Lens Help

[DanStat]

Hi!

I'm looking at lenses and I am really lost. I'm looking at purchasing the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM for low-light photography at the parks. It seems to be pretty fast and has great reviews.

I'm also looking at buying a Canon EF-S 55-250 f/4.0 -5.6 IS. Does anyone have experience with those lenses? What advice can you give sourrounding low-light?

 

[wdwmagic]

Hi!

I'm looking at lenses and I am really lost. I'm looking at purchasing the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM for low-light photography at the parks. It seems to be pretty fast and has great reviews.

I'm also looking at buying a Canon EF-S 55-250 f/4.0 -5.6 IS. Does anyone have experience with those lenses? What advice can you give sourrounding low-light?

What body are you using, and what lenses do you currently have?

 

[DanStat]

What body are you using, and what lenses do you currently have?

I have the Canon T2i and the only lens I have right now is the kit lens, the 18-55.

 

[CP_alum08]

It really depends on what you want to use it for. 85mm will be way too long (especially on a crop body) for any of the dark rides. The f/1.8 can make for some very 'artsy' shots by using bokeh (blurry background). 85mm is also a little long for your standard portrait shots in the park. You will have to take several steps back from the people to get them all in. However, prime lenses are exceptionally sharp, fast, and can be a lot of fun.

The 55-250 will obviously give you the convenience of zooming but at a lack of quality.

If it were me, I wouldn't think twice about getting the 85mm. I love primes. But since you only have the kit lens it might make more sense for you to get the 55-250 just so you have everything from 18-250. Primes can be limiting if you are using them for general purpose photography and you might just end up leaving it in your bag and usnig the 18-55.

 

[Monorail Lime]

Most beginners choose a "Nifty Fifty" such as the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II as their first prime lens. These inexpensive lenses are very sharp compared to the kit lens and short enough to be useful on a crop body such as the T2i. There's nothing wrong with the 85mm but it's a lot of money to spend on something that you might not find very versatile.

There's not much to say about the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS. Low cost is really the only thing it has going for it. The image and build quality is about the same as your 18-55 kit lens so if you need an inexpensive superzoom then go for it. You might also consider saving up for the vastly superior Canon 70-200mm f/4 L if you have the means.

 

[Monorail Lime]

Here's a good read to get you started on low-light photography: http://www.wdwphotography.com/shooting-the-disney-dark-rides-part-one/

 

[DanStat]

Most beginners choose a "Nifty Fifty" such as the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II as their first prime lens. These inexpensive lenses are very sharp compared to the kit lens and short enough to be useful on a crop body such as the T2i. There's nothing wrong with the 85mm but it's a lot of money to spend on something that you might not find very versatile.

There's not much to say about the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS. Low cost is really the only thing it has going for it. The image and build quality is about the same as your 18-55 kit lens so if you need an inexpensive superzoom then go for it. You might also consider saving up for the vastly superior Canon 70-200mm f/4 L if you have the means.

Thanks! That was the lens that I originally was leaning towards. Went ahead and pulled the trigger on the nifty-fifty today.

 

[SRisonS]

Ooooo.... I'm too late. Well, for anyone else that might wanna look into a Prime, I'd suggest the Sigma 30mm f/1.4. The 50mm might be a little long for some people's taste.