• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

New Digital Rebel XT owner! What lenses to get?

B

BS911

Senior member
I know there are some photoraphers in the house so I thought I'd look for some suggestions on lenses!

I just have the kit lense at the moment. I'd really like to get a telephoto lens. Also, might look at replacing the kit lense for general shooting. What do you guys suggest?
 
what do you want to shoot?

what i mean is, there are hundreds of lenses out there that are all viable lenses. we need something more to help narrow it down.

and i dont have the kit lens (i do have a digi rebel xt),but i have heard that it is an awful lense that terribly lacks sharpness.
 
Originally posted by: ucdbiendog
what do you want to shoot?

what i mean is, there are hundreds of lenses out there that are all viable lenses. we need something more to help narrow it down.

and i dont have the kit lens (i do have a digi rebel xt),but i have heard that it is an awful lense that terribly lacks sharpness.
Click to expand...

I would say for the moment I'm just looking for a all purpose lens. I'm a novice photographer and am looking ot get into it as a hobby. For now my pictures will consist of all kinds of settings. I've not been super impressed with the kit lense. It take good looking shots but doesn't have the "wow" factor I've seen in some pic's taken from the Rebel XT.
 
Based on recommendations from DPReview, I got:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/control...u=206434&is=USA&addedTroughType=search

Canon 28-105 f3.5-4.5 USM. It's sharp, solidly built, has USM, and has full manual focusing. It's relatively cheap at $200+. I got mine used on ebay for $150. The only downside is that on the XT with the 1.6 crop factor, 28mm may not provide a wide enough angle. But ever since getting this, it has served as my walk around lens.

I'd also recommend the 50mm f/1.8 for about $80. It's a great low-light lens because of the large aperture, it's cheap, and it's sharp. Build quality is a you get what you pay for kind of thing. But the general consensus is that this is highly recommended.

As for telephoto, consider the Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6. It's another bargain lens with decent quality and features. It'll cost around $200.

I wouldn't get caught up with buying L lens when you're still a beginner. Just improve your skills first before plunking down $500...$800...$1500 for one lens.
 
Originally posted by: BS911
I would say for the moment I'm just looking for a all purpose lens. I'm a novice photographer and am looking ot get into it as a hobby. For now my pictures will consist of all kinds of settings. I've not been super impressed with the kit lense. It take good looking shots but doesn't have the "wow" factor I've seen in some pic's taken from the Rebel XT.
Click to expand...


Buying an expensive lens most likely wont' give you that wow factor. Firstly, improve your technique (www.dpreview.com is very helpful...but like here, it does have a good number of a$$wipes). Then learn to post process.

Some tips:
With the kit lens, stay away from the extreme ends, like 18 and 55mm. Also, shoot at f/8.0, which is the sharpest aperture for a lot of kit lens out there. And in Photoshop, apply Curves (S-shape) and sharpen.

By doing the above, you can achieve that wow factor with the kit lens. The potential of the kit lens is there, it'll just constrain you more. But it's really the experience/skills and Photoshop competency that will get you get you closer to that wow factor.
 
This really depends on your budget, since the good Canon "L" lenses can cost thousands of dollars. You probably don't have that kind of budget, though, but keep in mind that a good lens will last for decades and can be reused on future digital SLR cameras.

That said, I think that almost every Canon SLR owner should own the 50mm f/1.8 Mark II lens. It's great in low light, and you can get it online for under $80.

Right now, my general all purpose lens is this monster:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/control...USA&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

It takes nice pictures, but it's a bit heavy.
 
It all depends on how much you want to spend.

I recommend the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 and the Canon 70-200mm f/4L. I would have skipped the kit lens and went straight for these two. Sure you can do better, but for the price they are awesome glass.
 
Thanks for the tips. I definitely need to get better with post processing. I have a lot to learn, so far I've just used the "auto" mode as I don't really know that much about the settings for ISO, and all the other stuff. I assume most of you guys never touch the auto mode after getting a little expierence?

 
Another thing, don't get crappy lenses. You will be pissed when you are disappointed with them, and when you try to dump them on Ebay a month later you will get hit with a big loss. Do it right the first time, or you will just be pissing money down the drain.
 
Originally posted by: BS911
Thanks for the tips. I definitely need to get better with post processing. I have a lot to learn, so far I've just used the "auto" mode as I don't really know that much about the settings for ISO, and all the other stuff. I assume most of you guys never touch the auto mode after getting a little expierence?
Click to expand...

ISO is basically the gain on the CMOS.

