If you have a limited budget…
I would suggest looking for a good wideangle lens… 17mm-35mm is very usefull [I have one and it is the only lens I use – most of the time]
Wideangle lenses are excellent for landscapes since they distort perspective a little bit [but avoids the extremes of a “fisheye” lens] In a landscape these lenses creates an effect of greater depth thus making the scene appear even “grander” than normal. The 35mm end is excellent for portraits and general photography.
The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM / PRICE: from $1000AUS+
The f2.8 aperture will give you plenty of low light capability as well as lovely soft background [great for portraits]. The 17mm end is great for landscapes too. A very useable lens.
EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens / PRICE: from $1500AUS+
Canon Link
EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Lens / PRICE: from $800AUS+
These are about half the price of the 16-35, and the reason is the f4 aperture size. You wont get the soft backgrounds that you will with the 16-35 but it is still a damn fine lens.
Canon Link
You can also go with lenses from lens manufacturers like SIgma or Tamron which will generally be cheaper, but still top quality [I use Sigma].
The Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM / PRICE: from $700AUS+
This is the APC Format version of my 17-35mm, I love this lens to pieces!
Sigma Link
Slideshooter
Thanks for sharing the above information Byron.
I still have a few EOS Canons stashed away, including their trick RT model and the widest lens I have for them is a 28mm, so you’ve given me a few ideas on what to look out for.
Also wondering how the old 20-35 f3.5-4.5 compares, these turn up occasionally on eBay too for a couple of hundred or so.
On the topic of Canon lenses in general, I think the definitive work is their own publication EF Lens Work (“The Eyes of EOS”) which also turns up on eBay occasionally. Fortunately, Canon Europe have been kind enough to make this document available for free download from their site . It is a big document and there are about a dozen pdf files to download, but for anyone who wants to know more about the EF lens system this is a pretty good place to start.
Thanks again,
Brett
BYRON:
You gotta love Canon lenses, and I don’t even shoot with a Canon.
Thanx for the links.
AlisonJohnston
Great info Byron.
BYRON:
Thanx Alison, I’m gonna do this for the major camera brands.
Tim Geraghty-...
Still waiting for the canon fairy to bring the 16-35 for me to replace the 10-22mm (so that I can use it on mrs beeps 5dm2)
BYRON:
I have a 17-35mm Sigma that I use for everything, I rarely use any other lens. It is just awesome.
I bought an adaptor lens that converts it to 9mm [approx] in 35mm terms. I can’t wait to try it on my 35mm SLR.
Kymie
Thank you for that – wide angle lens will be my next buy so to have this is great :-)
BYRON:
you will love the w/a lens. They are just awesome!
Elaine123
I use a Sigam 10-20, would not travel with out it, also have a 24-70 only been out the box twice, as anybody got one out there,?
BYRON:
They’re both great lenses. I love the wideangle Sigma [same as my 17-35mm] It really is just awesome. I have a 35-75mm and a 100-300mm but I rarely use them at all.
George Lenz
does the 17-35mm Sigma have IS capability, or do they call it something different for Sigma lens… also, would it be compatible with a full frame Canon when I upgrade cameras?
BYRON:
George, I can’t say for sure about Sigma Lenses having Image Stabilisation built in. I suspect probably not. You would need to check on that at your camera shop.
As for full frame capability… if it says it is 10-20mm DC then that is for the smaller-frame format not full frame [unless it was some kind of freaky fisheye zoom for 35mm SLR’s] so no – you can’t use it on a full-frame sensor without getting some seriously unusual effects [like a circular vignette and some hardcore pincushion distortion]