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Advice on lenses Urgent

shuttergod

shuttergod

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 5, 2014
1
0
Dubai
Dear All,

Am planning on to upgrade my photography kit, I do mainly portraits and fashion. So would love to get your opinions on what to buy and please help me make my decision right.

As of now, I have decided on 5D mark III body, 85mm 1.2 L, 70-200 2.8 L IS II, 50 mm 1.4, 100 mm 2.8L

confused on the kit lens, whether to go for the 24-105 f4 or 24-70 2.8 L II, or to use any other lens to get a wider angle for fashion shoots , which also can be used to shoot landscapes...

Kindly give a shout out on what you think of the planned kit and please advice on the kit lens i can go for...

Thanks in advance
SM

----------

also thinking of getting the canon 600ex flash gun... please let me know the reviews of the same if any of you guys have used it.. I want to use it mainly for shooting night clubs.... so please advice what would be the best possible lighting equipment for a classy nightclub shoot...
 
The 5d mark III has a reputation that doesn't need any more elaborating on.
The lenses look mighty good, too. Looks like a high end kit.
I personally prefer nikon for the extra DR and overall better IQ.
But as far as canon goes that kit you chose is about as good as it gets.
 
I'd go with the 24-70mm 2.8 over the 24-105mm f4. But like Meister I'm a Nikon man. Other Cannon shooters may be able to offer more experienced advise.
 
I shoot 5DIII for 2 years and just sold the kit off to go MFT/M43. I used the 24-105 as it has IS which means better performance hand held and it has a longer range. The 24-105 is also smaller, lighter, and cheaper....by half. If you want a 24-70 with IS, check the Tamron model. It is excellent and much cheaper than the Canon lens.

BTW, I never purchased L lens new. I got them all from Canon refurbed department. And I also got the wife's 5DIII from their refurbed department. You can swap in an old Canon body and get hundreds off the refurbed body prices.

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/lenses-flashes/refurbished-lenses

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/cameras/refurbished-eos-digital-slr-cameras

You have to call in to Canon to get the loyalty discount for trading on bodies for newer refurbed ones.
 
MCAsan said:
I shoot 5DIII for 2 years and just sold the kit off to go MFT/M43. I used the 24-105 as it has IS which means better performance hand held and it has a longer range. The 24-105 is also smaller, lighter, and cheaper....by half. If you want a 24-70 with IS, check the Tamron model. It is excellent and much cheaper than the Canon lens.

BTW, I never purchased L lens new. I got them all from Canon refurbed department. And I also got the wife's 5DIII from their refurbed department. You can swap in an old Canon body and get hundreds off the refurbed body prices.

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/lenses-flashes/refurbished-lenses

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/cameras/refurbished-eos-digital-slr-cameras

You have to call in to Canon to get the loyalty discount for trading on bodies for newer refurbed ones.
Click to expand...
I second buying lenses used. Look on ebay, too.
 
24-70 has advantages and disadvantages so you need to decide which better serves your needs

Advantages:
better optics on nearly all fronts
DXO lens reports rates it far superior to the 24-105
full stop wider (meaning shooting wide open gives more limited DOF)

Disadvantages
a touch bulky/heavy
doesn't "reach" as far as the 24-105

As others have mentioned there are some 3rd party lens makers that offer up counterparts to both of those lenses. If you are smitten with the 24-105 and the f/stop slower doesn't bother you, consider some 3rd party lenses that may not only be cheaper but as good or better than Canon's offering.

Of the two Canon lenses, if budget was not the issue the 24-70 would be a great choice and a decent stand by lens for all around shooting. Like others, I came from the Nikon camp but always found that Canon has its share of decent offerings.

I have gone the route of many - gave up on DSLR in favour of mirrorless.

----------
Fuji XE-1, Fuji XE-2, 18-55, 35/1,4, 55-200
 
MCAsan said:
If you want a 24-70 with IS, check the Tamron model. It is excellent and much cheaper than the Canon lens.
Click to expand...

I agree with you on this. Tamron SP 24-70mm F2.8 Di VC USD is a great alternative to its Canon counterpart at half price. In fact I'm considering replacing my Canon 24-70L f/2.8 (Mark I though, not the newest model) with the Tamron one.

I'm a wedding cinematographer and I mainly use my camera for videos so Image Stabilization (or Vibration Compensation, whatever they call it) is fairly important to me.
 
if you can afford them, buy everything you mention, and can put them to good use of course, don't settle
don't forget to buy some 600 ex-rt's and a st e3 rt
I'm lousy though at giving advice for economic purposes, I buy whatever I like and don't bother for cheaper solutions. I prefer same-brand for all parts/accessories to have better compatibility
 
Last edited:
shuttergod said:
..
As of now, I have decided on 5D mark III body, 85mm 1.2 L, 70-200 2.8 L IS II, 50 mm 1.4, 100 mm 2.8L

confused on the kit lens, whether to go for the 24-105 f4 or 24-70 2.8 L II, or to use any other lens to get a wider angle for fashion shoots ,...
Click to expand...

Given that you already have several good lenses. I'd say it depends if you think you will use the zoom indoors or outdoors. th24-70 f/2.8 would work well for most indoor shots. It is fast enough more most existing light and 70mm is long enough. Outdoors the distance might be greater and you might use the 105 length.

