What should I buy?

[neha]

Hi. I need help. I recently bought a Canon Elan 7E kit. The lens that

came with it takes horrible pictures. They are not sharp. My first

student all manual Ricoh camera took better pictures! I am a student

and need an affordable lens that takes sharp picutures! Can someone

please suggest some good lenses? Thanks!

[majid]

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 is very cheap and takes excellent pictures. Other good quality/price performers include the 50mm f/1.4, the 100mm f/2.8 macro, the 70-200 f/4L and the 24-85 f/3.5-4.5 USM.

[alex_medeiros]

A great reference point is a 50mm F1.8. It is damn sharp and cheap. The better zoom is the 28-105 or 28-135IS. I love my 50mm F1.4 and 100mm F2. I also love my 70-200 2.8IS (if money is no object). I hear great things about the 70-200 F4 which is a heck of a value. You don't mention what your needs are and what type of shooting you do.

I hope this helps!

[Brian]

<P>You don't say what the lens is that "takes horrible pictures". The zoom lens that's usually bundled with a Canon SLR is capable of good images. If the camera is used in program mode, it may use a shutter speed that renders your pictures unsharp. Substituting the 50mm f1.8 may improve things, but only because it would permit the camera to use a faster shutter speed.</P><P>Please don't give up on your lens until you've explored its potential (on a tripod, manual exposure).</P>

[ruffstep_.]

Neha

 

I was also horrified by my first few rolls through my eos 33 (elan7) with the 28 - 90 kit lens, perhaps I was expecting too much from my upgrade?? better technique (thanks to photo.net) improved things a LOT

 

This lens is now relegated to macro work stopped down as much as practical on the end of my extension tubes - where it has produced some very nice shots...

 

Replaced it with 28-135IS (among others) and have never looked back. 28-135 is one kit purchase that I have never regretted for a second - hopefully it isn't over your budget?

[the_macman]

Horrible? :) Come on, don't exagerate... I suppose you'll find the 24-70L "not

bad" :-)

[peter_phan]

I have a Canon 28-80 kit lens that I had been using as a paper weight for a few years. One day I stuck it on a camera and did some shooting with it because I needed to test out the camera body for malfunctions, etc. When I got back the prints, I was shocked that the pictures were actually pretty good. Not anywhere near as bad as I was expecting. In fact, far better. But I might have stopped the lens down a bit. Nevertheless, I think these lenses aren't nearly as bad as people make them out to be. Of course, an old manual prime lens will still be a lot better, but that's to be expected.

[al_kaplan1]

Your money is better spent on single focal length lenses. There's no free ride in this world.

[penforhire]

As others have hinted, your money is better spent on a tripod. Unless there is an optical defect in your lens it should take awesome pictures between F5.6 and F11. Nobody asked what film you're using. If you refuse to use a tripod try going for "faster" film (higher ASA/ISO). It will allow faster shutter speeds and the tradeoff in grain and resolving power is not the be-all and end-all of quality. Oh, and make sure there aren't any ugly smudges on the rear lens element (even more important than the front element).