All around lenses for outdoor and indoor photography

HJJ

I'm considering purchasing a Canon 60D and I noticed that I can opt for a kit which includes lenses or I can just purchase the 60D body by itself and purchase the lenses separately. Being a beginner, I don't know what type of photography I will eventually prefer to focus on.

I was wondering if you could give me some guidance on a good all around lens for outdoor photography (pics of landscapes, motorcycles or anything else I see that's interesting). Also what would be a good all around lense for indoor photography (mostly of family and friends).

I read a previous article on here where you recommended the Tamron 18-270mm to someone for outdoor shots. Do you think that would be good for my application? Thank you in advance for your help!

Moose

Howdy @HJJ - Yep, the Tamron 18-270mm (see here) is a fantastic all-in-one lens allowing you to capture everything from landscapes, motorcycles and distant subjects outdoors in bright light. It comes quipped with vibration compensation (image stabilization) and efficient focusing (Piezo drive focus motor).

If you don't have the budget for the 18-270mm, you could go with the cheaper alternative the Tamron 18-200mm (see here). It doesn't have image stabilization or fast focusing and you lose a bit of zoom (200mm vs 270mm), but for the price it's an excellent choice if you're looking to capture a wide range of shots outdoors in bright light.

As for indoor photography, it's important to choose a lens with a maximum aperture between f/1.2 to f/2.8, like the "nifty fifty" Canon EF 50mm f/1.8.

This lens will allow you to obtain faster shutter speeds at lower ISO's, which equals sharper shots with less image noise (grain). It'll also give you the ability to capture an extremely shallow depth of field (small area in focus), isolating subjects against blurry backgrounds (great for portraits).

Hope that all makes sense and happy shooting! :)

HJJ

Thanks Moose! Much appreciated. Just ordered both of them. Appreciate your forum. I'm sure we will speak again.

Moose

@HJJ - Glad I could help. :)

Reagan

I'm a beginner with my 60D and I bought the Canon 50mm f/1.4, choosing to spend the extra money over the 50mm f/1.8. Mainly because of sharper glass and better build quality, in addition to the lower f/stop.

I feel like it was a good decision and have seen some wonderful shots come from this lens, even in Auto mode, as well as Aperture priority and Shutter priority. Several times I've looked at my pictures and thought "Wow, how did I do that?"

Moose

@Reagan - Thanks for sharing! :)