# New - Canon 7D lens question



## Shelly1204 (Dec 11, 2009)

I'm new to photography, hoping to make it a new and relaxing hobby. I'm picking up a Canon 7D next week (currently using an Alpha 100). It comes with a 28-135mm IS Lens. What other lens should be my next purchase? I'll mostly be using it indoors, low light to shoot family and to learn on. I'll probably also be using it for video as well. Should I just spend the money on a good flash to use off camera instead? What would you suggest for both?

Thanks for your help!


p.s.- waiting for a "spend the money on a good photographer" comment in 3...2...1.... :lmao:


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## PhotoVerve (Dec 11, 2009)

The 50mm f/1.8 is an amazing value.  I own the 50mm f/1.4, and while I love it, I'm not sure it's entirely worth the money over the 1.8 for a first "extra" purchase.


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## Sw1tchFX (Dec 11, 2009)

Yeah, the 50mm f/1.4 is a really sweet lens, definitely worth it over the 1.8 if you shoot Canon.


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## iolair (Dec 11, 2009)

What's your budget, and what kind of photography do you prefer to do?

A 50mm prime lens is always good to have in your selection (whether the Canon 1.8, Canon 1.4 or Sigma 1.4), but if you're into specific types of photography you may also want something that goes wider or longer than the 28-135.


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## Shelly1204 (Dec 12, 2009)

Sw1tchFX said:


> Yeah, the 50mm f/1.4 is a really sweet lens, definitely worth it over the 1.8 if you shoot Canon.



Awesome, thanks. I'll pick one up. Any recommendations for a flash?

And thanks to everyone for helping with such a newbie question. I'm trying to learn as much as I can. I ordered some great books this week (thanks to recommendations from this site), and I've been trying to find a camera class of some kind to boost my learning experience. My local community college's camera courses pretty much revolve around 35mm, which I don't see as being too productive for me right now (sure I'll learn some useful tips, but the courses focus way to much on darkroom techniques, etc., things I will never use as a hobbyist). I have a local camera store that teaches classes, but they're all basically on an elementary level, and I've taken them twice. 

When I was a kid I took guitar lessons every week. I'd pay my $20, and get a half hour lesson for my hobby. I'd love it if a local photographer or camera store started offering lessons like that. I've approached a local photographer or two, and their response was basically sure, but for $100 an hour, no less.


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## Shelly1204 (Dec 12, 2009)

iolair said:


> What's your budget, and what kind of photography do you prefer to do?
> 
> A 50mm prime lens is always good to have in your selection (whether the Canon 1.8, Canon 1.4 or Sigma 1.4), but if you're into specific types of photography you may also want something that goes wider or longer than the 28-135.



I have a semi healthy budget. It's a hobby, not a profession for me, so I'd like to stay conservative. With that said, if it costs a little more to buy a lens or flash that is far superior to the next cheapest option, I'd rather go for quality.

I'm mostly shooting either people indoors, or outdoor landscapes in the summer.


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## rufus5150 (Dec 12, 2009)

Another vote for the 50mm 1.4. I have both it and the 7D and it's a great lens and has enough umph to match the 7D's rather aggressive pixel density. Beyond that if you're sticking to budgetwise, the 17-40 F4 L (walk around), 70-200 F4 L (telephoto), Sigma 10-20 (wide angle), 85mm f1.8 (portrait) are all excellent as well (with no budget restrictions, sub in the 70-200 F2.8 L IS, the 85mm f1.2 and a bow-flex if you indent on hand-holding either for extended periods of time). 

The 7D and most consumer-grade lenses aren't going to play nicely with one another. It demands at least the bottom half of the upper end of glass. I would be surprised if even the kit lens could keep up with that thing.


