Need help with lenses for Canon T2i

[mrkrispy]

Hi. I am new to photography. I have a canon t2i and a kit lens and a 50mm 1.8 lens. I am looking to buy a new lens but having a hard time deciding which one to buy. I am looking to use it mainly for portraits and something i can use it for outgoing. any suggestions are welcome. thanks.

[Donald]

I hope you got my PM from your other post in the competition thread.

I think people would feel more comfortable and be able to give you more informed advice if you provided a bit more information.

1. What is your kit lens - the 18-55?
2. What is your budget for a new lens?
3. Not sure what you meant by, "something i can use it for outgoing". Maybe you could explain.
4. Do you feel you have mastered the lenses you have and what is it about them that makes you feel they can't do what you want?

Whilst you're considering these points, another source of information would be to press 'View Tag Cloud' below (under + Reply to Thread') at the bottom left of this message and then choose 'lenses' from the list that appears. This will give you the option to read through the many threads that have contained a very similar question to that which you are posing, along with all the responses and advice provided. I think you will find that very informative.

[Sonic4Spuds]

Where did that feature come from,

Staring me in the face all this time and I didn't notice it. That should help in the future.

-Sonic

[mrkrispy]

Yes, my kit lens is 18-55mm. I think I've mastered the lenses that i have. I just feel that 18-55mm lens is not sharp enough for me. and i need something that will allow me take a sharper pictures. i m looking at 24-70mm f2.8 lens, but i wasn't sure if i should spend that much. What i mean by "something i can use it for outgoing" is something that i can use it in pretty much every situation (for ex. portrait, landscape, etc.). the 50mm only allow me to take good portraits but there is no zoom and i have to use the 18-55mm for the zoom but i don't like the image quality with that lens. I need recommendation on the next lens that i should add to my camera bag.
Thanks.

[Colin Southern]

EF24-105mm?

[Sonic4Spuds]

I can say that the image quality probably show up more in landscapes. It is probably due to the extreme pixel density of the t2i conflicting with the relatively low optic potential of the small lens. Because of the limitations of physics the bigger the optic elements in the lens are the more clarity you will be able to acchive at high f-stops (even the kit lens should work without any problems at low f-stops say below 5? not sure of the exact numbers).

-Sonic

[Colin Southern]

I can say that the image quality probably show up more in landscapes. It is probably due to the extreme pixel density of the t2i conflicting with the relatively low optic potential of the small lens.

It's certainly not one of Canon's best performers, but for normal size images, I think the OP would probably get a bigger improvement out of correct sharpening than with any inherent differences between lenses.

[inkista]

I agree with Colin. f/8 and proper post-processing are great equalizers of glass.

But, just 'cause it's what the OP asked for: EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM.

Getting a "do it all" lens isn't cheap. Most lenses are good at being special-purpose, not general-purpose. This is why we like interchangeable lens systems.

[rpcrowe]

Have you considered a tripod? Often shooting with a solid rest at f/8 or f/11 will provide very good to excellent imagery when using a kit lens... The 24-70L is a great lens but really has two drawbacks (well, three considering the rash of focus problems reported recently).

1. The 24mm wide end is not really wide enough for me to use as a general purpose or walk-around lens...
2. The 24-70L is a pretty heavy lens and mine did not balance well on my old 350D until I mounted a battery grip...

IMO, the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens is the ultimate mid-range zoom for a 1.6x camera, closely followed by the 17-50mm Tamron f/2.8 (which comes in two versions, VC and non-VC).

A second thought... Is your kit lens the IS model. If not, perhaps the IS version would provide better image quality.

[Sonic4Spuds]

I agree with Colin. f/8 and proper post-processing are great equalizers of glass.

You might also say that good glass is the best equalizer of sensors.

-Sonic

[dpslbird]

iF you can aford it go with prim lens 2.8 or faster the 50 1.8mm is a good learning lens and good in low light as will but i would stay with primes L lens good glass is where its at.PeaceDon.