What's new

I need a lens!

crystalbella77

crystalbella77

Capture life and embrace it
Joined
Sep 19, 2009
Messages
3,614
ok! I have a friend who is a photographer and she knows I like to dabble a bit and asked me if I wanted to tag along and be a second shooter at a wedding...mostly just so I can learn and help her round up kids..etc. :) However I want to be semi useful and so I want a really good affordable lens. I don't have a lot to spend on one...*sigh* She recommended THIS ONE for me to get next (I really just use my fifty) and I wanted to know if you guys agree that should be my next lens or if you had other opinions?

That one really is not bad but the hubby doesn't want me to spend that if I am not making money on using my camera. (this is another post..but honestly I just want to take photos for me. I don't have dreams of being a photographer AT ALL!) I guess it doesn't seem like it's too much to ask to want a good lens for yourself and to be able to help friends occasionally without wanting to make a living out of it? *sigh*
 
that's a sweet lens... my only problem with that lens was that it's not good for close quarters... but awesome for large rooms and outdoors.
 
what you recommend for close quarters Heather? I am open to all options! LOL! Just trying to set a budget!
 
I have that lens and I absolutely LOVE it! I only take pics for me but it is definitely my go to lens for portraits. But like Heather said it's not good for close quarters, I have to be anywhere from 4-6 feet away from the subject just to get a little more than a head shot.
 
I have a Tamron 28-75 2.8 for my Nikon that is ALWAYS on my camera. I use it for almost everything now!
 
I'm looking at getting a new lens too. I use my 50mm a lot and I'm thinking of getting a 35mm so I don't have to back up so much if I need to get a bit more in frame. Is your camera full-frame or cropped sensor? I'm on a cropped so the 35mm would be pretty much the equivalent of a 50 and my 50 is about an 85. I love that its a fast lens but I can pretty much only get the face in if I'm indoors as I don't have room to stand :) I suppose it really depends what you want to use it for, really!
 
I use my 50mm all the time, it lives on my camera... been really thinking about a 35mm so I can get more than just head shots indoors lol. If you really like a prime lens then that's the direction I'd go. Otherwise the 28-75mm 2.8 is great but I still have to use flash indoors even at 2.8.
 
I just did a friends wedding with only a 35mm on a crop frame camera. It worked well. The 85 would be really hard if you're inside trying to shoot people. I have to stand way, way back when I'm outside doing people with it. I can use it inside OK, on objects.

Hope you have a blast with the wedding! :)
 
Last edited:
I too agree that the 85mm is so dreamy but can make it pretty hard in close quarters. I loved it on my 50D. I wish I would have known you were looking because I sold mine for $375. You should look around for used. You can probably find a better deal. I used the 85mm mostly outdoors and it made some beautiful bokeh. I will say though that my most used lens was the Sigma 30mm 1.4. That baby was sooooo SHARP and just an all around amazing lens. It didn't give as pretty bokeh as the 85mm but it was my every day lens and it was probably a tad sharper than my 85mm. If you have a cropped camera you may want to look more into the 30-35mm range.
 
Last edited:
Good question, Jordan LOL! I will start by saying that I have never actually bought used LOL. I am always so scared that I will spend that money and get a dud but then I was just thinking about people like myself when I sold all my stuff a few months ago. There was nothing at all wrong with my equipment. I babied my stuff probably a little on the obsessive side so when I sold it came in the original boxes and was practically like brand new but I know it's hard when you don't know someone to trust that they really did baby their stuff. I have always heard that B&H is a good place to buy used or Adorama. Also there is a whole buy/sell section on photography forums like CM and Bloom and I see people get good deals there too. I have bought a couple accessories from the forums at CM and I have always done very good. Like the other day, I bought a Expo Disc and saved about $50 and it was like new in the original case and all. It's just hard for me to buy a used lens unless I could check it out first so maybe craigslist would be a good option also because then you can actually hold it and test it before you hand over the money. I sold my 50D on there and the girl tried it out and everything so it was good.
 