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## Shelly1204 (Dec 12, 2009)

rufus5150 said:


> Another vote for the 50mm 1.4. I have both it and the 7D and it's a great lens and has enough umph to match the 7D's rather aggressive pixel density. Beyond that if you're sticking to budgetwise, the 17-40 F4 L (walk around), 70-200 F4 L (telephoto), Sigma 10-20 (wide angle), 85mm f1.8 (portrait) are all excellent as well (with no budget restrictions, sub in the 70-200 F2.8 L IS, the 85mm f1.2 and a bow-flex if you indent on hand-holding either for extended periods of time).
> 
> The 7D and most consumer-grade lenses aren't going to play nicely with one another. It demands at least the bottom half of the upper end of glass. I would be surprised if even the kit lens could keep up with that thing.



Sweet, thanks! So do you think when I buy the 7D I should pay a bit more and start with the 17-40 F4 L in place of the 28-135mm IS? I'll definitely pick up the 50mm 1.4 as well.


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## DerekSalem (Dec 12, 2009)

I'd say the first 2 lenses you should look at are obviously the 50mm 1.8 (they're under $100 on amazon) and either a Sigma 28-300 or Sigma 18-200. The 18-200 is good amount more expensive, but the 28-300 is fairly cheap (28-300 is only around $280 used and the 18-200 is around $365 used although it comes with basic stabilization). I started with the 28-300 and I'm actually waiting for my 18-200 to arrive Monday lol I loved the other Sigma, but I recently bought the 50mm and now I'm just trying to get something that can cover all my bases (I don't have the kit lens).


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## rufus5150 (Dec 12, 2009)

Those sigma are great walk-around lenses for a rebel. The 7D will show their flaws in all of their glory.



> So do you think when I buy the 7D I should pay a bit more and start with the 17-40 F4 L in place of the 28-135mm IS?



I'm not going to tell you how to spend your money, but read the reviews of the 17-40 and make an educated decision. 

The 28-135 is a much larger range which you may miss out on if you buy the 17-40.


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## Derrel (Dec 12, 2009)

I would say that the 50mm focal length on 1.6x cameras, like the 7D, is a bit too narrow for most indoor shooting situations in homes; it's great as a short telephoto at a basketball game, but a 50mm is awfully narrow in a living room or at close distances.

I think you ought to look at a 3rd party Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 or a Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 as a way to get some wide-angle, semi-wide-angle, and slightly narrower angles of view in a lens that will actually FOCUS indoors in poorer light. The 28-135mm IS is a rather old lens, and at longer zoom settings, it does not admit much light; certainly not enough for indoor, non-flash work.

As far as the Canon 50mm f/1.8 EF-II lens...I had one. It had okay sharpness, but the lens has a lot of problems when shooting toward the light, its focusing is somewhat sketchy,and it's just not anywhere near the quality of other Canon lenses. Canon's 50/1.4 EF, OTOH, is a very fine 50mm lens.


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## rufus5150 (Dec 12, 2009)

> I would say that the 50mm focal length on 1.6x cameras, like the 7D, is a bit too narrow for most indoor shooting situations in homes; it's great as a short telephoto at a basketball game, but a 50mm is awfully narrow in a living room or at close distances.



That's all I used for indoor shooting for a long time. I suppose if you live in a teeeeny tiny house...


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## Derrel (Dec 12, 2009)

rufus5150 said:


> > I would say that the 50mm focal length on 1.6x cameras, like the 7D, is a bit too narrow for most indoor shooting situations in homes; it's great as a short telephoto at a basketball game, but a 50mm is awfully narrow in a living room or at close distances.
> 
> 
> 
> That's all I used for indoor shooting for a long time. I suppose if you live in a teeeeny tiny house...



Why then, pray tell, is an 18-55 considered a standard lens for a 1.6x body? 55mm is the "tele" end. Actually, we have a huge house...quite large and designed for handicapped access so it's possible to use  a 200mm indoors for a half body shot...sliding doors on many room-to-room transitions,unlike most homes.

