For lenses, it's best to get a few -- here's a suggestion on how to get started:
Seriously though, that gives an idea of the number of lenses available -- and those are just Canon lenses, not aftermarket lenses. (Note it's not Cannon, that's something that they use on a pirate ship ;) )
What lenses and accessories you need will depend on what you want to photograph. If you do a lot of portraits, you'll probably want a fast, prime lens. If you do landscapes, you'll want a nice wide angle. If you do night shots, you might want image stabilisation, and possibly a flash. If you do macro work, you'll want a macro lens!
If you're not sure what you want to do most of, then there are general purpose lenses we can recommend -- but as with almost any lens, the price (and quality) can range from extremely cheap to costing more than the camera. We really need more idea of what you want to photograph, and what your budget is, to make any meaningful suggestions.
50mm F1.8 prime is a great lens for this camera, its cheap as chips. Its great for portraits but also it works great with macro tubes for macro photography. I would start here!! : )
430exii flash would be awesome bit of kit with this camera
@photogirl If you do a lot of flower closeups then you need a proper macro lens. I'd recommend either the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro, or the cheaper Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 USM Macro. The 100mm will allow you to work a bit further away from the flower, and has a slightly higher image quality.
They can both also be used as portrait lenses, although with the 100mm you would need a lot of distance between yourself and the subject.
I would recommend a general-purpose wide angle to medium telephoto zoom lens which would be useful for both landscape and closer portrait work. Here I'd go with either the Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM or the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM lens. The latter is more expensive and has less zoom range, but the quality is simply fantastic.
The 430EX II is an excellent flash, and the 50mm f/1.8 is an OK lens that's worth having, given how cheap it is!
It's worth reading some reviews on these to see if they sound like the right fit, and ideally trying them out in a shop before buying. I find the Digital Picture site to have sensible reviews: http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/
Unfortunately they're a bit oddly arranged if you're not familiar with how Canon organises its lenses -- you'll find the 100mm macro and 50mm f/1.8 in the 'Canon Lens Reviews' section, and the 60mm macro, 15-85mm zoom and 17-55mm zoom in the 'Canon EF-S Lens Reviews' section.
I have the 60D, and I use my 60mm macro lens a lot (wish I would have got the 100mm macro), and a few weeks ago, I purchased the 50mm 1.8 lens.....I love it, and can't say enough good things about it. I also use my tripod, and remote shutter release way more than I ever thought I would :-)
A ultra-wide lens like the Canon 10-22mm is fantastic (6 out of the last 8 shots I took were with my Sigma 10-20mm at 10mm) but bear in mind that you have to be confident with your composition to make it work.
It's all too easy to see a great vista, think 'I've got to capture it all', get the ultra-wide lens out, set it to 10mm, and start shooting. I regularly fall prey to this, and generally you end up with a really boring sky, a really boring foreground, and all the interesting stuff as a narrow band in the middle of the photo.
You need the right scene and the right position to make the most of a lens like that. A strong, big foreground element, a crazy-low (or high) viewpoint, or really massive scenery (like Yosemite) work well, but without at least one or probably two of these, your shots can end up a disappointment compared to how you saw the scene in your head.
As such, while I'd never recommend anyone against buying a lens like this, because they are great fun, I'd say that, given @photogirl's requirements and (my assumption) that this is her first SLR, I would say that a macro lens and general purpose wide zoom lens are higher priorities. If funds permit, a ultra-wide lens would certainly be an excellent addition, though!
@agima I am looking to get two or three lenses. 3 might be pushing the budget. Trying to narrow down what is essential to get started for the type of photography I mentioned above.
That and my daughter graduates high school in a couple weeks and I want to be able to get some good shots of that and family that is coming to visit.
I have the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro lens and LOVE it! You do have to be back a bit for portraits though... but that can be good also. I did one yesterday and the distance allowed me just that little more time to focus as it was a target in motion lol. This is my most used lens. I have 2 kit lenses. 18-55mm IS and 55-250mm IS. The 250 is probably second and then my 55... only because of what I take shots of. I do love the 55 when I get to use it and want a wider angle one day.
It is a great camera and handles higher ISO than the 60D. The lens will give you a fantastic range. The only thing that is missing would be a off camera flash.
(Click on Measurement Charts, and you can see the lines for all measurements fall pretty much on top of each other).
