Lens recommendations

atomiclauren

Hi all,

Just a quick background - I mainly shoot small buildings and houses with either no planning or no set up, sometimes interior, and sometimes dirty/dusty/abandoned places.

I have an old Kodak DCS Pro (Canon mount) and I need a new lens. I just sold a Canon EF 28-70mm f/2.8 L - it was very heavy and clunky, I could only get nicer shots closer in (might have been a user error on my part), and it was way too valuable (more of a liability to me than anything).

Fwiw, I have been using a tiny Canon Powershot that takes surprisingly good pictures (plus it's extremely portable and discreet) but I figured why not give the Kodak some more time out there...

Money's not necessarily an issue other than I don't want to spend a lot since I have a tendency to destroy things (though the large hood on the EF 28-70mm helped a lot with dirt/dust) :blushing:
Otherwise, something lightweight and versatile (but good for houses/low rise buildings) is ideal.

TIA!

Kolohe71

Lens recommendations will depend greatly on what and where you are going to shoot. The lens you just gave up (Canon EF 28-70mm f/2.8 L) was a GREAT all purpose lens with it's only real down-side being it's weight.

I carry two lenses with me when I am out exploring and not really sure what I will discover, a Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8G ED and a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G. The zoom gives me the flexability that I want for composition, and the constant aperature is nice so that I don't have to sacrifice speed for zoom. The fast prime is for when conditions get a little dark and I need the extra light or when I want that nice bokah effect to blur the background.

Obviously I am shooting a Nikon set-up but Canon has equivalent lenses that you can use.

As for the dusty conditions I would suggest that you invest two items. First being be a quality U/V filter; This will not only filter U/V light it will act as a dust shield and protector for the front element of the lens. The second item is a lens pen for cleaning off any dust that may accumilate in the field. I carry one of these in my pocket whenever I have my camera with me. Which is most of the time.

Lens Pen:

atomiclauren

Thanks - I'll look up Canon equivalents of the ones you suggested. I had a filter and lens cleaning equipment - the main issues were the weight/bulkiness and its value.
It's one thing to clean dust and another to completely destroy an expensive lens by smashing/dropping it :blushing:

Kolohe71

It's a trade off... Because most of the time: High Quality Fast Lens = Heavy.

Definately look at the 50mm f/1.4 (or f/1.8 to save $) as this will most likely be the best & lightest lens you can get. Then use "Sneeker Zoom" to get the composition you're after.

The 50mm will also give you the most natural viewing perspective. 80mm equivalent is considered to be the closest to your natural eye and when you multiply 50mm by the Canon Field of View Conversion Factor (1.6) you end up with 80mm.

Guadalupana

I find the 50mm a very good suggestion, also a 35mm can be found in good prices, 24mm is too wide for me. 35mm is a classic lens because of it's versatility.