What lens to buy?

edited May 2016 Posted in » Canon T2i Forum
I'm a newbie. Full frame, crop sensor, etc., I don't really get it!
However, my question is what lens to upgrade to for family portraits, newborns and such?
I have the Canon T2i with the kit lens, EFS 55-250mm zoom and 50mm f/1.8 lens. I need some better glass for clarity of images!

A couple of photography friends have raved about the 18-200mm and
35mm 1.4L lenses.

Prime and zoom I know, so I can't compare really, I just really need some direction from a Canon pro. I want clearer pictures!

Thanks!
Lisa



Comments

  • edited May 2016
    Hi,
    Everyone seems to think that there is this magical lens floating in the ether that only real pros know about and it is deliberately kept from the masses for their own good.
    Ok, so there are some great lenses out there, some of which are prohibitively expensive, and some which are reasonably cheap. However, there is one thing they all share in common (please don't share this fact with those who equate equipment with good photos) and that is none of them are perfect. Gasp, horror, zounds and cor blimey!! There, I've let the cat out of the bag and told the truth.
    Many photographers consider a lack of clarity in their pictures to be the fault of the lens. In fact picture clarity has less to do with lenses than you might think.
    Wrong exposure, wrong ISO, wrong composition, and wrong white balance can all make a picture look less than clear. Also consider that people view things differently. What might be a clear picture to you may seem a little soft to me.
    All digital DSLR's these days have settings which affect the way the camera's computer processes the RAW data into a JPG file and these settings can be manipulated by you. The T2i is very easy to get to grips with and it is worth fine tuning some of the settings to your eye (you can always reset them at any time).
    So you want clearer pictures? My question is, "Are you getting the clearest pictures you can with the gear you have got?" The answer is most probably "No you are not."
    The 50mm f/1.8 is an excellent little lens and does offer good glass for its price.
    However, if you want to spend money remember the advantages of primes over zooms is that with zooms some compromises must be made. The latest Sigma f/1.4 is highly rated and at $450 is considerably cheaper than the Canon.
    Sorry this blog has been so long, but I wanted to make it clear that bigger or more expensive lenses do not necessarily give you better results whereas improved technique always will.
    Regards,
    PBked
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