Question about the 18-55 lens

[ssmangrove]

I am looking at purchasing a canon rebel xt (350d), but I do not know a terrible amount about lenses. I really enjoy taking pictures of nature scenery mainly, including macros and wide shots. The stock lens that comes with it is an 18 55. Will this get me started or is it "junk?" Would it be better to purchase the camera body and a lens separately? What is a good lens that has a very good zoom? I don't even know good companies, or reasonable prices to pay. Anyone that can bring some words of wisdom to this amateur would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[coldrain]

Wow, a lot of hidden questions in one!

The kit lens is not a great lens, but it is also not junk. Since I think you do not want to spend a huge amount, I will try to give you good yet not too expensive lens advice (except for the wide angle zooms, they are more expensive).
You like macro and wide, you say. Well, with DSLR with bigger sensor, everything gets bigger, so also distances from lens to subject. This means that for macro photography you need a dedicated macro lens.

For wide angle you need a wide angle lens, and 18mm is moderately wide (it is about 28 in terms of what wideness (wide field of view) you get with a 35mm film SLR.
If you want wider, the best options are a Canon EF-S 10-22 f3.5-4.5 USM (around 700$ I believe) or the very good Tokina 12-24mm f4, around 500$ I think.

For a real macro lens, the cheapest and still good option for dedicated macro lens is the Sigma 50mm f2.8 EX DG, around 250$, which can double as a portrait lens. It is an 1:1 macro lens, meaning that you can get something 22mm (or a bit less than an inch) long to fill the photo.

You do not need a bigger zoom range for what you listed... If you want a bigger range in the tele end anyway, you could look at the Sigma 70-300 APO DG version... it will give you an 1:2 macro setting.

So to summarize from what I understood from your post, you have a number of options:

1. Get the kit lens and the Sigma 50mm macro, it will give you 28mm wide angle, and good macro for a very low price.

2. Get the Sigma 50mm macro, the kit lens and the Tokina 12-24mm wide angle zoom. It will give you good macro, a great wide angle zoom for landscapes, and the kitlens to fill in between the two.

3. Get the Sigma 70-300, quite a good 1:2 macro ability and a nice telerange, and the kitlens, giving you quite some reach for very little.

4. get the Sigma 70-300, Sigma Macro, and Tokina wide angle (and if you want the kit lens to fill in some focal length)

Or 5. do something totally different, like a 18-200 Sigma or Tamron lens for around 400$ (big range of ok quality, nice "walk around" lens for some people), a 50 mm sigma macro for the macro stuff.

Well, or .. or .. or.. you can think of lots of combinatins... I focussed on your two wishes for a reasonable amount of money, and I do think those two wide angle lenses are really worth it if you love to make wide landscape photos.

[D Thompson]

See similar thread.

http://www.dcresource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15865

[ssmangrove]

Wow, that is some great information! Thank you very much for taking the time to respond in such detail. Really, i'm serious. I used to belong to nissan and honda forums because I worked on cars a lot, and nobody would give good advice, just verbal (rather, typed) bashings. Thanks again!

nick

[ssmangrove]

test test test

[ssmangrove]

Can someone please provide me with a link to two pictures of the same subject, one taken with the 6.3 rebel dslr, and one with the XT rebel? I want to see if the 2x price is really worth it in image quality.. Thanks!

[ssmangrove]

bumpidy bump

[ssmangrove]

bumping, anyone? Anyone have both or upgraded and can show me a comparison shot?

nick

[cdifoto]

I believe image quality itself is the same, or darn close. The only visible difference would be the image size right out of the camera. The 8MP Rebel XT would yield a larger photo than the 6.3MP Original Rebel.

There are other differences though and they're mostly performance related. The XT has cleaner high ISO images and has a faster burst rate.

To make a short story even shorter, you wouldn't see any difference between an XT photo and an Original Rebel photo when it's resized to be displayed here on the web (all other things being equal of course - shutter speed, aperture, lens, subject, lighting conditions, etc etc etc).

[ssmangrove]

alrighty

also, one more very simple question. I have an old tan colored canon rebel film camera. I don't know much about it, and it's in storage, but it is an SLR and I was told that all of the canon rebels lenses are interchangeable. Is this right? Because this would save me a little bit when i go to purchase my XT or 300D. Thanks

[Saralonde]

All Canon EF lenses should work on Canon digital rebel SLRs. Off brands like Sigma or Tokina may or may not.