Low ISO (100, 200) = low noise but you need more light (either through large aperature or long exposure times)

High ISO (1600, 3200) = high noise, but you need much less light to get a shot (good for sports, etc)

Really good modes to play with are aperature priority (Av) and shutter priority (Tv). You pick one setting (aperature or shutter speed), and the camera meters and adjusts the other setting for correct exposure. Fun to play with.

Now go out there and shoot! 🙂

PM or post here if you need more adice...
 
Thanks for the great lense and shooting tips so far guys! More photographers here than I realized! 🙂
 
Originally posted by: MazerRackham
Originally posted by: BS911
Thanks for the tips. I definitely need to get better with post processing. I have a lot to learn, so far I've just used the "auto" mode as I don't really know that much about the settings for ISO, and all the other stuff. I assume most of you guys never touch the auto mode after getting a little expierence?
Click to expand...

ISO is basically the gain on the CMOS.

Low ISO (100, 200) = low noise but you need more light (either through large aperature or long exposure times)

High ISO (1600, 3200) = high noise, but you need much less light to get a shot (good for sports, etc)

Really good modes to play with are aperature priority (Av) and shutter priority (Tv). You pick one setting (aperature or shutter speed), and the camera meters and adjusts the other setting for correct exposure. Fun to play with.

Now go out there and shoot! 🙂

PM or post here if you need more adice...
Click to expand...


In addition to the above, also learn how to use Exposure Compensation, select the center autofocus point, and to get reasonably sharp pictures, the shutter speed should be "1 / focal length" or faster (eg. shooting at 50mm, make sure shutter speed is 1/50s or faster).
 
Originally posted by: QueHuong
Originally posted by: BS911
I would say for the moment I'm just looking for a all purpose lens. I'm a novice photographer and am looking ot get into it as a hobby. For now my pictures will consist of all kinds of settings. I've not been super impressed with the kit lense. It take good looking shots but doesn't have the "wow" factor I've seen in some pic's taken from the Rebel XT.
Click to expand...


Buying an expensive lens most likely wont' give you that wow factor. Firstly, improve your technique (www.dpreview.com is very helpful...but like here, it does have a good number of a$$wipes). Then learn to post process.

Some tips:
With the kit lens, stay away from the extreme ends, like 18 and 55mm. Also, shoot at f/8.0, which is the sharpest aperture for a lot of kit lens out there. And in Photoshop, apply Curves (S-shape) and sharpen.

By doing the above, you can achieve that wow factor with the kit lens. The potential of the kit lens is there, it'll just constrain you more. But it's really the experience/skills and Photoshop competency that will get you get you closer to that wow factor.
Click to expand...

Yeah, don't discount the kit lens. It's actually one of the most versatile lenses in the canon lineup. The real issue here is with the person holding the camera. For now, just go around and take pictures and then take more pictures. You will get better with practice. And yeah, stopping down to f/8 or so helps too.

The lenses recommended by other users in this thread are 28mm and up and are often, in my experience, not wide enough for everyday shooting.

If you want to see what someone can do with a kit lens, see here:
Text

 
Originally posted by: QueHuong
Originally posted by: MazerRackham
Originally posted by: BS911
Thanks for the tips. I definitely need to get better with post processing. I have a lot to learn, so far I've just used the "auto" mode as I don't really know that much about the settings for ISO, and all the other stuff. I assume most of you guys never touch the auto mode after getting a little expierence?
Click to expand...

ISO is basically the gain on the CMOS.

Low ISO (100, 200) = low noise but you need more light (either through large aperature or long exposure times)

High ISO (1600, 3200) = high noise, but you need much less light to get a shot (good for sports, etc)

Really good modes to play with are aperature priority (Av) and shutter priority (Tv). You pick one setting (aperature or shutter speed), and the camera meters and adjusts the other setting for correct exposure. Fun to play with.

Now go out there and shoot! 🙂

PM or post here if you need more adice...
Click to expand...


In addition to the above, also learn how to use Exposure Compensation, select the center autofocus point, and to get reasonably sharp pictures, the shutter speed should be "1 / focal length" or faster (eg. shooting at 50mm, make sure shutter speed is 1/50s or faster).
Click to expand...

With a crop body, you have to make sure your shutter speed is 1/effective focal length

(at a focal length of 35mm on a 1.6 crop body you need to be at 1/60)
 
Originally posted by: tfinch2
Originally posted by: QueHuong
Originally posted by: MazerRackham
Originally posted by: BS911
Thanks for the tips. I definitely need to get better with post processing. I have a lot to learn, so far I've just used the "auto" mode as I don't really know that much about the settings for ISO, and all the other stuff. I assume most of you guys never touch the auto mode after getting a little expierence?
Click to expand...

ISO is basically the gain on the CMOS.

