Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens or Canon EF 24-70mm F/2.8L USM

[karim1980]

Hello Guys,

I hope you guys dont feel it's one of them threads again "What should I get"??? But it's not that thread. I have decided on the two lenses I want and am debating which one will better suit my needs. I am in now way a professional photographer not even close at all, however I am loving the hobby and hope to take some great quality pics for family, friends, and other events. I currently have a canon xsi with stock lens 18-55mm. I will mainly be shooting b-day events, lots of weddings, sports events such as ice hockey, baseball and soccer as well as basketball.

I have read about both lenses and they are both great and I am not worried about price or the weight for any of the two lenses but can only buy one and am hoping to hear from people that have used both and would love to find out what they think?

My goal initially is to be able to come as close to as some of the pros here and am trying to build my portfolio so I can start attracting clients for next year or year after. At the moment it is only a hobby but I would love to take it to the next level. I am self employed but photography is something I always wanted to tackle and now that I have the time I am trying to do what it takes.

Any advise, suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Karim.

[gotak]

Keep the kit and buy the 70-200 2.8 IS for now. Later on, get a 17-55 or Sigma 17-50 HSM OS. Those two will get you started. And further on maybe a UWA lens to complete the set.

I am basically telling you what I got myself. So...

And you'll need 2 bodies to be a wedding photographer because if your one and only body breaks you are ruining someone's day.

[thelefteyeguy]

Keep the kit and buy the 70-200 2.8 IS for now. Later on, get a 17-55 or Sigma 17-50 HSM OS. Those two will get you started. And further on maybe a UWA lens to complete the set.

I am basically telling you what I got myself. So...

And you'll need 2 bodies to be a wedding photographer because if your one and only body breaks you are ruining someone's day.

if OP is going to be a pro soon...stick with lens that you can use on your full frame camera (EF)

[gotak]

if OP is going to be a pro soon...stick with lens that you can use on your full frame camera (EF)

That's a matter of "tastes" http://digitalprotalk.blogspot.com/2...-7d-or-5d.html

if he get his stuff 2nd hand he's unlikely to lose much money on the resale. And I personally think that's the better way to go than jumping into full frame before you have the business to pay for it.

And if you are suggesting a classic 5D1, well it's low light performance is (depending on whom you ask) same as the 7D or marginally better. As such what's the point of going full frame right away?

[pmc]

No pro here kinda but my suggestion go 24-70 on your si it'll be just wide enough for moderate groups but you'll have to step back a little for bigger groups or work on your group poses, at the longer end you'll have a nice couple and individual portrait length and @ 2.8 should provide suffcient DOF for nice bokeh. Sell the kit and get a flash 430II is on sale now at Aden? Later add the 16-35 and later you can add the 70-200. The only draw back right now with just a 24-70 is really tight spaces but I've only run into that with little houses

Another alternative would be EF-S60/2.8 and a 20/2.8 usm sell the kit and get the flash.

[neltron3030]

On an XSi...depends on your budget.

If you were gonna blow $2000 on a new 70-200 2.8 IS, I would opt for a 17-55 2.8 IS and a 70-200 2.8 non-IS instead.

[karim1980]

Thank you guys for some great advise. This is still a hard decision, I plan to purchase one by this weekend if I can but am doing some more research. I am not sure if its wise for me to spend that kind of money while I am on a learning curve but I really want a lens that I can zoom in with, I guess I want to get a lens with decent zoom and also another for wide angles to take better group pictures.

Still looking for more suggestions as to what others may think? My budget is $2000.00.

Thank you.

[jayt90]

I would keep the Xsi and kit lens which is sharp if it is the IS version.

Add: 50mm lens, either of the two non-L versions, very sharp.

A second used body: say a 40D. Fast response without menu hunting, robust build, real prism, spot meter...learn to use your basic lenses before getting fancy zooms.

Look at the 200mm f/2.8 L USM, one of the sharpest lenses, for sports.

Carry two cameras for sports: 200mm and 50mm installed.

Carry two cameras for weddings, b/day: kit lens and 50mm installed. Lean on the 50mm.

I wouldn't bother with flash, as the high ISO of 40D or 50D plus 50mm lens makes available light easy.

[xaltair]

I'd say go for the 24-70mm although it doesn't have IS. The reason is the XSI is a crop body and with the 70-200mm lens you have to be quite far away from your subject if you want to capture full body shots, the 24-70mm is better since you can get both full body shots and waist up shots by zooming in. The only other thing you have to decide is whether you need IS, in my case I do, so i'm getting the 24-105mm F4 IS lens instead of the 24-70mm f2.8 non IS.

[neltron3030]

The 70-200mm on a crop isn't very useful at all (esp indoors). I rarely used that combination.

[Winkle]

The 70-200mm on a crop isn't very useful at all (esp indoors). I rarely used that combination.

Same with 24-70 on a crop, as its equivalent to 38-112 on the XSi, 17-55 on a crop is more useful.

[thelefteyeguy]

Same with 24-70 on a crop, as its equivalent to 38-112 on the XSi, 17-55 on a crop is more useful.

and we come back to the original argument from me...investing in EF-S lens for the "long run" is like buying a 7D...you know in a few years the cropped camera will be extinct for the DSLR market.

The used market will be flooded by EF-S lens...infact it's already starting for Nikon. Nikon and Canon are facing a lot of competition (eventually sony's full frame camera is going to be very attractive to those interest in the D300s/50D market). To be in multiple product lines just doesnt make sense.

you got the XSi, the D5000, etc
D90, and the 50D
D300s, and the 7D
D700, 5D
etc

too many lines...eventually the D300s and the 7D will be phased out and merge with the D700 and 5D onces their manufacturing facilities obtain economies of scale for producing full frame sensors cheaply.

im not that familiar with canon as to nikon but the new lens are really only catering to 2 markets...the D5000 and the D90s (cheaper, faster primes with/out IS and then the full frame market (D700 and D3). Nikon has completely stopped improving lens for the D300 market.

If you are looking for a 17-55mm f/2.8...there a some deals in the used market as the flooding has begun for more than a year now.

[karim1980]

Okay, so decided to put the 70-200mm on hold and instead am going for Wide Angle canon 10-22mm and either the 17-55mm or 24-105mm IS. Just loving what the WA lens is capable of doing and how creative one can get with using that lens. Hopefully I can get the 70-200mm f2.8 in the near future. I have made a posting on the buy and sell thread so if you or anyone you know is selling what I am looking for please pm me ASAP.

BST Thread: http://forums.redflagdeals.com/looki...etails-919990/

Thank you for all your help, really appreciate everything.

Karim.

[karim1980]

SO I just purchased the Canon 10-22 lens from fred and miranda forums and I should have it by thursday next week. Now I need to get a zoom lens and am very confused between 24-70 f2.8 or 17-55IS f2.8 Reading lots of reviews and just wondering what to get?? Which one would you guys recommend if you were in my situation? Unless there is even something better I should consider, I am all ears. Once again thank you for reading my thread and providing lots of feedback.

Karim.

[syn3rgetic]

SO I just purchased the Canon 10-22 lens from fred and miranda forums and I should have it by thursday next week. Now I need to get a zoom lens and am very confused between 24-70 f2.8 or 17-55IS f2.8 Reading lots of reviews and just wondering what to get?? Which one would you guys recommend if you were in my situation? Unless there is even something better I should consider, I am all ears. Once again thank you for reading my thread and providing lots of feedback.

Karim.

10-22 is a great lens to have