I'm not planning to have a collection of 5+ different lenses.. I can list the following as the order of priorities

1) sharp
2) wide > telephoto
3) zoom
4) bokeh



Type of lenses I'm considering
- 35 1.4
- 16-35 2.8
- 24-70 (discontinued one)



If you guys have some inputs on above lenses, please share your thoughts =) If you have any other lens I should consider, do let me know as well.

edit: I'm trying to get a single lens at the moment. Second lens will have to come later this year or early next year.

 

of the ones you listed, I'd go with the 24-70 for all around purposes (since it's a FF body we're talking about), just my

 

if you're only looking to get one lens right now, I would suggest the 24-105.

the 24-70 is too heavy and cumbersome for daily use. and with the 5D2's excellent high ISO performance, you don't have to worry about not having the f/2.8

 

do you have any experience with the 24-105 Rubin? I know you have the 24-70 and were complaining about weight recently. I found myself pondering the 24-70/105 decision this morning.

 

it was the lens I got along with my first 5D, in late 2006. I used it for 2 years and then got the 24-70, thinking that would give me better nightclub photos (because it was a faster lens). That was then. Knowing what I know now, I would have been just fine with the 24-105 for any kind of work. But at the time I just didn't know. It was a great lens, light and had a great range - and IS was nice as well. I would recommend that over the 24-70 to anyone looking to get a full-frame. (Right now I am primarily using the 17-40 (f/4.0) for club use and it's working just fine.)

 

cool, I'm thinking I'll pick up one of those two, probably the 24-105 now, then maybe an 85 and a long zoom later.

Do you use the 17-40 much for landscape?

 

17-40 is a marvelous lens for landscape. it has some incredibly low distortion from certain angles. here is a shot with zero distortion-correction, for instance.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/delobbo/7291186502/http://www.flickr.com/photos/delobbo/7291186502/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/delobbo/, on Flickr

of course if you do it at certain angles looking up or looking down you will get wild distortion but that's expected. Shoot on a level plane and the verticals are just great.

And very easy on the checkbook!

 

btw congrats on the 5Dc!

but now I don't feel special anymore.

 

Thanks! I figured it was time to step out of the dark ages. I'm picking it up tomorrow afternoon


very nice picture! I was pretty impressed with the price point for them. I may just go with that since I really dont need the long reach too often.

 

if you don't feel like you will need the reach that is fine, but I will tell you this, there's been more than a few times where I've felt the 40mm was just not enough (on the 5D). That's why I very much enjoyed having the 7d + 24-70 in the past events I've done.

have you considered picking up a used 24-105?

 

I ment that I would pick up the 24-105, and the 17-40. I will probably buy them both used.

I'm going to likely put off the 70-200 until last. Ive shot for about 5 years now with nothing longer than 60MM on a crop and only a few times have I wished I had more reach

 

oh nice. those are two great lenses to have on FF.

 

I should say, the 17-40 is also a marvelous lens for cropped. 24mm feels cramped on cropped, IMO.

 

I guess that really depends on what youre shooting. I rarely have to pull my 10-20 out of the bag now

 

agreed it does depend on what you're shooting.

 

24-105 and 17-40 are both f/4.. meaning it will almost require me to buy flash for indoor shooting..

i should probably get flash eventually though



by the way, how's 24-70's bokeh at 70mm wide open?

 

24-105 has image stabilization though

 

true..

I've had IS glass before and they're quite nice..

 

Here's another vote for 24-105 f4L IS. We currently have two of them, one of which is getting listed somewhere for sale soon.

My favorite landscape lens is the 17-40 by far, it's an amazing lens!

 

If you mean shooting an indoor event like a party or something, you need a flash for f/2.8 as well, to light up the subjects faces. Well, unless you plan on asking everyone stand in the light - in which case, f/4.0 would work as well.

 

I bought the camera mainly for my daughter (wifey into 6th month pregnancy)

so, indoor meaning at my place rather than a party


so, you guys who voted for 24-105 would say the sharpness is about par against 24-70?

 

oh ok. still, with the high ISO quality of the 5D2, you can get good indoor shots at f/4.0 - but you would have more artistic feel at 2.8.

Honestly though my opinion, if you want to get artsy bokehlicious indoor shots with natural light, get a 50 1.4 - Sigma optimally, or the Canon (or whatever fast glass like that).

I've never been able to tell a difference between shots from the 24-70 and 24-105, sharpness wise. If there's any difference, it's unnoticeable.

 

I see. I asked my friend to bring his 24-70 to work and I just put it on my camera. Man, this thing is heavy...

Maybe I will just get the new pancake lens and call it a day haha



Regarding 50mm, I'm not a big fan of that focal length.. but I've been mainly using that on cropped body in the past, so I will have to see. Regardless, 50.4 is like the crappiest motor of all canon EF lens or something. My gf had it for a while until she decided to throw it out after she had to send it out 4th time to canon. I did little research on sigma 50mm and it seems on and off. Some say canon is superior to sigma and vise versa. I will need more opinions and research on 50.4.

 

50 on cropped is not too fun. 50 on FF is AMAZING. when I had mine I used to just leave that on the camera for weeks on end... I will be getting another one soon. I never had a problem with my 50 1.4, it sounds like you got a bad copy (?).

the new pancake would be quite nice as well! I can't get over these people saying it's "too small" for a DSLR and that Canon needs a body to go with it? wtf are these people talking about. I'd LOVE to have a small quality lens on the camera, it would make it so portable!

yeah the 24-70 is heavy - not fun to lug around a lot. the 24-105 in addition to being light is also quite compact for the range you get.

 

I guess 24-105 + flash instead of 24-70 might do haha


Is there any links to the 40mm sample photos?

 

using a flash at f/4.0 is not a substitute for using f/2.8 without flash.. not sure where you are getting that idea from.

I have yet to see any 40mm sample photos..

 

in terms of DOF?

 

DOF would be different, but again not sure how that relates to using a flash

you're going to have a very much different look on the photo, f/2.8 no flash vs f/4.0 with flash. f/2.8 with flash would look similar to 4.0 with flash, the DOF would be respectively shallower.

 

Oh I totally understand the effect of flash and was not directly comparing to the aperature in terms of speed/dof..

It was more of a price comparison given they are on similar level of sharpness stated by you..

 

ok. I misunderstood you then. did I answer your question(s)?

 

yes sir

 

I had 24-105 before and loved it.

Out of those lenses, go with 24-70.
We (our company) just bought 5D mark ii with 24-70 (Tamron, AF ftw), & 17-40mm L.

I will let you know how Tamron 24-70 goes before you get your Canon 24-70.

 

^ cool. I just borrowed 24-70 from my friend and testing it out this weekend at a company party (hopefully my brother let me borrow his flash)

 

oh and i will get my hands on 35.4 this weekend as well

 

That is a nice lens.

 

Few years back when I had 40D, I got my hands on my brother's 5D (original one) and his 35.4. Oh man, I felt that was the perfect combination for one body + one lens combination. That's why I listed 35.4 above as an option.

I'd love to get a prime lens for sure.. but I feel like I'm going to regret not getting a zoom lens..

So far, it's coming down to either 24-70 or 35.4

 

If your primary to reason to shoot with, is people, I'd get the 35mm 1.4. It is great for other, but I love what it does with people, but you will have to be closer, than you might want. I know that's a little abnormal for me to say about this focal length.


You'll get both in your hands to figure it out.

 

Primary reason by the year end would be my upcoming baby..