Family trip to France in April, need new lens

[thaddeus.cto]

Hello all!

I'm looking for a new walk-around lens to take to Paris in April. I have a Canon T1i and a nifty-fifty, but the 50 is way too limited. My price range is around a $1000 (can be a couple hundred more). Since this will probably be the only big purchase I'm allowed by my wife to make, I need to make it count, so I definitely want an L-series lens. The question is... which one?

So, any suggestions?

-Tad

 

[Empty_Quarter]

I cant speak much on behalf on canon, but check out the sigma 35mm 1.4


Otherwise, have you considered renting? That's what I tend to do when I travel. I'm renting a 28mm f/1.8 for some upcoming trips (I consider that to be a good walk-around IMO)

 

[UnknownSouljer]

Buying lenses on a crop body is a bit more tricky than on a full frame.

You sort of didn't really mention if you're trying to take shots that are wider or more narrow, so I guess I'll talk about both.

There was another thread like this, and I recommended the 24mm f/2.8. I think it must be going out of production though, because everyone is selling it for like $600.

KEH has it used for a bit over $300.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00006I53R/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=all

A lot of this also depends on your shooting style. Since you have a prime, I assume you like shooting with them. I would generally say it's the way to go as the specialization nets nicer results than using zooms for everything.

If you wanted to get a zoom, I'd probably get the 16-35mm f/2.8L or possibly version 2... however I'd probably get either version somewhere used. The 17-40 f/4.0L is also another option, but I personally think it's too slow for general purpose usage.

=============

Trying to get something a bit more narrow, I would go with the 85mm f/1.8. If you want a zoom I'd get the 70-200mm f/4.0L, although it is a bit slow.

=============

With the lower cost of the 24mm f/2.8 and 85mm f/1.8, you could easily buy both of those lenses for under your $1000 budget. That would greatly increase your options while shooting. It does however come with pros and cons.

Primes require you to switch lenses more often, but they also teach you patience, "zooming with your feet", and net better results than zooms (in terms of sharpness (both in the center and edge), speed, contrast (generally), and less CA. They also have the benefit of being a lot lighter.

As a general purpose shooting lens the 24mm is probably going to be as close as you can get on a crop. If you like shooting wide, you may find that you don't need to change lenses often (Paris also has a lot of big architectural structures that may require a wide angel lens, you'll find). Also, you may find that you'll start to "see" frames a certain way using only primes, like you'll start to know your gear and what the frame will look like even before you bring the camera to your eye. This is a trained skill, as a lot of photography is patience and not simply trying to blast out frames.

Anyway, that's my two cents on the lenses I would get and why. Hopefully that is/was helpful.

 

[thaddeus.cto]

Thank you both for the advice.

It isn't that I prefer shooting with primes... more like my prime is the only good lens I have. I've been shooting with the T1i for 3 years. But I just now have received permission to spend more than $100 on a lens. As for subject matter, it will vary greatly. It seems that either a wide prime might be what I'm looking for, as you are correct: Paris has some amazing architecture.

I just need to do some more research, as there isn't really one answer to this question.

Thanks!

-Tad

 

[bigk]

Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 is hands down the best lens for a crop body. It rarely leaves my 60D because of its versatility.

Review

 

[UnknownSouljer]

Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 is hands down the best lens for a crop body. It rarely leaves my 60D because of its versatility.

Review

I've heard of this lens before. I just haven't been on a crop body in a long while to know what's hot (other than the 10-22).

This is the one that everyone essentially calls the crop body L, right? If so, it looks to be like an excellent option. f2.8 is quick enough for general purpose shooting, 27.2mm is pretty good at the wide end. Seems like a solid pick.

 

[bigk]

This is the one that everyone essentially calls the crop body L, right?

Yup, from the review

"Prior to receiving my 17-55 IS, I stated that I expected its image quality to match or nearly match that of Canon's L Series Lenses as it shares the L-Series UD lens elements. As it turns out, my 17-55 matches or exceeds the optical performance of my L-Series zooms in this similar focal length range ..."

I was lucky and found one used for a good price used, you can get one for around $650-$750, and they also hold their resale value very well.