is the fastest lense you can afford always the right choice?

[Gil Lybrook]

I'm new to slr cameras and have been reading on lenses. I see that the larger the aperature of the lense the more expensive it becomes. Does the largest aperature affordable make the deciding choice for lenses? How do I choose the best lense for my money?

[inkista]

Figure out what you want to shoot with the lens, first, and then decide what max. aperture you actually need. As well as what it actually means in terms of shooting.

If you have a camera body with good high iso settings, if you shoot with a flash, if you're shooting subject matter that doesn't require a wide aperture, if you get a stabilized lens (or use a tripod) and you're mostly shooting still subject matter, then you can probably do just as well with a slower/cheaper lens. If you're shooting fast action photography in low light without a flash, then a large max. aperture lens is a must.

You do also need to know what max. aperture actually is, because that will also tell you that the larger the max. aperture and the longer the lens, the larger and heavier it's going to be.

Choosing the right lens isn't a matter of looking at a single factor, but more like trying to find the best fit for what and how you want to shoot and your personal budget, together. Remember that most lens reviews assume you want the best image quality at any cost, so take what they say with a grain of salt. I typically read a bunch of reviews and board postings, look at sample images taken with a similar camera body to the one I own, look at test data, and possibly even rent or borrow the lens for a week or so to see if it's what I want. What works well for someone else may not work so well for you.

[Gil Lybrook]

thanks for the info. I have a Canon Rebel T1 and the standard 18-55 IS lens and the 55-250 IS lenses. I plan on shooting a lot of landscape and nature shots. And of course family photos of grandkids and such. I raise roses so will be taking lots of close-ups of them.

[inkista]

I'd say, if you're new to dSLRs altogether, you've got a good starting kit, and the only lens you'd need to round it out is the EF 50mm f/1.8 II, which you can find on Amazon for $100. It's a very low-cost lens with good optical quality. It's not an ideal portrait lens, but it will give you the experience of what shooting with a prime lens with a very wide max. aperture is like, and it's more likely to give you "the SLR look" by allowing you to blur the background behind your subject.

Once you have the experience your three lenses will give you on focal length, zoom vs. prime, max. aperture, and stabilized or un-, then you'll be armed with the knowledge you need to figure out if a lens is a good buy for you.

For the rose closeups, you may want to hang onto an old P&S camera for the macro work, until you've decided if you want to budget for a macro lens. The most-recommended choice for a basic macro lens is the EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM (not the new IS version, which is really expensive, the older non-L non-IS one). There's also the EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM, but its working distance is much smaller, so if you plan on taking any insect pictures with it, you're unlikely to get close enough to use it without scaring the wildlife away.

[kirbinster]

Buying the fastest lens you can afford is a good way to empty your wallet. I can afford fast glass, but have some that is not that fast as it fully meets my needs. I love my Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 HSM lens. Sure there are faster wide lenses, but this fully meets my needs for landscape work. They have a newer faster fixed aperature one, but the optics have been reported to not be as good. Further, why should I spend a lot of money on something like an f/2.8 lens when I will only be using this lens outside in good light.

[RichardTaylor]

Faster apertures are not just about low light or sports photography it is also about control of DOF , even in good lighting.

Here are a couple of examples, shot outside in good lighting.


Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/1600)
Aperture: f/2.0
Focal Length: 135 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: -2/3 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire

Notice how the distracting street background is almost completely removed

and


Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Exposure: 1/2500 sec
Aperture: f/2.0
Focal Length: 135 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire

Notice the soft dreamy look, mostly due to the wide aperture.

You don't have to spend a fortune to get a lens with a wide aperture (f2?), as Inkista says, the 50 F1.8 will give you a taste of it and can be used with a relatively inexpensive doiptre lens for close ups.
If you want wider or longer the Canon consumer lenses 35 f2, 84 f1.8 and 100 f2 are reasonably priced.

[Arjay12345]

Inkista - I'm astounded by your equipment list.
What percent of the things you list do you use regularly?

[inkista]

Uh...I don't use any of it regularly. I'm a hobbyist shooter. I tend to use it all irregularly.

You want astounding equipment lists? You should see what the guys on the manual lens forums have acquired. Makes my list look like peanuts.