What lenses are good enough for the 18mp APS-C sensor? 1000$ limit :)

[RS2021]

Some of his lenses are dated but this link seems to be from a couple of years ago.

 

[Studio1930]

Most of these are good. :

https://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/ef_lens_lineup

 

[ChilledXpress]

Any lens under 1000$ is going to work, the 7D is not a mythical beast that works with only the finest lenses... It all depends on what you need for the job.

Quite a few of these are used and under a thousand... 17-40L, 100L, 300L, 135L, 35L... Sigma 15mm, Sigma 10-20, 40mm pancake, 50 1.4 or 1.8. I use these for work and I have had no problems buying used. So far, knock on wood


Giggity, Giggity... Giggity Goooo!!! by David KM, on Flickr

 

[mrzero]

And the hilarity ensues. I think it's a totally valid question. If L lenses were all $200, everybody would just collect them like stamps and be on their merry way. They aren't, so those of us on a stricter budget wonder what affordable lens will be worth it and what lens won't. I wonder what non-L lenses some of our folks have in their bags that they won't list in their signature, or sold and wish they hadn't.

For wide angle on crop, I really like my 20mm f/2.8. Other full-frame future-proofers go for the 17-40/4L. Neither has the extra wide angle of the 10-22 that everyone lauds.

For a "normal" prime on crop, I just bought a 28mm f/1.8 and I'm happy, although it doesn't get much love on the internets. The older 35 f/2, or the 28 f/2.8, are easier on the budget. I think the 28/1.8 hits the sweet spot of quality full-frame lens, before everyone had to start thinking in terms of two separate lens line-ups.

The 50/1.8, 50/1.4, and 40/2.8 all get excellent reviews (considering their price points). On crop, they are more like portrait lenses than normal. For super-cheap macro, add some fully automatic extension tubes.

For proper macro on a budget, the 100mm f/28 USM produces excellent pictures and doubles as a fast telephoto/portrait lens. No IS, no focus limiter, but full-time manual focus.

I don't know about the higher-level EF-S zooms. They are probably better than the older full frame primes I'm spouting off about, but I like fast lenses that I won't have to resell when I upgrade.

 

[mbpics]

7D classic

Is that what we're calling it now?

 

[sagittariansrock]

Since the overwhelming majority of available lenses perform very well as mentioned in previous posts, I'd mention the only ones I wasn't very impressed with on my 7D (Not that they are bad, just not great). Again, YMMV, and it may have been a copy issue.
1. 28-135mm IS
2. 17-40mm L
3. 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6
4. 50mm f/1.8 I
5. 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS
6. 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS
7. 50mm f/1.4

FYI, these lenses (<$ 1000, at least used) "exceeded expectations"
1. 10-22mm
2. 11-16 Tokina
3. 16-28 Tokina
4. 24-105mm L
5. 70-300mm VC USD Tamron
6. 50mm f/1.8 II
7. 70-300mm L
8. 70-200mm f/4
9. 70-200mm f/4 IS
10. 15-85mm
11. 17-55mm
12. 100mm L

 

[RS2021]

My post was tongue-in-cheek....not to be taken seriously.
For crop sensors I wont hesitate to recommend canon's 28 f1.8 or 50 1.4 ...they also hold their own on full frame.

As so often said here, a picture is more than the lens or resolution of the sensor...people who poo-poo kit zooms even on crops should see some of the excellent images on Flickr from people with limited gear and funds but extraordinary talent and creativity make.

 

[TeenTog]

For sure the 15-85 f/2.5-5.6 IS USM. Its a great focal length for a "walking around" lens in situatioins when you only want to bring one. It's pretty sharp too (For a non-L lens). It's probaby the best bang for your buch in the under $1000 price range. I would also go for the 17-40 f/4L USM if you are into shooting landscapes. Its about $750, and some people even say that its sharper than 'the pricier 16-35. Those are my two best reccomendations for this category.

 

[7enderbender]

I am reading up a lot on this, preparing for purchasing a 7D classic, and everyone seems to agree that the 18mp APS-C sensor is capable of excellent results, providing it is paired with a "good enough lens".

So, my question is: Which lenses ARE good enough for the 18mp APS-C sensor?

Lots of answers are: "L mark II"

So, is it only L mark II that are "good enough" for 7D? Where do you draw the line? At L-glass?
Is the 85mm f1.8 good enough? The 70-300 non-L? the 17-40L?

If someone had a list of "good enough" lenses, I would (and I think others too) appreciate it a lot. Especially where to draw the line. L mark II are WAY out of my budget, so lets set the limit to 1000$.

Which lenses are good enough (sharp and resolving power) for the 18mp APS-C sensor, below 1000$?

Come on! Give me some nice recommendations! (3rd party is fine too)

Like others have said already there is no right or wrong answer here. I would go down the decision tree by starting with what focal length(s) you want, if you like primes or zooms or both, if you're interested in shallow depth of field (and hence want to look at fast primes perhaps) - and then your budget. The whole sharpness and resolving power thing is a bit overrated in my opinion.

There are lots of very affordable options out there. The least rewarding will likely be the cheap do-it-all zooms but you probably already know that. As far as primes go dare I say that ALL Canon EF primes are very good. Same is probably true for the better off-brands such as Sigma. You may even find the occasional cheap Chinese (or whatever) manual focus nugget that is worth playing with.

So it's really more a question what style of photography you want and from there decide if it's worth for you getting one or two of the somehow nicer lenses that are "better" in various ways. It's not just sharpness.