Korean Job Discussion Forums

[SMOE NSET]

So my girlfriend and I are about to celebrate our 2 year anniversary and I was going to buy her a new lens for her Canon DSLR. I think her camera is the 400D model. I was debating between two lenses:

EF-S 55-250mm IS F4-5.6

or

EF 28-135mm IS USM F3.5-5.6

She already has a 50mm lens but wanted to buy her a lens for everyday photos (portraits, landscapes, sports). Would these be alright? I've searched through many camera sites and these received decent ratings.

It's either one of these or a new point-and-shoot. Hers is over 4 years old and starting to struggle.

[jonpurdy]

[SMOE NSET]

She only has the 50mm lens I referred to. She likes to take pictures of her students and mostly everyday uses. When I mentioned landscapes and sports, I just mean she doesn't want to take professional shots but ones with people in it and with the background behind it. Sports, she won't be taking action shots and landscapes usually just close shots (not 1000s of metres away).

Do you still recommend the 55-250mm lens I recommended for her?

Thank you for your help, I just started photography as well but am clueless as to what I need. I tried researching but all of the graphs and numbers associated with each lens can be daunting at times with no knowledge on the subject. I currently just have the same 50mm lens and the kit lens that came with my Canon 450D. I will be looking into buying a new lens soon as well. What lens would you recommend for everyday shots in the price range of no more than $700 (U.S. dollars)?

[Kryten]

If she only has the 50mm then I'd think about getting her something similar to the kit lens. Then again, if you have one then she can just use yours.

You both have DSLR's which are not full frame, but have a crop factor of 1.6. What the means is, any lens that you attach will have it's lens value magnified by 1.6 when compared to a full frame camera. So that 50mm she owns is the equivalent to a 80mm lens on a full frame camera.

If she enjoys portraits, I'd suggest getting her the faster 50mm 1.4 which will result in more bokeh, or the 85mm (~136mm cropped) if she likes taking portraits from afar. If she's finding that the pictures she's taking in her classroom are a bit tight, I'd recommend the 28mm 1.8 or 30mm. These both have a crop factor of around 50mm and are also great lenses for general walking around use.

[SMOE NSET]

Yep, she only has the 50mm lens. She actually gave me her kit lens a while ago and so I am looking for a good replacement for her. She uses it when she wants but I would like to get her her own.


So this lens would be perfect for her: EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS?

[jonpurdy]

Ohhh, I assumed she had the 50mm plus a kit lens of some sort! Since she has nothing for wide shots now I'd suggest a standard-range zoom lens. The 18-55 is okay but if you can spend a bit more money I'd look into one of these three lenses:
17-85mm
15-85mm
18-200mm

I haven't shot on any of these myself so I can't make a recommendation in particular. But as far as focal length and price go I'd suggest researching one of these three.

[SMOE NSET]

I looked at the prices for the three lenses you recommended. Hot dang, I love her and all but I think she would kill me if I spent that much on a new lens for her.

17-85 - 380,000
15-85 - 1 mil
18-200 - 700,000

Those are the cheapest prices I found on gmarket. Is there a better place to look? The 17-85mm is about what I was going to pay for the 28-135 lens.

So which one of these two would you recommend more for everyday use?

EF 28-135mm IS USM F3.5-5.6
or
EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

Why are women so hard to buy things for? Maybe it is just mine. She keeps claiming she is done with digital cameras and going to switch to a film camera. She usually only brings her DSLR when she knows something important is going on but I think this is also due to only having the one lens. She carries her point-and-shoot more but like I said, think it is due to only having one lens. Argg! At least I still have two weeks to decide.

[Kryten]

Haha.. I feel your pain. Technology gifts + women don't usually mix well, but you're lucky if you can pull it off. I thought your budget was 700US, or was that for your lens?

I'd go for the 17-85mm. That, or a solid prime lens as I mentioned above (28, or 35mm) - primes don't zoom and generally have better build quality and glass inside.

[SMOE NSET]

Ahh yeah sorry. The $700 price range was for my lens as my parents will pay for half as a birthday present.

Alright, cheers for all of your help. Will look into where the best place to buy the 17-85mm lens will be: online, PixDix, or last resorts Namdaemun. She would prefer to have a zoom lens but maybe if this gift works out, the primes could be future presents.

Ahh do you like PixDix? Do you like to touch the merchandise? Are you fascinated by PixDix?

What are you? a gay pig?

Sorry, my crack at South Park humour with a Korean twist.