Low ISO (100, 200) = low noise but you need more light (either through large aperature or long exposure times)

High ISO (1600, 3200) = high noise, but you need much less light to get a shot (good for sports, etc)

Really good modes to play with are aperature priority (Av) and shutter priority (Tv). You pick one setting (aperature or shutter speed), and the camera meters and adjusts the other setting for correct exposure. Fun to play with.

Now go out there and shoot! 🙂

PM or post here if you need more adice...
Click to expand...


In addition to the above, also learn how to use Exposure Compensation, select the center autofocus point, and to get reasonably sharp pictures, the shutter speed should be "1 / focal length" or faster (eg. shooting at 50mm, make sure shutter speed is 1/50s or faster).
Click to expand...

With a crop body, you have to make sure your shutter speed is 1/effective focal length

(at a focal length of 35mm on a 1.6 crop body you need to be at 1/60)
Click to expand...

😕 You had me at hello... 😀
 
Originally posted by: jiwq
Originally posted by: QueHuong
Originally posted by: BS911
I would say for the moment I'm just looking for a all purpose lens. I'm a novice photographer and am looking ot get into it as a hobby. For now my pictures will consist of all kinds of settings. I've not been super impressed with the kit lense. It take good looking shots but doesn't have the "wow" factor I've seen in some pic's taken from the Rebel XT.
Click to expand...


Buying an expensive lens most likely wont' give you that wow factor. Firstly, improve your technique (www.dpreview.com is very helpful...but like here, it does have a good number of a$$wipes). Then learn to post process.

Some tips:
With the kit lens, stay away from the extreme ends, like 18 and 55mm. Also, shoot at f/8.0, which is the sharpest aperture for a lot of kit lens out there. And in Photoshop, apply Curves (S-shape) and sharpen.

By doing the above, you can achieve that wow factor with the kit lens. The potential of the kit lens is there, it'll just constrain you more. But it's really the experience/skills and Photoshop competency that will get you get you closer to that wow factor.
Click to expand...

Yeah, don't discount the kit lens. It's actually one of the most versatile lenses in the canon lineup. The real issue here is with the person holding the camera. For now, just go around and take pictures and then take more pictures. You will get better with practice. And yeah, stopping down to f/8 or so helps too.

The lenses recommended by other users in this thread are 28mm and up and are often, in my experience, not wide enough for everyday shooting.

If you want to see what someone can do with a kit lens, see here:
Text
Click to expand...

Put a better link. I'm not going to hunt through every single image and EXIF to find the kit lens images.
 
Originally posted by: tfinch2
Originally posted by: jiwq
Originally posted by: QueHuong
Originally posted by: BS911
I would say for the moment I'm just looking for a all purpose lens. I'm a novice photographer and am looking ot get into it as a hobby. For now my pictures will consist of all kinds of settings. I've not been super impressed with the kit lense. It take good looking shots but doesn't have the "wow" factor I've seen in some pic's taken from the Rebel XT.
Click to expand...


Buying an expensive lens most likely wont' give you that wow factor. Firstly, improve your technique (www.dpreview.com is very helpful...but like here, it does have a good number of a$$wipes). Then learn to post process.

Some tips:
With the kit lens, stay away from the extreme ends, like 18 and 55mm. Also, shoot at f/8.0, which is the sharpest aperture for a lot of kit lens out there. And in Photoshop, apply Curves (S-shape) and sharpen.

By doing the above, you can achieve that wow factor with the kit lens. The potential of the kit lens is there, it'll just constrain you more. But it's really the experience/skills and Photoshop competency that will get you get you closer to that wow factor.
Click to expand...

Yeah, don't discount the kit lens. It's actually one of the most versatile lenses in the canon lineup. The real issue here is with the person holding the camera. For now, just go around and take pictures and then take more pictures. You will get better with practice. And yeah, stopping down to f/8 or so helps too.

The lenses recommended by other users in this thread are 28mm and up and are often, in my experience, not wide enough for everyday shooting.

If you want to see what someone can do with a kit lens, see here:
Text
Click to expand...

Put a better link. I'm not going to hunt through every single image and EXIF to find the kit lens images.
Click to expand...

try Text
 
I've got the Original Digital Rebel and I love it, so I got it nice lenses, you need a macro lense and a telephoto lense (correct?)=
Canon Zoom Lense EF 100-300mm 1:4.5-5.6
Canon Compact- Macro Lense EF 50mm 1:2.5



Also BTW, get some UV lense covers for your lenses, yes I know they're UV filtered anyways but you want a UV lense cover to protect your lense so it last longer, I wish I had known this long long ago..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top