Is there a lens i should try?

SeanTom

Active member
i've shot with -80-200 2.8-17-35 2.8-18-200 3.5/6.3
i'm just wondering if there's a lens that i should look into to expand on what kind of images i can create. i've thought about a fisheye but i figured i'd ask the photographers of NS before making a purchase.
 
definitely a fisheye but take mad money. what i..or any photographer would HIGHLY reccomend is a 50mm 1.8 or 1.4. the 1.8 is like 120 bucks. fast. extremely sharp. amazing and natural bokeh. you can get some great stuff with it
 
yeah yeah 50 prime.. not a bad idea, but Ive never been stoked on primes on digital cameras..

Maybe try an UWA like a 10-20 or 12-24 (I assume you are using a crop body..)

 
Well without going wide angle (10mm-24mm ish)

You've covered a great array of lens focal lengths haha... Unless you want like a 600mm or 300mm lens, I would suggest trying a wide angle or fisheye.

Also, tilt shift lenses are really cool, i've never tried one myself, but it might be an interesting thing to look into.
 
They arent worth the cost IMO, they are kinda fun, but unless you become really into architecture photography, I would consider them gimmicy lenses.
 
dont get a tilt-shift lens. only a pro should really bother using those because the same effects can be EASILY acheived in photoshop
 
except it usually looks like shit.
doing anything outside of a digital dark room is lame. your a photographer not a graphics designer.
 
guys all u do is blur some areas thats focused. theres no point in buying a 3000 dollar lens for a small effect like this
 
I agree with the 50mm 1.8 or something, But what you ever though about flashes and/or battery grips or stuff like that? Maybe look into thir party batter grips and some opteka batteries (if you shoot canon, not sure if they have batteries for nikon but you could check) http://www.opteka.com thats the link, look through some of there stuff. So in MY opinion maybe a 50 1.8/1.4 and a battery grip and flashes and some extra batteries.
 
It's all really dependent on what you shoot and what your price range is.

but the nifty fifty (50 1.8) is an excellent lens for the price, and coupled with a reversing ring, makes a nice macro. Gives you a chance to try shooting in darker situations, portraits, marcro, etc. etc. Warning though-fixed glass is addictive, and expensive

Now do you have to buy a lens, or are you open to other options? A nice Bogen-Manfrotto tripod, a speedlight/strobe, a battery grip (OEM or not), etc etc.
 
i agree. go for a 50 1.8/1.4 or a wide angle. i didnt use my 50 mm at first, but now its on my camera a lot. its great for anything indoor when the light isnt too great.
also check out flashes. dont spend money on a batery grip now, its not worth it to get a grip over a flash/glass.
 
Thank you guys for the input, really appreciate it. Been very insightful. The news is i bought a 50mm 1.8 and had a photo shoot today and loved the lens. i've used a SB-28 flash but all the shots i've taken with it have been too whited out. I'm really looking for a way to use that one wirelessly (thoughts?) and i use some tripod, not really sure of the brand but it gets the job done. +K for all helpful posts
 
well, if you're looking to get into off camera strobing, there are plenty of options.

If you want to wireless trigger speedlights, off camera, you're going to need a transmitter and reciever. Unless you are willing to dish out the dough for the the newer pocket wizards, you will lose the E-TTL/iTTL capabilities. So you will be doing hand metering or chimping and checking histograms alot.

Yongnuo recently released the RF-602 transmitters and recievers. Chinese made, but they've getting excellent reviews over on POTN.

I'm going to putting together a off camera strobe kit comprised of yongnuo tx/rx and speelights with stands and umbrellas for just about $250. Here's an example...

1x[URL]http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/475575-REG/Impact__Digital_Flash_Umbrella_Mount.html#reviews [/url](no flashes, just umbrellas, stands, and swivels) $100

1x http://cgi.ebay.com/RF-602-RF602-Canon-500D-1000D-450D-400D-w-2-Receivers_W0QQitemZ390112319850QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCamera_Camcorder_Remotes?hash=item5ad481996a (wireless triggers) $60

2x http://cgi.ebay.com/Fully-Manual-Flash-Speedlite-YN-460-Canon-Nikon-Pentax_W0QQitemZ320438573416QQcmdZViewItemQQptZDigital_Camera_Flashes?hash=item4a9ba09968 (cheap manual flash) $45 each, so $90

Comes out to ~$250.

Studio strobes are a whole other story. More power, but they are heavier, require a battery pack/generator/outlet, and can be pricey.
 
I HATE photoshop tiltshift. I looks like shit compared the the real thing. I want the 45mm tS lens sooo badly!
 
Ya you have a lot of the ranges covered, so I think you could greatly benefit from some flashes. I suggest Vivitar 285HV Flashes. Fully Manual and pretty robust, I have no complaints. You can also look into Alienbees but I'd suggest getting down manual flashes first. As for triggers I say save up and buy PocketWizards. Honestly its buy nice or buy twice. And you will eventually upgrade to Pdubs anyway. There are alternatives such as Cybersyncs but I highly suggest Pocketwizards. As for stands I suggest getting 10ft. ones with a a good size foot print. You will need to buy sand bags so your flashes don't blow away. A stand with an umbrella is gonna fly away with any wind. I got some decent ones of Adorama for pretty cheap and with flash brackets.
 
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