Last edited:
I bought a used lens on KEH. They have a good return policy. The lens I got was more used than I wanted and they took it right back with a quick refund.
 
I was looking at Nikon's refurbished camera's and lenses, and at Adorama, but honestly, the difference in price was so minimal, I'd rather just buy a brand new one! The savings just weren't good enough to take the chance. I was asking, because I really want the D700. I'd just like to have a full frame.
 
mommy2boyz said:
I was looking at Nikon's refurbished camera's and lenses, and at Adorama, but honestly, the difference in price was so minimal, I'd rather just buy a brand new one! The savings just weren't good enough to take the chance. I was asking, because I really want the D700. I'd just like to have a full frame.
Click to expand...

Well...... from my experience I just went through about 2 months ago I would go through Adorama or B&H. I sold all my Canon stuff and bought the D700 and I will spare all the ugly details and just say that I returned the D700 after about a week with it. I bought it refurbished through the Nikon site and their customer service was HORRIBLE. I am talking the worst customer service I have ever dealt with in my life. I honestly spent over an hour on the phone one morning trying to make the people realize that they owed me money because I paid extra for next day delivery and when your package arrives 3 days later that is not considered next day air. You would not believe all the junk they tried to tell me but in the end the funds showed up in my account and then when I sent it back it took me forever to get my money back. I am talking they had the camera back in their hands for 2 weeks and I had given them several phone calls before they realized someone in receiving made a "mistake." I am just glad that I did tracking and all when I returned it because they sent it different places and they tried to act like they didn't have it one time but I had the tracking number that showed when it had been delivered to them. They acted a little different when I gave them that. I honestly think I would still be trying to get my money back if I hadn't gone that route. I already knew I was going back to Canon but if I had even been thinking about trying another Nikon their horrible service did me in. There were a couple other ladies that ordered theirs around the same time and I remember one having a lot of trouble with their customer service but I remember thinking, "oh, that's probably just one person having a bad day or something." Now I see it wasn't just that.

However, I ordered a lens from B&H at the same time and called to explain the situation to them and they gave me my money back no questions asked. I have ordered tons from them and never once had a problem. I ordered my new camera from them also because I knew if something went wrong they would back it and the fact that they were cheaper than my local camera place LOL. It's hard to beat them.
 
Last edited:
emmasmom said:
How are you liking your new baby Amanda??? I have been meaning to ask you!
Click to expand...

eekkk... can I just say that I would marry it if I could:heartslub. Well I really do love my husband and kids more than the camera but it's coming in a very close 2nd. It's so AMAZING!! I just need to learn more so I can feel worthy enough to own it!
 
Oh, I got so caught up in Nikon's customer service, Jordan that I forgot to add that I have felt the same way before about buying used. Even in forums people will sell their used lenses for something like $50 cheaper than new and I just figure it would be better buying new but I do know lenses hold their value for the most part but I have ran across deals every now and then that seem really good and it's usually people that are needing money pretty quickly for something or they are switching brands and need to sell their stuff. I have also run across a few craigslist adds in the past month or so while looking for a new camera that had some really good deals. I had already bought used with the Nikon though and after all I went through with that I knew I was going to buy new. I think you just to be on the lookout for those good deals. I was checking craigslist almost every day.
 
gracielou said:
eekkk... can I just say that I would marry it if I could:heartslub. Well I really do love my husband and kids more than the camera but it's coming in a very close 2nd. It's so AMAZING!! I just need to learn more so I can feel worthy enough to own it!
Click to expand...

YAY!!! So glad you love it..I knew you would. I love mine too, even the shaky focus :)
 
I am hoping the focus is not something that comes along after owning it for awhile. Right now the focus is amazing on it. I am having to switch to AI servo when trying to get my kids because they will not be still but I think I may have even shot in that mode all the time on my 50D. I also did test most of the outer focus points and the far left one was a little softer but I really only use the middle one anyway.
 
Back
Top