Indeed, with slightly stronger level of default noise processing on the 60D, most people will find JPEG shots straight out of camera will be slightly better (less noisy) on the 60D than the 7D, although again, you'd have to be photographing test charts to actually determine any difference.
There are plenty of reasons to consider the 7D over the 60D, but image quality isn't one of them. The main benefits of the 7D are the higher frame rate, better viewfinder and much improved autofocus module, as well as an overall higher level of build quality, but you do lose the built-in flash, as well as the articulating screen of the 60D.
I'm afraid I must also question the lens in that 7D bundle. Having used the 28-135mm lens for a few years, it's a pretty horrible lens for a crop-sensor camera. 28mm is nowhere near wide enough on a crop sensor, and it becomes extremely frustrating to have to continually swap to a wider lens when you can't get a scene in.
Furthermore, the 28-135mm lens was first introduced in 1998, and was Canon's first image-stabilised lens. The stabilisation is extremely weak compared to newer Canon lenses (it's hard to get much more than 2 stops benefit, whereas some Canon lenses today offer 4 stops benefit). Additionally, as it is intended for a full-frame 35mm (film) camera, it's relatively big and heavy, and finally, the overall sharpness leaves quite a lot to be desired. About the only good thing to be said about it is that it's got full-time manual focusing! I was thrilled when I got rid of mine.
The 28-135mm lens is a good choice if you've spent all your money on a full-frame camera and can't afford a good lens to go with it, but for a crop camera the Canon 17-85mm lens was designed by Canon to cover the exact same range as the 28-135mm does on a full-frame camera (so is wide enough for general purpose use on a crop sensor), is lighter, has better image quality and a better IS system. The 17-55mm f/2.8 EF-S and 15-85mm EF-S Canon lenses improve even further on quality, for (in the case of the 15-85mm) not too much extra cash.
Finally, the 580EX II is a fantastic flash but it's main benefit is the ability to act as a master flash to slave units. If you don't plan on using multiple flashes, the 430EX II has most of the desirable features and not a significant reduction in light output. For professional wedding photography, the 580EX II with its extra power would be a sensible choice, but for general-purpose 'get away from the built-in flash' work, I'd rather spend money elsewhere. Having said that, the 580EX II is now discontinued and replaced by the 600EX RT, so if you can find a good price on a unit from someone needing to clear stock, go for it!
Went with the Canon EOS 60D, 50mm 1.8 lens, Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, and the Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 USM Macro...oh and a great back-pack case to put it in. I didn't get the flash yet, but Christmas isn't that far away :)
@photogirl How exciting - I'll be watching your progress with great fascination and interest! I have decided on the same camera, but can't buy it until July when I come into some money :)
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Seriously though, that gives an idea of the number of lenses available -- and those are just Canon lenses, not aftermarket lenses. (Note it's not Cannon, that's something that they use on a pirate ship ;) )
What lenses and accessories you need will depend on what you want to photograph. If you do a lot of portraits, you'll probably want a fast, prime lens. If you do landscapes, you'll want a nice wide angle. If you do night shots, you might want image stabilisation, and possibly a flash. If you do macro work, you'll want a macro lens!
If you're not sure what you want to do most of, then there are general purpose lenses we can recommend -- but as with almost any lens, the price (and quality) can range from extremely cheap to costing more than the camera. We really need more idea of what you want to photograph, and what your budget is, to make any meaningful suggestions.
430exii flash would be awesome bit of kit with this camera
I need to start saving for the 60d too : (
Could you tell me specifically which lens works best for each of those
I am very thankful for the advice!
Budget...not much more than $2000.00 dollars US.
There are just so many options, I am overwhelmed.
They can both also be used as portrait lenses, although with the 100mm you would need a lot of distance between yourself and the subject.
I would recommend a general-purpose wide angle to medium telephoto zoom lens which would be useful for both landscape and closer portrait work. Here I'd go with either the Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM or the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM lens. The latter is more expensive and has less zoom range, but the quality is simply fantastic.
The 430EX II is an excellent flash, and the 50mm f/1.8 is an OK lens that's worth having, given how cheap it is!
It's worth reading some reviews on these to see if they sound like the right fit, and ideally trying them out in a shop before buying. I find the Digital Picture site to have sensible reviews:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/
Unfortunately they're a bit oddly arranged if you're not familiar with how Canon organises its lenses -- you'll find the 100mm macro and 50mm f/1.8 in the 'Canon Lens Reviews' section, and the 60mm macro, 15-85mm zoom and 17-55mm zoom in the 'Canon EF-S Lens Reviews' section.