[aparmley]

Here is one of my best shots I took early on with the XT + sigma 70-300 at 120mm | ISO 200 | F 6.3 | 1/320s | Converted to B&W with CS2

http://parmley.smugmug.com/photos/43130640-L.jpg

One with my newer 35 F2 at the time heres what the XT can do at ISO 1600 when the exposure is right.

http://parmley.smugmug.com/photos/46098962-L.jpg

[ssmangrove]

ap- nice pics! i especially like the christmas ornament. it works pretty well with the picture above it

[pam6203]

18 55 lens is good value for money. I have several lenses but I use 18-8 a lot being so small and lightweight. Please see my picture under "Canon/Leitz" thread.

Bye.

Pam6203

[ssmangrove]

Will this lens fit on a 350D?

It is from a film Canon EOS Rebel G

The lens reads:

"Quantaray for Canon AF 28-90 mm 1:3.5-5.6 Macro Made in Japan Multi Coated 055 (the 0 has a line through it)


This was my camera my senior year of highschool (2003-2004), and I can't remember if it's taken a fall or not but when I have the lens set to manual focus, it's a little stiff in it's adjustment. The camera has been in the attic for a little over a year, exposed to 100 degree heat at times in our California weather :eek: Could either of these be the cause of the lens having difficulty in focusing? Also, I can't seem to focus well on anything less than a good 8 to 10 ft away with the exception of macro's within one foot of the subject. The batteries are dead, but it does have a manual focus and a macro setting, both of which I've tried. Thanks in advance guys, you all are really helpful :D

[coldrain]

It will fit on your 350D, but the 350D may show the lens's short comings clearly (not sharp, CA, colour cast? it is not a stellar lens). It may even have trouble focussing or give ERR99, this may happen with older Sigma lenses, and this is a rebranded Sigma lens. If the ERR99 shows up, you need to turn the camera off in order to be useable again, and it will mean your lens will not be compatible with the 350D (the communication about what aperture to set goes wrong then).

[ssmangrove]

Coldrain,

Thanks for the quick and detailed response. So my best bet is probably to just buy a 350d with the 18-55 lens instead of just the body? I don't think I want to even attempt to use this old lens on it.

Or would you recommend buying the body and getting a better lens instead of wasting money on the package that includes the 18-55 lens? What would your recommendation be? I'd really like to keep the total under 1,000, but I don't want to spend the $775 on 350d with 18-55 lens and be disappointed. I will probably be taking a lot of "people pictures." (non posed)

Below is a picture of the Rebel G lens that I have:

http://tinypic.com/k4fsrc.jpg

[coldrain]

What was the most used focal range with your Rebel G? Did you miss it going more tele, or not?

[ssmangrove]

I used it a lot for macro back in HS, .5ft -2 ft was what I went for. I'd like a lens that has a wider angle though. Forgive me, I'm not too smart with (d)slr's yet. Is there a lens that has the ability to go macro AND take good distance pictures?

[coldrain]

Every macro can take good distance pictures. Macro lenses are usable for anything a non-macro lens with the same focal lenght can be used for.

If you want to have a macro lens, and also want to photograph people with it, you can look at the excellent Canon EF-S 60mm f2.8 USM, or the very good Tamron AF SP f2.8 90mm Di. A bit cheaper but still good is the Sigma 50mm f2.8 EX DG macro.

A "standard" lens that can get semi macro photos:
Sigma f2.8 24-70 EX DG macro, gets you as close as 40cm and has 1:3.8 macro
Tamron f2.8 28-75 XR Di LD, gets you as close as 75cm, has 1:3.9 macro.
Both lenses are sharp and capable.

The Canon EF 28-105 f3.5-4.5 II USM is not a macro capable lens, at 105cm it can do 1:0.19 but it is very affordable, and you could always get that 50mm 1:1 Sigma macro with it for a bit above the price of the above mentioned Sigma and Tamron. This Canon is very good, especially for its price, and its USM motor makes focussing silent, quick and acurate.

All these do not get wider though. Maybe it would be an idea to save up for a good wide angle zoom, and till then make do with the 18-55mm kit lens.

[ssmangrove]

Just wanted to express my joy here today, for I have entered the DSLR community with a black 350d with kit lens. :) Im so excited to start taking pictures tomorrow when its actually light enough outside.

coldrain- thanks again for the valuable info. I took your advice and went with the 350d w/kit for now. I will be looking into a macro down the road and your information has and will come in handy in the next purchase :D