Lens Selection Help

[cpcw06]

Hey all, new guy here! I'm looking for advise on selecting a new lens or 2 for an upcoming trip to Disney and to use as general purpose walkaround lenses. I will mostly be photographing my wife and 6 month old daughter. I have thought about getting a fast wide prime to try and take photos on some of the dark rides like the Haunted Mansion. I have a Canon t4i (I am very aware of the crop factor already thanks) with the kit 18-55, 55-250 IS II, 100mm macro, and 40mm pancake. I would like to keep my walkaround kit to 2 lenses. I've been looking at soo many different options, watching youtube reviews, and reading other threads on here that my eyes are starting to bleed.

For zoom lenses I've been looking at:

Canon 16-35mm f/4L

Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 (nervous about the reported focus issues)

Canon 24-70 f/4L

For primes I've been looking at:

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC HSM

Canon 35 f/2 IS

Canon 50 f/1.8 STM (it is cheap and get great reviews, so why not!)

Any help is much appreciated! Thanks

 

[bholliman]

With four kids, I've had plenty of theme park experience to work out the best kit. For my full frame bodies the 35 f/2 IS and 70-200/2.8 II are a great combo. The prime with IS works great in dark rides and 35mm is nice for group or environmental shots. The 70-200 gets the most use with the kids on rides as you need some reach. Ocasionally, I'll substitute a 100mm macro or 135L for the zoom when I want to go lighter.

With your T4i, my suggestion would be to go with your 55-250 and pick up one of the new EF-S 24mm pancakes. Similar to 35mm on full frame and is really small and light. Not sure if f/2.8 is quite fast enough for the dark rides however. The 50 STM is a great little lens and would also be a nice option for something faster.

 

[The Supplanter]

The 18-35 is a fast and extremely sharp lens. It is my event and walk-around lens. I haven't had problems with the AF.
The 50 STM is a no-brainer. Cheap and pretty darn good optically. Makes a nice portrait lens on crop cameras.

 

[jd7]

If you're looking for a general purpose zoom, what about the Canon 17-55 2.8 IS? There is the 15-85 as well, but I think you'd probably prefer the larger aperture of the 2.8 for low light and for portraits. I think I would be choosing between the 17-55 and the Tamron 18-35.

 

[Don Haines]

If you're looking for a general purpose zoom, what about the Canon 17-55 2.8 IS? There is the 15-85 as well, but I think you'd probably prefer the larger aperture of the 2.8 for low light and for portraits. I think I would be choosing between the 17-55 and the Tamron 18-35.

I would also say go for the 17-55. There are lots of times when you need a fast lens (indoors, at night, etc). It's a good walk about lens..... You might want to think about a polarizing filter as well....

I have the Sigma 30F1.4.... It's a good lens, very fast, but I don't use it a lot (but that's just me)

 

[cpcw06]

If you're looking for a general purpose zoom, what about the Canon 17-55 2.8 IS? There is the 15-85 as well, but I think you'd probably prefer the larger aperture of the 2.8 for low light and for portraits. I think I would be choosing between the 17-55 and the Tamron 18-35.

The reason I'm not really looking at the 17-55 or the 15-85 is that they are only EF-S lenses and they cost just as much as the L lenses I am looking at. I do plan to upgrade to a full frame body in a year or two, so I am trying to think ahead. 18-35 is just so tempting because of all the great reviews (ignoring the focus issues).

 

[aroo]

The new 50mm 1.8 could be a good choice. Helps keep shutter speed fast for moving subjects. Nice balance on the relatively light camera you have.
A wide angle will really help document your trip. 17-40L is quite a wonderful lens outdoors on a sunny day. Color and clarity make for much nicer pictures than the kit lens. Very light to carry around. It doesn't have IS, but also works great on FF.
Agree on bringing your 55-250!

 

[ajfotofilmagem]

For the dark places you describe the combination Sigma 18-35mm Art + Canon 50mm STM looks perfect.

I would like to Canon EF-S18mm F1.8 or EF-S22mm F1.4, but there is no such lens. There is a Samyang 16mm F2, but only manual focus.

I have Sigma 30mm Art and like it, but it is often not sufficiently wide angle.

 

[jd7]

If you're looking for a general purpose zoom, what about the Canon 17-55 2.8 IS? There is the 15-85 as well, but I think you'd probably prefer the larger aperture of the 2.8 for low light and for portraits. I think I would be choosing between the 17-55 and the Tamron 18-35.

The reason I'm not really looking at the 17-55 or the 15-85 is that they are only EF-S lenses and they cost just as much as the L lenses I am looking at. I do plan to upgrade to a full frame body in a year or two, so I am trying to think ahead. 18-35 is just so tempting because of all the great reviews (ignoring the focus issues).

