Do I need a new lens for my trip?

[dk]

Going to peru next month and am debating whether I need to invest in a new lens to capture some amazing pics, lots of great scenery to shoot including the Uros floating islands and Machu Picchu.

I currently have a Canon 350d
kit lens of 18-55
50mm f1.8
and a 70-200 F4.0 L

Also have a second hand 28080 F3.5-5.6 but its quite old.

Should I invest in anything in particular for all the landscape shots, plus there are a lot of orchids and dragonflies i think where we are staying in the inkaterra hotel.

thanks.

 

[Andy.]

An UWA would be very handy in places like that! Sigma 10-20, Tokina 12-24 or 11-16, Canon 10-22?

 

[182-racing-blue]

SIGMA 10-20 or a 15mm diagonal fisheye or a 8.5mm circular fisheye.

OR do what I did and buy all 3.

 

[dk]

will a 10 be any wider than the 18-55 EF-S lens I have though being as it will be wider than 10 because of the smaller sensor?

 

[dk]

hhhmmmm, what about this, its a 10-22 EF-S lens?

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/product/default.aspx?sku=1005844

 

[dk]

is this the sigma equivalent, so designed to fit the smaller sensor so will actually give me the 10 i need?

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/product/default.aspx?sku=1007710

thanks

 

[Andy.]

The 10-22 is one of the best, it just carries a premium on the price.

The Sigma 10-20 is also good and the Tokinas have superb optics and build. Both come with hoods that the Canon does not.

They are all designed to work on the EFS bodies and will work without any vignetting.

There is a huge difference between 18 and 10, you will be amazed as the extra width!

 

[Andy.]

Here you go, some comparisons on the angles.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/digital-wide-zooms/comparison-angle.htm

18mm:

10mm:

 

[dk]

cool, thanks, the more i think about it, the more i think about upgrading my camera too. Think I've had the 350 d for 2 1/2 years now as the sensor is dirty so it doesn't focus at all points, which is frustrating.

Thought I could upgrade to a 450d, but then i thought it wasn't much of an upgrade so am thinking about getting the 40d with a 10-22 and 17-85 IS for £1299 and £60 cashback.

Then i could use the 350d as a second body to have 2 different lenses available so i don't have to keep changing.

The 40d sounds like a good upgrade to the 350d.

 

[unofficialPete]

You have EXACTLY the same kit I had a year or so ago. Funnily enough the 10-22 was my next purchase.

It is a big jump from 22-70 though if you don't take the kit lens, how much can you afford to re-arrange?!

My ideal travel kit would be..
10-22
24-105 f4L or 24-70 f/2.8
60mm macro
28 f/1.8
430EX flash

edit: the 40D is a massive upgrade from the 350D

 

[Bash]

get a full filter kit, you will be so gald when you get back.

 

[Andy.]

You have EXACTLY the same kit I had a year or so ago. Funnily enough the 10-22 was my next purchase.

It is a big jump from 22-70 though if you don't take the kit lens, how much can you afford to re-arrange?!

My ideal travel kit would be..
10-22
24-105 f4L or 24-70 f/2.8
60mm macro
28 f/1.8
430EX flash

edit: the 40D is a massive upgrade from the 350D

Agreed. You will definitely need something to fill the gap. The 17-55 f2.8 IS is one of the best options for the crop sensors if you can stretch to it.


I also jumped from a 350 to a 40 and love it. Might be worth waiting for the next bunch of cash back offers if you are going to go all out on kit though, i.e. just a lens for the trip, the 350 still takes lovely photos after all.

Canon should have the next assortment of cash backs in the next month or two and you will be looking at 100 off the camera and normally 40-50 on the lenses too. That said, whenever I get it in my head that I want to buy something, I just go and and get it and can't wait.

 

[Andy.]

get a full filter kit, you will be so gald when you get back.

What sort of filters? CPL or a full on ND grad kit etc?

 

[Bash]

As much as you can, three main: ND+1, Polarisation and UV+1. If you can get some star filters CTO, CTB, Minus Green etc.

Just take a look at Blue petes web site through his public profile and u can see the uses of grad nd and Polar. Some of his shots over water are stunning because the Polar is perfect.