On a Canon 1.6x body with a 50mm lens, standing 15 feet from a 6 foot tall man, the field of view is 6.75 feet tall by 4.5 feet wide. Let's say you have an eight foot tall Christmas tree...you only need to be 20 feet away from it to get a shot of it full length, leaving 6 inches at the top and six inches at the bottom, for a 9.0 foot x 6 foot wide frame with a 50mm on 1.6x.

Field of View - Rectilinear and Fisheye Lenses


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## Shelly1204 (Dec 12, 2009)

Thanks for the help guys. :hug::

I'm doing lots of research, and trying to learn as much as I can. Looks like I'll go with 3 lenses. the kit lens (28-135mm IS) might as well since it's so cheap with the body; a 17-40 F4 L (was torn between this and a Sigma 10-50mm f2.8); and an 85mm f1.8. I'll save up, and when the weather gets nicer, I'll pick up a 70-200 F4 L. 

...unless one of you thinks I'm making a big mistake. :lmao:


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## keith foster (Dec 12, 2009)

Those will be great lenses and way more flexibility and quality than most of us had to start out. Not a big mistake at all. Have fun with the new hobby. Have you checked for photography classes at a local community college. Around here our community colleges offer some adult education classes for beginners in digital photo that meet a couple of Saturdays and the classes are usually around $100 for the 16 hours pf class.


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## Shelly1204 (Dec 12, 2009)

keith foster said:


> Those will be great lenses and way more flexibility and quality than most of us had to start out. Not a big mistake at all. Have fun with the new hobby. Have you checked for photography classes at a local community college. Around here our community colleges offer some adult education classes for beginners in digital photo that meet a couple of Saturdays and the classes are usually around $100 for the 16 hours pf class.



Yeah, I checked, and the two local colleges either offer courses on 35mm only with heavy emphasis on darkroom techniques, or you have to be a matriculated student with prerequisites under your belt to take the fun classes. Nothing in the middle. 

I just invested in "understanding exposure" and a ton of other books, and I'm gonna bury my head in them and the manual for the next couple of months. In the meantime I'll still keep my eyes out for an affordable tutor.


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## GeneralBenson (Dec 12, 2009)

Shelly1204 said:


> Thanks for the help guys. :hug::
> 
> I'm doing lots of research, and trying to learn as much as I can. Looks like I'll go with 3 lenses. the kit lens (28-135mm IS) might as well since it's so cheap with the body; a 17-40 F4 L (was torn between this and a Sigma 10-50mm f2.8); and an 85mm f1.8. I'll save up, and when the weather gets nicer, I'll pick up a 70-200 F4 L.
> 
> ...unless one of you thinks I'm making a big mistake. :lmao:



I would sub out the 85/1.8 for the 50/1.8 or 1.4.  They way you listed it you kind of have a hole in the middle.  Sure you've got the kit lens, but let's just ignore that.  I think that 17-40, 50, 70-200 would be a really nice range to have.  I would also still take a closer look at the Tamron 17-55/2.8 instead of the 17-40/4.  I would say screw the kit lens and just start off with the better stuff.  As soon as you have 17-??, 70-200 and a prime, you'll never want to use the kit lens anyways.


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## chip (Dec 12, 2009)

I know that Canon bundles their 28-135mm lens with their 7D and 50D, but that is really not a good match for the camera. For these 1.6x crop frame cameras, what you are really getting is a 45mm-216mm lens. This is like a normal to a moderate telephoto lens. You will keep wishing you could zoom out more but couldn't and be frustrated with the lens. Is there any wonder it is an EF (full frame) lens and not EF-S (crop frame) lens? I would not buy the 7D with the kit lens at all. Instead I would buy the 7D body only and add a EF-S 15-85mm lens. This lens is a perfect match for the 7D camera.


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## GeneralBenson (Dec 13, 2009)

The bottom line is that, most likely, none of the kit or lower end lenses will be ableto make the most of the pixel density the 7D has to offer.  If you're going to get the 7D, do it justice, and put some decent glass on it.


