Need Lens Advice

[fennel_blythe]

<p>I just got into photography about 3 months ago and I would like to upgrade my lens. I have a Canon Digitial Rebel Xsi with the 18-55mm kit lens. I am currently living in New Mexico and shooting mostly landscapes but I have found that I would like to take more close up shots. And I am moving to Tennessee where I will be shooting a lot in the woods focusing on wildflowers and also trying to create some abstract images with bokeh (I am new to this term). So, the lens needs to be able to handle low light conditions and macro situations. I will also be taking landscape photos there and I would like to know if it would be best to get a lens that will cover this kind of range or if it is best to get two separate lenses. I do plan to get a full frame camera, eventually. Thank you all for your advice!</p>

[richardsnow]

<p>Fennel -</p>

<p>Landscape and macro photography tend to be at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to lenses...</p>

<p>I'd suggest keeping your current 18-55mm kit lens to shoot landscapes with. If you feel you need something wider, look for something in the 10-12mm range on the wide end. Canon, along with SIGMA and Tamron offer lenses inthis range.</p>

<p>True macro photography requires either bellows, extension tubes, or a specialized lens. Depending on what type of working distance you need, I'd suggest either the Canon 60mm or 100mm macro lens. </p>

<p>Hope this helps,<br>

RS</p>

[drjoder]

<p>I would get two separate lenses--a macro and then something for landscapes. I am happy with my Sigma 150mm for macro and I'm sure they have a Canon mount (I shoot Nikon)--gives me stand-off distance and is a 2.8 lens so low light is pretty good. There are other good macro lenses and I'm sure others will chime in here. For landscape, you actually already have a pretty decent lense for that, at least for now. 18mm is a pretty wide focal length and should work nicely for many subjects that require a foreground and background in focus. Maybe spring for a tripod if you are shooting in low light to make up for its relative slowness. Beyond that, just spend a lot of time shooting and perfecting your photographic "eye" as well as your technique. Have fun! </p>

[phule]

<p>Wind aside, wildflowers don't really move all that much. Low light conditions are best handled with a tripod and longer exposures.</p>

<p>There are a number of high-quality macro lenses. Canon makes 6: 50mm f/2.5, 100mm f/2.8, 100mm f/2.8 L IS, 60mm f/2.8 (EF-S mount), 180mm f/3.5 L and the highly specialized MP-E 65mm. There are also, of course, a number of 3rd party offerings. For example, Tamron makes a highly regarded 60mm f/2</p>

[paddler4]

<p>IMHO, 150mm is too long on a crop sensor for flowers. No need to have something so long and hard to hand-hold. I use both the EF-S 60mm and the EF 100mm L. If you are mostly interested in flowers and other things that don't run away, I would lean toward the 60mm for your use. It is small and relatively lightweight (so it will balance well on your XSi), relatively inexpensive, very well built, easy to handhold, and a gem optically. I use my 60mm more often for flowers and the 100mm for bugs. However, you would do well to go to a store or somewhere else where you can try these focal lengths before you buy.</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>Frankly, I'd get nothing. Three months into the hobby, you scratched the surface of what your camera and current lens can do. Give it a bit more time and experiment more. As your experience increases, you'll know more precise what your next lens needs to do.<br>

Either way, a budget would also help the advices.</p>

[mukul_dube]

<p>The 60mm lens which Dan M suggests should also be good for portrait work. But Fennel, you ask for too many things. To cover all of them properly, you'll need four lenses, or at least three. I'll advise you to use your kit lens for general work,<em> including landscapes</em>, and get just a close-range ("macro") lens for starters. After a few months your work should tell you what else you need.</p>

[jaydesi]

<p>Macro is technically challenging and requires good technique. The very shallow DOF you get with a macro lens can make it difficult to handhold, and you'll need to focus manually. Typically, this can be done by focusing the lens at its 1:1 magnification and then moving the camera farther or closer in order to bring the right part of the subject into focus. If you're not steady, this can make for frustration. A tripod and macro rail, along with a remote shutter release, will help a lot. Due to these difficulties and investments, a lot of people turn off once they've tried macro, and then they either sell the lens or it sits in the bag. If you're interested in trying, I recommend renting a lens for a week or two, trying it out, and seeing if you like it. The 60mm lens as recommended above is fine for you.</p>

<p>A technique that helps with the shallow DOF is called focus stacking. Basically, you take several shots, each with a different part of the subject in focus, and then use software (available for free, I use CombineZM, but there are others, Zerene is one, I think) to combine all of the sharp areas into a single image. A rail really helps here, although it can be done by hand if you're careful.</p>

<p>For landscapes, you probably do need something wider if you're looking for big, sweeping shots. Canon has a 10-22mm, Sigma has 2 different 10-20mm lenses, one with a variable aperture and one with a constant at f/3.5. The constant is more expensive, about $650 last I checked. Tamron makes a 12-24. Any of these would likely be fine. The thing to keep in mind with these wide lenses is that it isn't like a panorama, you capture more area in the vertical direction, too, so if there's a big field of grass in front of you and a lot of sky above your subject, you may be able to get your weeping width in, but at the expense of a lot of uninteresting stuff at the top and bottom. This has to be considered when composing, so that you try to fill that space with interesting stuff, or you crop it out on your PC.</p>

<p>All that said, the best recommendation is to explore your current lens to the fullest, see where it is really limiting you, and then buy lenses to meet those needs. You have identified specific needs above, which is good, but since you've only been shooting for 3 months, you may not have yet found what kind of shooting you really like...everything seems neat when you're new, but a lot of it doesn't stay that way. I typically don't recommend this lens, because I don't find it particularly useful, but it's commonly recommended and might work for you. The Canon 50mm f/1.8 is around $100 new, is good in low light, and with the use of a reversing ring (purchased separately), can be used for macro. It isn't a wide angle lens, but it will help you with low light and portraits, and can give you a taste of macro.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Anyhow, for all but tiny little micro flowers, real macro (1:1 reproduction - same size on sensor as in the real world) usually is overkill. Lots of lenses focus close enough to get in tight for the normal flower. Some lenses like your 18-55mm kit lens will focus as close as 9.8 in./0.25m (according to Canon, I don't have one of the little sweeties). That's better than the so-called "macro" on my old Canon EF-S 17-85mm IS which only goes to 0.35m. That's plenty close for most flowers.</p>

<p>Insects, and such like critters, you may need to get closer, but the people who tell you to stick with your kit lens for a while longer are right. It's a very decent lens, and you won't get anything twice as good for twice as much money. However, if you absolutely must buy another lens (GAS - general acquisition syndrome), either look into the new EF-S 15-85mm IS, or keep the kit and go for an ultrawide in the 10-~20mm range. A good, true macro lens for 1:1 work that is affordable is the Tamron 90mm Macro.<br>

A really cheap and high-quality lens for low light would be to get the EF 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, aka "the plastic fantastic." I think it is the cheapest lens Canon sells, and has really nice optical qualities in general. It's a short telephoto on your camera -- good for portrait and street work.</p>

<p>In short, there are myriad lenses out there to buy, but for now that 'kit' lens is going to serve you well in learning.</p>

[fennel_blythe]

<p>This is all very helpful. Thank you very much for your time and thoughtful replies. :-)</p>