 

[McBunny]

dk i think you miss understanding focal lengths on crop bodies and ef ef-s lenses

10mm means the same be it crop or full frame or be it ef or ef-s
all it means that you have to times teh number by 1.6 to get its effective focal length

a 10mm lens on a crop would give the same image as a 16mm lens on a full frame camera and a 10mm lens on a full frame would give the same image
as a 6mm lens on a crop body

 

[McBunny]

oh and id sugest a 10-20 and 17-55 f2.8 IS

 

[unofficialPete]

Just take a look at Blue petes web site through his public profile and u can see the uses of grad nd and Polar. Some of his shots over water are stunning because the Polar is perfect.

Whilst I own a 58mm CPL I don't think its graced any of my dA shots , I've just been using a P-wide angle holder and a Cokin 2 stop medium grad, any shots that might look like a CPL are probably the result of Tone Mapping or HDR.

I would love to have a nice Lee filter kit though. Although try and work out how much time you want to be enjoying yourself vs making it a photographic trip.

 

[Rasclart]

I had a 10-20 Sigma granted on a Nikon but loved it. Stupidly sold it to Clart of here.

 

[Keydogg]

I would go for a Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8. Most sigma owners say the IQ is fantastic, and the build quality is good too. 18mm is wide enough for nice landscapes its just not ultra wide. And you can pick these Sigmas up for £150 on ebay like new (I bought one this week and you would swear its new, it cost £150 buy it now and i can give you the link if needed) and I'm very happy with it!

They RRP about £250, but a well worth investment, good in low light too, just not UWA which I'm not too fussed about tbh.

 

[dk]

You have EXACTLY the same kit I had a year or so ago. Funnily enough the 10-22 was my next purchase.

It is a big jump from 22-70 though if you don't take the kit lens, how much can you afford to re-arrange?!

My ideal travel kit would be..
10-22
24-105 f4L or 24-70 f/2.8
60mm macro
28 f/1.8
430EX flash

edit: the 40D is a massive upgrade from the 350D

Agreed. You will definitely need something to fill the gap. The 17-55 f2.8 IS is one of the best options for the crop sensors if you can stretch to it.


I also jumped from a 350 to a 40 and love it. Might be worth waiting for the next bunch of cash back offers if you are going to go all out on kit though, i.e. just a lens for the trip, the 350 still takes lovely photos after all.

Canon should have the next assortment of cash backs in the next month or two and you will be looking at 100 off the camera and normally 40-50 on the lenses too. That said, whenever I get it in my head that I want to buy something, I just go and and get it and can't wait.

I am the same, once i get it in my head that i might go for something, it takes something pretty major to stop me.

Was thinking about this kit, to go with my 70-200L and 50mm f1.8

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/product/default.aspx?sku=1022918

There is £60 cashback on the 40d at the moment.

Its just that in the back of my mind, I think they might release the 50d next month, which is rumoured to have something silly like a 15.1 mp, with a much better screen etc, but then i know that will be more expensive.

 

[dk]

dk i think you miss understanding focal lengths on crop bodies and ef ef-s lenses

10mm means the same be it crop or full frame or be it ef or ef-s
all it means that you have to times teh number by 1.6 to get its effective focal length

a 10mm lens on a crop would give the same image as a 16mm lens on a full frame camera and a 10mm lens on a full frame would give the same image
as a 6mm lens on a crop body

I was of the thought that the EF-S lenses were designed specifically for the smaller sensor cameras so the 10mm did actually mean 10mm, but if you put a non EF-s lens on it would be 10mm x 1.6?

Thats why the EF-s lenses aren't compatible with full frame bodies?

 

[Pettsi]

If you are going to upgrade to the 40D, and you say the 50D is coming out.. If you wait for the 50D to come out, i rekon the 40D will fall in price a fair bit.

 

[dk]

i really want something for this trip though as its a trip of a lifetime to see one of the new 7 wonders of the world, and somewhere i doubt i will ever go again in my life, so i kind of want to go for it before hand if i am going to buy it this year.

need to pop to jessups at the weekend i think it have a handle of one as its nearly twice as heavy as the 350d.

 

[dk]

does anyone on here have a 40d? and upgraded from a XXXd?

