Just picked up a 7D

[zhaoqingMal]

I've been looking at getting a new camera for ages to replace my Olympus E-410, and to complement my EOS-M. I went into my local Suning electronics store and saw that they had the original 7D on special offer, along with the EF 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 and a free bag, so I jumped on it there and then. I must say, it's a massive leap from what I've been using, and the price was just right (1000RMB cheaper than the 70D). I'm really looking forward to taking it out, since my son's kindergarten has a Christmas performance next week.

Now, I just need to save up for some L glass! What would you guys suggest, with my interest being mainly portraits. 70-200? 135 prime? I'm also looking into getting the battery grip for it. I had a play with the 1DX in the Canon store in Hong Kong (Times Square) last week, and loved the size and weight of it.

Cheers,
Malcolm

 

[Ryan85]

I've been looking at getting a new camera for ages to replace my Olympus E-410, and to complement my EOS-M. I went into my local Suning electronics store and saw that they had the original 7D on special offer, along with the EF 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 and a free bag, so I jumped on it there and then. I must say, it's a massive leap from what I've been using, and the price was just right (1000RMB cheaper than the 70D). I'm really looking forward to taking it out, since my son's kindergarten has a Christmas performance next week.

Now, I just need to save up for some L glass! What would you guys suggest, with my interest being mainly portraits. 70-200? 135 prime? I'm also looking into getting the battery grip for it. I had a play with the 1DX in the Canon store in Hong Kong (Times Square) last week, and loved the size and weight of it.

Cheers,
Malcolm

Congratulations on the new camera! Now for that camera remember it's a crop sensor so whatecer lens you get you'll multiply by 1.6. So a 100mm lens will be 160mm on your camera. The 70-200 2.8L IS 2 is my favorite portriat lens. Its also a great lens for everything.!It's spendy so if you need to save for it I'd strongly recommend gettkng the 50 1.8. It's 100 dollars and very sharp. That'll be good for portriats until you save for the L glass. Also the canon 85 1.8 is a awsome lens for around 400 dollars. It focuses very fast and is very sharp. Another great lens is the canon 100 2.8L macro lens. It's a great lens. So sharp and it's good for portriats and macro. The 135 you mentioned is a great lens but a little long on a crop sensor for portriats IMO. Hope that helps enjoy!

 

[nc0b]

I hope you do better than I with the 28-135mm. I had two of them and the IS failed on both. The gyros would start to chatter and totally blow the image quality. One was purchased new 8 years ago, and the other came with a used body I wanted. I have four other IS lenses, and none of them have ever had a problem of any kind.

 

[nc0b]

Shooting events indoors will likely mean your zoom at 135mm is going to be awfully slow. When I shoot dance events I use my 70-200m f/2.8 IS II. Of course it cost more than any of my bodies. I have the same problem with my only EF-S lens, a 15-85mm. It is a good lens, but not indoors on my 40D or 60D, nor likely on your 7D. Grips on my 5D and 40D allow me to shoot all day without worrying about running out of battery. Of course the vertical shutter release is a nice feature, too. On the other hand when I was in South America I needed to keep the bulk and weight down, so I took a non-gripped 6D with 24-105mm and 60D with 70-200 f/4 IS. In low light it is hard to beat a 6D and the f2.8 zoom.

 

[CanadianInvestor]

70-200 f/2.8 L IS II USM hands down will get you great mileage on your new acquisition. Two things to bear in mind, 'though: You'll toss aside your 28-135 which is such a mediocre lens once you see the output of the proposed glass. Secondly, it is a beast so a tripod may be in order for your studio portraits.

Good luck and post some pics for us, please, when you have the time.

 

[Dutchy]

I'd try to sell the 28-135 while it is still "only taken out of the box to test" and get a "bulk" 24-105L. That'll get you sorted in pretty much the whole "walkaround" lens range. I used it a lot on my 7D, very nice range and with the lens profile adjustments enabled in Lightroom the wicked barrel distortion at 24mm is easily fixed.

From there you will need to see what it is you miss the most: wide angle, you could think of a EF-S10-18, EF-S 10-22 or one of the 16-35L's (ranging from $ to $$$$) or tele, one of the 70-200L's would take care of that (also offering you a four-step price range).

 

[Ryan85]

If you decide to replace the 28-135 lens the canon EF-S 17-55 2.8 IS has very good reviews. It's a consistent 2.8 aperture through the whole zoom range. And it's made for crop sensor cameras. Your 28-135 is a ok all purpose lens. These others we've recomended are better. Now for just shooting your son and doing hobyiest photography the 28-135will be fine. But once you have the money or want to upgrade there's good choices people have posted. I'd still grap a canon 50 1.8 asap for 100 dollars. It'll work great for portriats of your son and is vey good indoors

 

[lintoni]

I hope you do better than I with the 28-135mm. I had two of them and the IS failed on both. The gyros would start to chatter and totally blow the image quality. One was purchased new 8 years ago, and the other came with a used body I wanted. I have four other IS lenses, and none of them have ever had a problem of any kind.

I had one of them for 12 years, for 11 of those it was my general purpose/walk around lens and it never missed a beat. The lens creep was a bit annoying though.

Gave it to a friend last year, and it's still going strong.

 

[BozillaNZ]

A good copy of EF 50 1.4 will be a very good portait / medium tele for the 7D.

Also I found 24mm on APS-C a natural perspective for me to record indoor events. My 24L II and 50 1.4 are the two lens that stays on the 7D 95% of the time.