For general travel photography the 24-105 would be perfect. It is small and has enough range for 99% of all shots you'd want. You need a smaller lens if you are going to cary the camera around without lugging a bag too. the 50mm could be that lens but the 24-105 gives you more options.


I find that no matter where I go I get the same number of good shots using ANY lens. I just get different kinds of shots. I can bring just a macro lens or just my 85mm 1.8 or "whatever". Tomorrow I'm shooting pics for a lecture I'll give next week using just the Nikon 18-70 kit lens (with a crop body D200). The simple low-cost lens works well for most images. My 18-70 is like the 24-105 on a full farm. It is, I think the most useful range when you can cary only one lens.
 
shuttergod said:
Dear All,

Am planning on to upgrade my photography kit, I do mainly portraits and fashion. So would love to get your opinions on what to buy and please help me make my decision right.

As of now, I have decided on 5D mark III body, 85mm 1.2 L, 70-200 2.8 L IS II, 50 mm 1.4, 100 mm 2.8L

confused on the kit lens, whether to go for the 24-105 f4 or 24-70 2.8 L II, or to use any other lens to get a wider angle for fashion shoots , which also can be used to shoot landscapes...

Kindly give a shout out on what you think of the planned kit and please advice on the kit lens i can go for...

Thanks in advance
SM

----------

also thinking of getting the canon 600ex flash gun... please let me know the reviews of the same if any of you guys have used it.. I want to use it mainly for shooting night clubs.... so please advice what would be the best possible lighting equipment for a classy nightclub shoot...
Click to expand...

For fashion and portraits? Considering your other lenses? Go the 24-70...it's just a fantastic lens.

600ex-rt? Fantastic flash gun. Got four of them. Don't forget to pick up the st-e3-rt though.
 
shuttergod said:
confused on the kit lens, whether to go for the 24-105 f4 or 24-70 2.8 L II, or to use any other lens to get a wider angle for fashion shoots , which also can be used to shoot landscapes...
Click to expand...

For fashion, I'd go with the 2.8, subject isolation wins the day. For landscapes, it really doesn't matter, as you'll likely want to be shooting between f/5.6 and f/8.

Paul
 
Don't bother with the 85mm 1.2 L
It's too big and heavy, the autofocus is slow and the cash can be much better spent somewhere else.
 
diipii said:
Don't bother with the 85mm 1.2 L
It's too big and heavy, the autofocus is slow and the cash can be much better spent somewhere else.
Click to expand...

I have an 85 1.2L II that I hardly ever use. It's a great lens, and I probably should sell it, but I just can't part with it.

That said, I agree that you should just avoid it.

If you get the 70-200 f/2.8L IS II, that alone is going to cover most everything in fashion. If you're doing commercial work, then you'll want a 24-70 f/2.8L II for those occasions that you need a shorter focal length.

Although, I would probably try going with a 35 and 50 prime instead of the 24-70. I just don't like the barrel distortion at the short end of the 24-70. I love the Canon 35 f/1.4L. I wish I never sold it to pay for a 24-70, because the 35 was simply the better lens as far how I use short lenses. As far as the 50mm, I'd just go with the new Sigma 50. The new Sigma primes (including the 35, 50, and 85) are all the rage right now. I tried a Sigma 35 on my 5D Mark III and it was incredible fast focusing and quite sharp wide open.

After a 70-200 and 24-70, I'd just get lights. After lights, then maybe I'd revisit some primes, specifically the 35 f/1.4L, 135 f/2L, and the 100 f/2.8L IS Macro.

With regards to lights, I personally prefer studio strobes over small flash.
 
I buy as "fast" as possible, therefore a 24-70/2.8 I got in the past. And happy with it. Together with 70-200/2.8IS my most used Lens (on a 1DM3)
 
On my Nikon, I'm a big fan of the 85mm PCE. It is almost my main lens. It is MF, but O boy, what do you get in return! It focusses smoother than sex itself, makes the bokeh and sharpness of the 1.4 a joke (Nikon does not have a 1.2), and it has a normal focussing distance. The 1.4 always locks when the person is too close <85cm/3ft, and you run into that limit quite easily. Together with the 28mm AIS it are the only lenses that can pull the full 36 mpixels from the D800, sharp from corner to corner.

Give the Canon 90mm TSE a shot! It is probably as excellent.
 
I honestly think you are getting carried away with your spending spree. If you need to ask an internet forum what lenses to buy then you probably don't need them (all). We will happily spend other people's money with little consideration! It is nice to own lots of lenses but in reality you will use one or two lenses for 90% of your work. I can't make a business case for gear that sits in a bag all day.

I would start with the 24-70 f2.8 and see how you like it. I have owned most of the Canon line of lenses and this is my most heavily used by far. The wide aperture gives you most of what you can do with a prime and the focal length range covers most things. It is very sharp with minimal distortion or aberration. I found the 24-105 good but the lack of shallow depth of field made it less versatile. If this is a business it is good to have back-up gear so you might want to have both in time.

Once you are comfortable with this lens you will be able to judge what other focal length you need. I chose the 70-200 f2.8 for its versatility but it is bulky. My favourite Canon lens is the 135mm f2 which I sold as I didn't use it enough. The 135 is in my opinion their best lens for portraits but not so good for landscapes.

There is value in having a really good 50mm lens but I don't feel the Canon ones (I have only had the 1.4) are up to the standard of the 24-70. The new Sigma is worth looking at.
 
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