 

[unofficialPete]

I honestly can't see a 50D coming next week, to many fan boys unhappy that it isn't as good as the D300, which costs double, wait another 6 months.


Oh and EF-S lenses still have the same 35mm format ranges, they are just designed to work better with the 1.6 crop sensors, so 10mm with have a 16mm field of view just like a 10mm EF lens.

 

[unofficialPete]

does anyone on here have a 40d? and upgraded from a XXXd?

Yup, got it when the rebates were on about 4 months ago for 520, so cheap that even a 50D wouldn't make the price drop! I actually cringe when I use the 350D, it just feels awful and the AF is naff. The picture quality is pretty much the same but the ergonomics, focus ability and control you have is far far greater and Live View is a nice touch for working out Manual exposure and tripod work.

Could be useful as a back up body, as you say, once in a life time and I'd hate for a body to fail!

 

[ukaskew]

Sigma 10-20 all the way imo, that and a 50mm 1.8 gives me every single shot I've ever wanted when away somewhere...and importantly weighs hardly anything so doesn't get in the way of the trip too much. A lot of pros wouldn't even take 5 lenses on a travel expedition, aside from spending all your time messing around with changing lenses your new camera will be full of dust before you know it.

Not sure if the 70-200 is going with you, but if you did get something along the lines of a 10-20, you would have 10-20, 50 and 70-200 covered and all at pretty darn good quality...more than enough. If I had the money the only thing I would consider on top of that is a new body, mainly so you can take the 350D as a backup.

I love my 80-200 but it weighs 1.55kg and therefore would never even be a consideration when I go on holiday, I've learned to use my 50mm for most situations where I would want my 80-200.

I'm not hot on Canon terminology but what McBunny said sounds right, either way 10mm is going to be miles wider than your 18mm kit lens.

 

[dk]

thanks guys, i think the next step is to take a look at a 40d in the flesh and decide whether i go for the body and lens upgrade or just a lens for now.

I'm really struggling with my 50mm though, just can't seem to get consistent results, keep getting out of focus shots or the focus in the totally wrong point, make me nervous using it as i know my shots are likely to turn out dodgy!

 

[McBunny]

dk i think you miss understanding focal lengths on crop bodies and ef ef-s lenses

10mm means the same be it crop or full frame or be it ef or ef-s
all it means that you have to times teh number by 1.6 to get its effective focal length

a 10mm lens on a crop would give the same image as a 16mm lens on a full frame camera and a 10mm lens on a full frame would give the same image
as a 6mm lens on a crop body

I was of the thought that the EF-S lenses were designed specifically for the smaller sensor cameras so the 10mm did actually mean 10mm, but if you put a non EF-s lens on it would be 10mm x 1.6?

Thats why the EF-s lenses aren't compatible with full frame bodies?

they are designed for crop sensors yes but the only reason they cant be fitted is due to protruding rear elements that would foul the mirror you can fit efs lenses to full frame cameras though with adapters but you get a very hevy vignetted image as teh elements are smaller

but 10 mm means 10mm on everything but if you put it on a crop it will appear to be a 16mm lens

 

[McBunny]

thanks guys, i think the next step is to take a look at a 40d in the flesh and decide whether i go for the body and lens upgrade or just a lens for now.

I'm really struggling with my 50mm though, just can't seem to get consistent results, keep getting out of focus shots or the focus in the totally wrong point, make me nervous using it as i know my shots are likely to turn out dodgy!

its bloody slow at focusing the nifty 50

 

[dk]

I was of the thought that the EF-S lenses were designed specifically for the smaller sensor cameras so the 10mm did actually mean 10mm, but if you put a non EF-s lens on it would be 10mm x 1.6?

Thats why the EF-s lenses aren't compatible with full frame bodies?

they are designed for crop sensors yes but the only reason they cant be fitted is due to protruding rear elements that would foul the mirror you can fit efs lenses to full frame cameras though with adapters but you get a very hevy vignetted image as teh elements are smaller

but 10 mm means 10mm on everything but if you put it on a crop it will appear to be a 16mm lens

think i get it now, my whole concept of ef-s lenses was wrong.

thanks

 

[McBunny]

no worries its a common thing people just assume thats because they are made especially for crop sensors that they must be different but they arnt