Also a 100mm MACRO serves as a dual propose portait / macro lens.

So here you go: 24mm, 50mm, 100mm, you can never go wrong with this combination. For ultra wide landscape, check out the new EF-s 10-18mm IS STM. Very cheap but really, really nice.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I'd only purchase L lenses where there is no high quality crop lens available. This usually means telephoto lenses.


A 17-55mm IS, or a 15-85mm IS make good general purpose lenses, a 28-135mm lens on a 7D makes no sense at all for a general purpose lens. I'm glad Canon stopped selling those with the new 7d MK II. I've has many of the 18-135mm lenses over the years that came with crop bodies as kit lenses. I sold them all for more than my cost, and used the proceeds to buy a lens of a proper focal length.

I'm not saying that L lenses don't work well on crop bodies, just that you are not getting the benefits from spending all that money. A 24-70mm f/2.8L is a wonderful lens, but is not the right choice of focal length where a 15-85mm or a 17-55mm is just right.

if you want wide angle, something like a EF-s 10-22mm is a good choice.

Pair a 15-85mm with a 70-300mmL and you have great coverage for outdoor use. Then a prime in the 28-35mm range will give you a good low light normal focal length capability.

 

[zhaoqingMal]

Thanks for the suggestions. I was certainly considering the 50mm 1.8 since it's so cheap and gets decent reviews. As for the 70-200, I simply cannot afford the 70-200 2.8 IS II, so my choices are the f/4IS and the f/2.8 non-IS. From the reviews, both seem to be excellent, and where I am they are almost exactly the same price. I've been using a 40-150mm on my old Olympus with a 2x FOVCF, and that lens doesn't have IS, so for that reason I've been leaning towards the non-IS 2.8.
What would you guys suggest?

 

[wickidwombat]

on the 7D i would go with the sigma 18-35 f1.8 first as a general zoom
if you are in any doubt how good this lens is on a 7D have a look at the lens sample section and see
the images people have posted there. I don't have the lens but if i did have a crop i would have that lens
http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=17472.0

also for wide angle i suggest the 11-22 on your eos M the M will do slightly better at landscapes than the 7D
since it seems a bit better IQ wise and the 11-22 is an amazing lens
(I had to order mine from japan and have shipped to china but it was only about 2200 RMB so not too bad but well worth it)
for longer low light and portraits have a good look at the canon 85 f1.8 it is really really good value for money and should go well on the 7D it doesn't have IS though another really good option for lots of stuff on a crop is the 100 f2.8L IS macro AF speed is a bit slower but there is alot this lens can do.

I actually use my 135 f2L more than i use the 100L though but its too long for indoors generally but out doors its great and works wonderfully on the eos M too

 

[greger]

Congratulations on buying the 7D. I like mine and am very happy with it and the pics that I have taken with it. The 70-200 2.8 IS USM ll is an ideal lens to go with the 7D. IS's a must. Some people can handhold lenses and cameras in a windstorm and get sharp, crisp images. I need IS. I shoot hand held pics with the 50 mm 1.8 and they turn out fine as long as I use a fast enough shutter speed. I have turned IS off on my 70-200 f4 IS USM lens and the results went into the Trash.
You may have been using your 410 without IS but time catches up to us and IS becomes a necessity. I bought my f4 IS lens before the 2.8 came out with IS and wasn't cost effective at that time. I put the money I saved on buying a 1.4 Extender which worked fine. The 2X not so much. Images were too soft compared to the 1.4.
Get the new 100-400 4.5-5.6 vs ll. It will be fine for Portraits in good light and for sports. It's my go to lens for BIF and things just out of reach for the 70-200's. Try the lens in the store before you buy. Good Luck in your lens purchases.

 

[Kmccarthy]

I would start with these two lenses. They will give you a huge range (24-480mm equivalent) with great image quality. I suggest buying them used if you want to save some money.
EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM

 

[sanj]

You do not necessarily need L glass. There are several nice non L lenses from Canon and other companies.

 

[Dfunk99]

I have had the 28-135IS since 2003 when I bought my EOS-3, & have had No problems with mine at all(sometimes it will hunt at 28mm), but it saved me when my 24-105L died & had to go back to Canon for repair. I have used it on my 300D, 30D, 50D & a rented 6D & it performed the Best on the 6D. I would buy the 50mm 1.8 over the 50mm 1.4 any day! Mine just recently died(paid $69.99 for it New in 2003). I have a friend who has the 50mm 1.4 & he Loved it, until it started having focus issues after about a year. I would also buy the 17-40L over the 17-55mm 2.8IS Any day! Just my 2 cents worth. Enjoy your new purchases!

 

[StudentOfLight]

The Canon f/2.8 L portrait zooms are the best in their class but can be expensive. There are some other options for general portrait photography like the Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 VC USD. This is a very handy focal length for portraiture on a crop body and it has VC which is quite useful when you're using the 70mm end with a moderate shutter speed. You could pair that with a fast prime like the 85mm f/1.8 or 100mm f/2 for tighter portraits or headshots. Test these lenses out if you are on a tight budget and can't afford Canon's f/2.8 L zooms. If you decide to upgrade to full frame further down the line then these lenses will look and perform even better than on crop...

From a medium~ to long-term utility perspective these options are good, plus their lower replacement cost will help keep your insurance premiums down. It's worth considering these options if the ultimate L-glass is out of your reach.

P.S. I'd also highly recommend getting a good external flash for portrait photography.