For what it's worth, as someone who used a 24-70 2.8 on a crop camera for a long time before getting a 17-55, because I planned to upgrade to a full frame camera some day, I can only say I wish I'd bought the 17-55 instead of the 24-70. I found it a much more versatile lens on crop. In my case I finally did make the switch to full frame only about a year later, but even so I'm glad to have had the 17-55 for that year. My father has the lens now and it's his favourite and most used lens.

 

[Zv]

If you're looking for a general purpose zoom, what about the Canon 17-55 2.8 IS? There is the 15-85 as well, but I think you'd probably prefer the larger aperture of the 2.8 for low light and for portraits. I think I would be choosing between the 17-55 and the Tamron 18-35.

The reason I'm not really looking at the 17-55 or the 15-85 is that they are only EF-S lenses and they cost just as much as the L lenses I am looking at. I do plan to upgrade to a full frame body in a year or two, so I am trying to think ahead. 18-35 is just so tempting because of all the great reviews (ignoring the focus issues).

The 18-35 is also a crop lens only. Won't work on FF. I loved my 17-55 when I had my 7D. It was one of the sharpest, fastest focusing and versatile lenses ever. It was hard parting with it! That image stabilized f/2.8 focal range is hard to find on crop.

My vote is for 17-55 with 50 STM to add to what you already have.

 

[jd7]

If you're looking for a general purpose zoom, what about the Canon 17-55 2.8 IS? There is the 15-85 as well, but I think you'd probably prefer the larger aperture of the 2.8 for low light and for portraits. I think I would be choosing between the 17-55 and the Tamron 18-35.

The reason I'm not really looking at the 17-55 or the 15-85 is that they are only EF-S lenses and they cost just as much as the L lenses I am looking at. I do plan to upgrade to a full frame body in a year or two, so I am trying to think ahead. 18-35 is just so tempting because of all the great reviews (ignoring the focus issues).

The 18-35 is also a crop lens only. Won't work on FF. I loved my 17-55 when I had my 7D. It was one of the sharpest, fastest focusing and versatile lenses ever. It was hard parting with it! That image stabilized f/2.8 focal range is hard to find on crop.

My vote is for 17-55 with 50 STM to add to what you already have.

In my view, the ability to use EF-S lenses (especially 17-55 and 15-85; I haven't used the Sigma 18-35 1.8 but it sounds great too) is one of the benefits of having a crop camera. If you just want reach then putting an EF telephoto on a crop camera may make sense, but if you want wider focal lengths on a crop camera, I think you are better served by EF-S lenses (suitable focal lengths, size, weight and generally cost too). Unfortunately, there are no EF-S fast wide primes though.

 

[candc]

The sigma 18-35 is the best zoom for aps-c made so far. It gives you that ff look with a crop body. You can get good deals on the 50l now. Its a fantastic lens and looks super cool on a rebel.

 

[bluenoser1993]

If you're looking for a general purpose zoom, what about the Canon 17-55 2.8 IS? There is the 15-85 as well, but I think you'd probably prefer the larger aperture of the 2.8 for low light and for portraits. I think I would be choosing between the 17-55 and the Tamron 18-35.

The reason I'm not really looking at the 17-55 or the 15-85 is that they are only EF-S lenses and they cost just as much as the L lenses I am looking at. I do plan to upgrade to a full frame body in a year or two, so I am trying to think ahead. 18-35 is just so tempting because of all the great reviews (ignoring the focus issues).

The 18-35 is also a crop lens only. Won't work on FF. I loved my 17-55 when I had my 7D. It was one of the sharpest, fastest focusing and versatile lenses ever. It was hard parting with it! That image stabilized f/2.8 focal range is hard to find on crop.

My vote is for 17-55 with 50 STM to add to what you already have.

I have often been tempted to switch my 17-55 for the 18-35 but in the end I can't give up the IS. You get some more shutter speed with the 1.8, but if you look at the attached picture shot at 17mm, 3200ISO, 1/30, and 2.8 you can see that even slight misalignment to the plane of focus has the houses on the right side less sharp at 2.8. Nothing special about the picture, but it is a keep sake for my twins birthday that I couldn't have done hand held without IS and my shaky hands.

 

[unfocused]

Everyone's opinion and needs differs.

The EF-S 15-85mm is the best walk-around lens for crop bodies in my opinion. The extra 2mm at the wide end and the extra 30mm at the long end are significant. For a family vacation, you don't want to spend a lot of time changing lenses. With the 15-85mm, you can shoot 90% of the trip without ever changing lenses. When you need to go longer, you can use the 55-250, but you won't need it often.

 

[tolusina]

For a Disney trip?
t4i plus 40mm pancake, leave the rest at home.
In the Haunted Mansion and other dark places, will the ride be stopping along the way for photo ops?

Everything else at Disney has been seen by millions, photographed by thousands, maybe tens or hundreds of thousands. Pretty unlikely you'll get much, if any, in the way of unique shots.

What will be unique to your Disney visit will be the presence of you and yours, the moments you experience together. Keep your attention there.
Don't bog your self and your family down with heavy, bulky, elaborate gear, keep it simple.

