch for the choice of 85mm 1.8 and 50mm 1.8 or 1.4. I only got these two in the last few months (thanks to a birthday!) and I can't believe I lived without them for so long. They will change your (photographic) life.

I also have an 18-200mm 3.5-5.6, which are good walkaround lenses for me.

I agree that the kit lens is a waste of money--I haven't used mine in months and am wondering whether I can sell it somewhere.

[LauraSAnne]

Originally Posted by Juju

I've had my Xsi for not quite a year now, and I can vouch for the choice of 85mm 1.8 and 50mm 1.8 or 1.4. I only got these two in the last few months (thanks to a birthday!) and I can't believe I lived without them for so long. They will change your (photographic) life.

I also have an 18-200mm 3.5-5.6, which are good walkaround lenses for me.

I agree that the kit lens is a waste of money--I haven't used mine in months and am wondering whether I can sell it somewhere.

I figured I would end up using the 85mm or the 50mm the most, which is why I'm willing to spend a little more than I was planning for that 85mm. Which do you use more often (85mm or 50mm)? Or I guess more importantly, what have you been using each one for typically?

[Tenzin'sMom]

Hi Laura,

I've had my new XSi for less than a month, and totally love it -- a fabulous upgrade from my previous Sony P&S. I did get the kit lens, used it for about 2 weeks and upgraded to the 18-135 with IS. Much better for me since my photo needs include little kids playing soccer. A little heavy after the P&S, but still easy to handle and with the IS I've gotten some wonderful photos. Seems to be a great general walk around lens. I think if I had it to do over I'd skip the kit lens.

My 50mm f/1.4 lens just arrived today. I'm hoping to love it! I chose that one over the 85mm because I seemed to be doing a lot at that distance with the 18-135mm lens. We'll see!

Two other things that have been really helpful -- A book by Ben Long, The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D Companion, which is a wonderful guide specific to this camera (much better than the little booklet Canon encloses) and .... this website!

Good luck with your lens decision -- I think you've made a great camera choice!