last minute woes - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

01/10/2007 05:21:07 AM · #1

I know this has been asked a zillion times but I need some last minute advice. I researched for the last 6 months and am finally in the position to buy my first dSLR. Trust when I say I have read everything I can get my hands on and looked at hundreds of photos taken with particular lenses. I have done my homework, but still coming up short on answers. I am going with the 30D, that much I know without a doubt. The lenses, well that's where my trouble's at.

I want to shoot landscape so I am leaning towards the 17-40.

The trouble is that I also want to shoot architecture and church interiors and I am worried the f4 isn't enough. Will the ISO make the difference? The 24-70 is faster I know, but I am wondering about the weight because I am a bit of a weakling and the body is going to be heavy enough already.
Then there's the 24-105 and I'm really interested in IS because I find myself shooting handheld a lot but again worry about the f4 and with this one is it really wide enough for landscape and interiors.

Budget isn't so much of an issue but I am trying to go with something covered under the rebate that ends this Sat. I plan to buy at least one more lens plus all the accessories within 3 months, but I am really agonizing over what to get first. I have been leaning towards zooms but plan on a 50 prime with the next purchase. 70-200 4 IS is most likely next too, but not on the rebate so not a candidate for my first purchasee.

Here's the link to the Canon rebate.
//downloads.canon.com/cpr/software/camera/rebate_claim_form_070108.pdf

Thanks for any feedback on the lenses I'm looking at, or something I'm missing that's on the rebate.

SaraR

Sony Alpha a7R III

Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM

01/10/2007 05:30:56 AM · #2

For shooting interiors of architecture you are going to want to use a tripod, regardless of which lens you use, and as such I would have thought the 17-40 f4 would be good. That said, I don't have the lens myself.

Skip

Canon EOS-1D X

01/10/2007 06:53:30 AM · #3

ditto on the tripod. if you are shooting landscapes and architecture, you shouldn't be thinking about handholding at all. as the things you're shooting don't move, your camera definitely shouldn't...

you might want to get your body and rent or borrow some lenses to find out what really works for you. i have shot landscapes with everything from 15mm to 300mm, and the same with architecture; the shot dictated the lens. however, if i had to say what i used most of the time, it would be the 24-70, simply because it has less distortion (it also helps that i only have a 1.3 crop factor, as opposed to a 1.6).

good luck, have fun!

nicklevy

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

01/10/2007 07:49:19 AM · #4

17-40 may not be wide enough. For church interiors 17 will be great no questions asked. I don't know what you mean by architecture but if you mean inside a house 17mm won't do the job far from it.

argyle

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

01/10/2007 08:06:41 AM · #5

The 17-40 on a 30D will equate to about 28mm on the short end due to the 1.6 sensor. I doubt that this will work for you indoors. If you're going to shoot interiors, you may want to take a look at the Canon EF-S 10-22 (this also works really well for landscapes too). BTW, I have both lenses and I use them both depending on the situation.

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra

01/10/2007 10:05:14 AM · #6

Hm too bad about the IS. I really was thinking I could get away from using the tripod. I guess that settles my debatin on the 24-105 so thanks for clearing that up. So is f4 enough to handle the low light situations I usually find inside churches?

Bear_Music

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

01/10/2007 10:23:44 AM · #7

You can handle low light with any aperture if you have a tripod. For shooting architectural interiors with a 30D the 17-40mm is probably not wide enough to satisfy you. The 10-22mm is an exceptionally good ultra-wide lens, and is my mainstay for landscape work as well. 10-22 + 24-70 + 70-200 gives you seamless coverage from ultra-wide to moderate telephoto with superior optics across the board.

R.

Tamron SP AF 24-135mm f/3.5-5.6 AD Aspherical IF for Canon

01/10/2007 03:47:47 PM · #8

okay that makes sense. I appreciate your comment about the 17 not being wide enough. The set-up you suggested sounds really good.

Anybody else?

nards656

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

01/10/2007 03:51:20 PM · #9

As well, many churches and interiors really benefit from off-camera flash to either even out the lighting or make it dramatic. I wouldn't let the lens "speed" dictate anything for static shooting. More depth of field is usually better, so the big apertures are often unused for that kind of thing anyway.