Set your t4i for Back Button Focusing if you haven't already, practice before the trip.
Use a Cap Keeper to the camera strap, use a simple, logo free strap.
Keep the gear as simple and trouble free as possible.

Have fun, ask the family to be mostly always ready for a moment's pause for photos, get moving again as soon as you can.
---
40 or 50 STM?
I have both and the plastic fantastic 50.
40 is my go to, probably 98%+. This choice was highly influenced by CR member Sporgon's recommendations and most especially his impressive portfolio.
I choose a 50 1.8 only when I'm shooting in darkness on a tripod and then only for the brighter finder.

 

[privatebydesign]

Whilst the 40 is a great lens and I 100% agree on KISS, as a Disney lens on a crop camera it just won't cut it, wide is the answer.

I find my EOS-M and 22 are pretty much perfect for Disney, small and light but great IQ and wide enough, bearing that in mind I recommend the 24mm pancake at $149 and be done with it.

 

[Zv]

Whilst the 40 is a great lens and I 100% agree on KISS, as a Disney lens on a crop camera it just won't cut it, wide is the answer.

I find my EOS-M and 22 are pretty much perfect for Disney, small and light but great IQ and wide enough, bearing that in mind I recommend the 24mm pancake at $149 and be done with it.

I somewhat agree in that this is likely what the M was intended for - light, casual shooting with minimal size and weight but still all of the good image quality from APS-C. It is almost my choice for this kinda thing except the AF is a little bit slow for anything that moves erratically - like kids. Maybe the M10 fixes some of that? I'm hoping the next iteration of the smaller Ms (M, M2 & M10) is snappy enough to finally be used in this capacity.

But yeah the 24mm pancake on a t4i should do it to capture some Disney fun times!

 

[Zv]

I'm gonna add some practical shooting tips for OP too that might be useful on a trip like this to avoid missed shots.

1. Keep to one lens, something wide and fast seems to be the popular vote. You can always crop a bit later. 35mm equivalent is just right IMO.

2. Put a clear filter on the end of the lens and leave lens cap at home

3. Put a microfiber cloth in the pocket just incase of any fingerprints etc.

4. Leave your camera switched on, short image review time, auto screen off enabled to save power. This way you'll be ready to shoot by just half pressing the shutter. Take spare batteries.

5. Use a blackrapid strap as they are really easy to walk with and you can quickly detach the camera body from it. Those standard straps just cut you up.

6. Use back button focus with AI Focus and continuous shooting (burst mode) that way you're ready for anything that moves or is still. Tv mode and auto ISO can also be useful here. Set the shutter speed to something high to freeze the action. I also like to set exposure comp to about +2/3 EV as I know my camera tends to play it safe and underexposes.

7. Change AF point selection to manual and select the center AF point. Get familiar with changing the AF point using the dials. Auto selection tends to focus on the nearest object to the camera which isn't always what you want. There will inevitably be heads in front of you!

This kinda stuff gets you more keepers and in the end that's what it's all about. Even with the kit lens you can get some great shots with practice and good technique. Not saying that you haven't got good technique just that sometimes practical changes to shooting style can be more useful than simply buying a new lens.

 

[Don Haines]

Take spare batteries.

That is the best advice in the entire thread!

You WILL drain a battery in a day. Bring along a spare battery and make sure you get everything charged upo at night.

Don't forget to bring enough memory cards.....

 

[Sporgon]

---
40 or 50 STM?
I have both and the plastic fantastic 50.
40 is my go to, probably 98%+. This choice was highly influenced by CR member Sporgon's recommendations and most especially his impressive portfolio.
I choose a 50 1.8 only when I'm shooting in darkness on a tripod and then only for the brighter finder.

Thanks for that compliment Tolusina, but how did you get all my images from CR on one menu !? I had no idea I had uploaded so many over the years ! That was quite neat being able to go through what I have posted, though it made me realise that all my images are produced on a screen with luminosity set for printing. When I looked at then on an over bright iPad it killed some of them.

The 40 pancake is a great little lens; very good value and very discrete. On a crop it becomes a 64 mil FOV which in itself can produce pleasing perspective from that shooting distance, but I agree with private that it's not practical as a single walk about lens on crop. In this case I too would use the 24 mil EF-s pancake that is as good as the 40, and again great value.

However given the price and size of these lenses - they really do go in a normal pocket - I would take the 24 and the 40 pancake. Then if you felt like it you could use the 40 for a better perspective on people etc. People say that 64 mil is an 'odd' FOV, but for anything you'd normally use a 50 or 85 for (talking FF) I find 60 - 70 to be excellent. My issue with the 85 mil focal length is that it's still too short for a pleasing perspective on a tight head portrait; ideally you are better using it with a looser framing from further away, and if that's the case why not use a shorter focal length anyway which is more flexible?

Also from a personal point of view I just like carrying a camera who's lens is smaller and lighter than the body - it just balances so well.