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## iolair (Dec 13, 2009)

rufus5150 said:


> > I would say that the 50mm focal length on 1.6x cameras, like the 7D, is a bit too narrow for most indoor shooting situations in homes; it's great as a short telephoto at a basketball game, but a 50mm is awfully narrow in a living room or at close distances.
> 
> 
> That's all I used for indoor shooting for a long time. I suppose if you live in a teeeeny tiny house...


I have a 20D, also with the 1.6 crop, and similarly my 50mm rarely leaves the camera.  If you want to group shots or fit in the whole room, that's another matter, but for general life and for portraits, it's great.

My 50mm is the Canon 1.8, but if you can afford it, I think the Sigma 1.4 is the one to go for.


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## Terry W (Dec 13, 2009)

Shelly1204 said:


> I'm new to photography, hoping to make it a new and relaxing hobby. I'm picking up a Canon 7D next week (currently using an Alpha 100). It comes with a 28-135mm IS Lens. What other lens should be my next purchase? I'll mostly be using it indoors, low light to shoot family and to learn on. I'll probably also be using it for video as well. Should I just spend the money on a good flash to use off camera instead? What would you suggest for both?
> 
> Thanks for your help!
> 
> ...


Consider buying the 7d with the EFS 18-135 IS kit lens and waiting until you have a better feel for its limitations for the kind of shooting you are doing before you buy the spendy ones. 18 mm instead of 28 at the wide end is really helpful with the crop sensor Canons. I recently bought that combination, but I have the EFS-18-55 f2.8 lens, and the 50mm 1.8 lens, and the 70-200 IS f2.8 lens. The lens that I had and miss most is the 24-105 f4 L lens.


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## icassell (Dec 13, 2009)

Terry W said:


> Shelly1204 said:
> 
> 
> > I'm new to photography, hoping to make it a new and relaxing hobby. I'm picking up a Canon 7D next week (currently using an Alpha 100). It comes with a 28-135mm IS Lens. What other lens should be my next purchase? I'll mostly be using it indoors, low light to shoot family and to learn on. I'll probably also be using it for video as well. Should I just spend the money on a good flash to use off camera instead? What would you suggest for both?
> ...



The 18-135 is actually the kit that Canon sells with the 7D in Europe.  I don't know why they do it there and not here.


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## Inst!nct (Dec 14, 2009)

/jealous


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## sinjans (Dec 14, 2009)

GeneralBenson said:


> The bottom line is that, most likely, none of the kit or lower end lenses will be ableto make the most of the pixel density the 7D has to offer. If you're going to get the 7D, do it justice, and put some decent glass on it.


 
I agree Benson

Get some good glass or you'll regret it. I certainly do. 

If you insist i will sell you my canon 18-200IS, which is decent at everything but not great at anything


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## Shelly1204 (Dec 19, 2009)

Well, I wound up getting the 18-135 7D kit, since that's what my local store had in stock, and they gave me a great price. I also picked up a 17-40 f4 L, a 50mm f1.4, and a speedlite 580ex II. I'll consider getting some sort of 70-200 lens in the spring when I get comfortable with the glass and camera I already have.

I'm spending some coin on education as well. Picked up "understanding exposure" and a ton of other books I came across as recommended in old posts on this forum, and some DVDs (strobist lighting seminar, Joey Lawrence's sessions and behind the scenes, Onelight DVD, etc.). I'm looking forward to learning what the hell I just bought and how to use it. :lmao:

By the way, thanks to everyone who responded to this post and helped me out. I'm a partner in a law firm in New York, and I do a lot of copyright defense litigation. If you ever have any legal questions, feel free to PM me.


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## j-digg (Dec 19, 2009)

Now thats one hell of a starter set-up! Youll love the hell out of it...Have fun! Love your "Location" btw, lol.


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