2nd body/prime lens v "L" glass

[rob_wade]

Hi

At the moment I have an EOS Elan 7e with a 28- 105 USM Lens. At this

stage I would like to up the quality/contrast/sharpness of my

pictures- especially b/w. The obvious route is 28-70/24-70 2.8 L

lenses but for me the price is rather prohibitive.

If I were to buy a 2ndhand body with a prime lens or two as

companion/backup to my Elan would this make sense.Some of the older

prime lens are probably excellent quality and I dont need bells n

whistles with the body as I can meter with the Elan.

The question is can anyone direct me towards some top quality glass

and a body - preferably Canon - or should I just work my

way "slowly" up to some L glass.

Regards

Rob.

[NK Guy]

You don't say what type of photography you do, which makes answering your question rather difficult.

 

There are lots of economical choices for different priorities. If you do landscapes you can get cheap 28mm 2.8 primes, for example. Or if you need a second camera (perhaps one with B&W and one with colour) then a used Elan or Elan II might be worth considering. Or an old 100-300 5.6L if you need a telephoto. I mean, the possibilities are endless and all come down to what you want to do with your photography.

[bob_hum]

Certainly, if you don't mind carrying around two camera bodies, buying a 2nd body + lens might be financially preferable to buying an L zoom. If you like the layout of the Elan 7e, you could get another one, or perhaps an Elan II(e). As for prime lenses, I'm sure they're all optically excellent, although some (most notably the 50/1.8 II) may feel a little fragile.

[eddie_chan4]

> I would like to up the quality/contrast/sharpness of my pictures- especially b/w.

 

If your objective is to get pictures with quality/contrast/sharpness, you don't need a second body to do that. Save up your money for the "L" or buy the prime. Actually I think the 28-105 (3.5-4.5) is pretty sharp.

 

> can anyone direct me towards some top quality glass

 

I'd assume you want to cover the range from 28 to 105...

Very inexpensive setup (which is my setup):

28 2.8

50 1.8

85 1.8 or 100 2.0

 

Better setup:

24 2.8

50 1.4

100 2.8 Macro

 

Short answer... You have little chance to go wrong if you stick with the Canon primes.

[Ken Katz]

Supplementing the 28-105 with a prime or 2 makes more sense to me. Start with a 50 F1.8 because its fast and real cheap. Next, the 85 f1.8 or 100 f2 are good choises because the 28-105 is weakest at the long end of the range, and either of those primes will provide capabilities that the zoom does not have.

[steve_dunn2]

<p>A companion/backup body is certainly a nice idea, but it won't do anything to improve the quality, contrast, or sharpness of your pictures. You need to improve your glass for that, and any money you spend on a second body is money you can't spend on better glass.</p>

 

<p>Your 28-105 is a good lens, but either primes or a pro zoom will be better. The pro zoom is apparently out due to price; I haven't bought any L glass yet for pretty much the same reason, so I know where you're coming from. That leaves primes. Any of the primes from 28 to 100 will meet your quality/contrast/sharpness goals, and as an added bonus will be at least a bit faster than your zoom. So the question becomes which one(s)?</p>

 

<p>If you're like me, you probably have some focal lengths that you end up using more than others. Think about how you use the 28-105, and make some notes for the next little while as you use it. Find out what your most-used focal length is, and buy a prime at that focal length. Or if you keep hitting one end or the other of its range and thinking "Gee, I wish it zoomed a bit wider or longer" then maybe you need to get a prime that will extend your range.</p>

[greg_mason]

keep track of the focal lengths that you are using when you shoot, then get a quality used prime from some place like keh.com. in addition to getting a sharper lens you will also get one that is noticably sharper. the 100f2 is an excellent value and the 50mm is always sharp and inexpensive.

[h._p.]

If you want to improve the quality of your photography, consider using a tripod. Then look at your film and processing. And what sort of scenes are you shooting? Do they have plenty of contrast or perhaps too much?

 

The 28-105 is a very effective performer. I use a Leica as well as Canon and there is far less difference in quality between the Canon zoom and the much praised Summicron 50mm prime than some people seem to think.

 

Spend the money on flashy kit if you think it will help your ego but don't make the mistake of thinking it will improve your photography. With the kit you've already got, only you can do that.

[rob_wade]

Thanks for your input all. Harvey I agree totally with what you are saying but to my way of thinking the 28-105 is not the "best" glass one can have and trying to improve you're equipment goes hand in hand with trying to improve your technique/learning/picturetaking etc.

 

I'm sure all amateur photographers would like to have the very best of lenses to take their photos with but that just doesn't happen due to cost so I'm just trying to work my way up the learning ladder.

I think 50mm and/or 85/100mm primes looks the way to go and maybe some day if I get my "L" lens it might just be a major disapointment!

Rob