This makes things so much less confusing!!!
My bad on the spelling...now I am embarrassed.
CANON. I am so excited to talk about this I mis-spelled the main word :) OOPS!
So excited. and thanks for your input!
It is like going to the grocery store hungry...My cart is full and I have not even got to the good isles :)
I love hearing all the input. Thanks!
It's all too easy to see a great vista, think 'I've got to capture it all', get the ultra-wide lens out, set it to 10mm, and start shooting. I regularly fall prey to this, and generally you end up with a really boring sky, a really boring foreground, and all the interesting stuff as a narrow band in the middle of the photo.
You need the right scene and the right position to make the most of a lens like that. A strong, big foreground element, a crazy-low (or high) viewpoint, or really massive scenery (like Yosemite) work well, but without at least one or probably two of these, your shots can end up a disappointment compared to how you saw the scene in your head.
As such, while I'd never recommend anyone against buying a lens like this, because they are great fun, I'd say that, given @photogirl's requirements and (my assumption) that this is her first SLR, I would say that a macro lens and general purpose wide zoom lens are higher priorities. If funds permit, a ultra-wide lens would certainly be an excellent addition, though!
It is my first slr...let the games begin...
That and my daughter graduates high school in a couple weeks and I want to be able to get some good shots of that and family that is coming to visit.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/768302-REG/Canon_EOS_7D_SLR_Digital.html
It is a great camera and handles higher ISO than the 60D. The lens will give you a fantastic range. The only thing that is missing would be a off camera flash.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/768298-REG/Canon_EOS_60D_DSLR_Camera.html
http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Cameras/Compare-Camera-Sensors/Compare-cameras-side-by-side/(appareil1)/663%7C0/(brand)/Canon/(appareil2)/619%7C0/(brand2)/Canon
(Click on Measurement Charts, and you can see the lines for all measurements fall pretty much on top of each other).
Indeed, with slightly stronger level of default noise processing on the 60D, most people will find JPEG shots straight out of camera will be slightly better (less noisy) on the 60D than the 7D, although again, you'd have to be photographing test charts to actually determine any difference.
There are plenty of reasons to consider the 7D over the 60D, but image quality isn't one of them. The main benefits of the 7D are the higher frame rate, better viewfinder and much improved autofocus module, as well as an overall higher level of build quality, but you do lose the built-in flash, as well as the articulating screen of the 60D.
I'm afraid I must also question the lens in that 7D bundle. Having used the 28-135mm lens for a few years, it's a pretty horrible lens for a crop-sensor camera. 28mm is nowhere near wide enough on a crop sensor, and it becomes extremely frustrating to have to continually swap to a wider lens when you can't get a scene in.
Furthermore, the 28-135mm lens was first introduced in 1998, and was Canon's first image-stabilised lens. The stabilisation is extremely weak compared to newer Canon lenses (it's hard to get much more than 2 stops benefit, whereas some Canon lenses today offer 4 stops benefit). Additionally, as it is intended for a full-frame 35mm (film) camera, it's relatively big and heavy, and finally, the overall sharpness leaves quite a lot to be desired. About the only good thing to be said about it is that it's got full-time manual focusing! I was thrilled when I got rid of mine.
The 28-135mm lens is a good choice if you've spent all your money on a full-frame camera and can't afford a good lens to go with it, but for a crop camera the Canon 17-85mm lens was designed by Canon to cover the exact same range as the 28-135mm does on a full-frame camera (so is wide enough for general purpose use on a crop sensor), is lighter, has better image quality and a better IS system. The 17-55mm f/2.8 EF-S and 15-85mm EF-S Canon lenses improve even further on quality, for (in the case of the 15-85mm) not too much extra cash.
Finally, the 580EX II is a fantastic flash but it's main benefit is the ability to act as a master flash to slave units. If you don't plan on using multiple flashes, the 430EX II has most of the desirable features and not a significant reduction in light output. For professional wedding photography, the 580EX II with its extra power would be a sensible choice, but for general-purpose 'get away from the built-in flash' work, I'd rather spend money elsewhere. Having said that, the 580EX II is now discontinued and replaced by the 600EX RT, so if you can find a good price on a unit from someone needing to clear stock, go for it!
Went with the Canon EOS 60D, 50mm 1.8 lens, Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, and the Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 USM Macro...oh and a great back-pack case to put it in. I didn't get the flash yet, but Christmas isn't that far away :)