Junebugg71

Just the 1818-55mm kit lens

Junebugg71

I don't have an isolated thing I want to shoot. Our children, pets, our beautiful beaches, wildlife, family reunions....just a little bit of whatever catches my eye, or is happening at the time.

Maybe I'm searching for a miracle lens that doesn't exist; one that will just shoot a little bit of everything, beautifully, without maxing out all the credit cards or going bankrupt.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

So either a 55-250 to add to your 18-55 or if you do not want to change lenses, something like a used Tamron 16-300 (used at B&H for $339.95 https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/used/1029404?gclid=Cj0KCQjw_absBRD1ARIsAO4_D3sMgZD9GiOyevu_qLVnTA00wUxuG_ruDsMAm_w28H8OvlZrfGjJwuoaAntuEALw_wcB).

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

It’s fast shutter speed, not aperture. "Fast lens" is a bit of a misnomer. It refers to a lens that has a wide aperture, say 1.2, that allows you to open it up wide to get more light and thus use a "fast" shutter speed on the shot. For crisp action shots in low light, a "fast lens" is helpful when combined with a fast shutter speed.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

EVERYONE is looking for this lens !

Orson Burleigh Loc: Annapolis, Maryland, USA

Canon USA website is showing both the EF-S 55-250 f/4-5.6 IS STM Refurbished ($239.99) and EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS II USM Refurbished (was $439.99, on sale for $358.99) in stock.

Image quality with the EF-S 55-250 is very good, and the lens is quite small and very lightweight; the Image Stabilized (IS) STM version of the EF-S 55-250 is usually extolled as a great value for money lens. My Canon APSC cameras grab kit is built around the EF-S 55-250 f/4-5.6 IS STM lens and the rather more expensive EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM (this lens is heavier than your 18-55, but also faster, so, trade-off).

The EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS II USM is highly touted in reviews, usually said to provide slightly better image quality than the EF-S 55-250 f/4-5.6 IS STM, and is compatible with full-frame Canon cameras as well as the APSC cameras. The EF 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS II USM is heavier and bigger than the EF-S 55-250 f/4-5.6 IS STM. Please forgive the presumption behind comments on weight and size of these lenses, I'm guessing that weight and size might be an issue for you

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

1- "Looking a quality lens that will take the photo quickly, allowing me to capture nice, crisp motion shots." What makes you think the lens will take a photo "quickly?" You CAN or CANNOT take a photo quickly, not the lens.

2- "Approx. $300 range." If looking for a good quality lens and I am sure you are, those $300 are good for a down payment. For about that price you can get a Nikon 70-300 VR lens in the used market. Perhaps that is what you want.

A fast aperture in a lens is good to allow you some flexibility with the ISO setting in camera. Those lenses are expensive and as I said your $300 will be good for a down payment. In bright sunlight the effect of noise is minimal so that you can use a high ISO setting with a lens that is not that fast.

Finally, a high shutter speed will freeze motion and the reason why wildlife an action photographers select a high ISO setting in their cameras when shooting those subjects.

Blair Shaw Jr Loc: Dunnellon,Florida

Your SL2 is a great camera and will handle any Canon lens with ease. Your budget would be served very well as another has suggested....the 55-250mm new or refurb'd and or the 300mm used or refurb'd . They are both excellent lenses to compliment your arsenal. Good luck girl.

uhaas2009

A bigger aperture like f2.8 don’t make it a faster lens, a 2.8 let’s more light to your sensors this why you can use a higher shutter speed.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Well, it's "faster" than a ƒ3.5-5.6. It's a nomenclature.

bleirer

What you have will stop motion just fine. The ideas for the 55-250 or the 70-300 mentioned are good but you will swap lenses when you want to zoom out or in, which is no big deal. If you don't want to swap lenses and would rather have one lens on all the time, I'll add this one to the idea list. Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS I don't have personal experience with this lens but it has good reviews, maybe others will chime in if they've used it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008UGMLWQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=bpg-2-20&linkId=fc28ce3eecbb69f68b83fa0be414ecfe

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Angee,

How many times are you going to ask the same questions?

You've asked:

"18-55 IS STM (kit lens) vs 75-300 iii telephoto" on Sept. 22.
"What Lens???" on Sept. 23.
"Canon Lens Questions" today, Sept. 24.

The answers haven't changed. They're still the same!

The EF-S 55-250mm IS STM "renewed" lens you found on Amazon looks like a really good deal.

In the description Amazon explains exactly what "renewed" means. It's simply a used lens. They don't exactly say who, but someone has inspected it for condition, proper function and, if necessary, cleaned it. They offer a 90 day "store" warranty on it. Amazon will repair or (more likely) replace the lens if it fails during that time period. This is basically the same as buying used from B&H Photo, Adorama, KEH.com and a number of other reputable sources for used gear.

It is different from buying "refurbished" from Canon. "Factory refurbished" from Canon USA have a full 1 year warranty, same as new. Refurbished lenses also may have been used... but may be demo units that saw little real use, were displayed in a store or at a trade show... Might even be brand new items in shelf-worn boxes. Or they could just be returned overstock or back stock in Canon's own distribution network. Of course, it also could be an item that was returned due to a fault, has been repaired by the techs trained and equipped to do so by Canon themselves and using "genuine" Canon parts. In a sense, "refurbished" may even be better than new.... Could very well have gotten more hands-on inspection and individual attention than a brand new item going through a quick quality control check after coming off the assembly line.

Both Canon USA and Amazon (direct) are good about replacing an item or even accepting an outright returned item if you decide you don't want it for some reason within a week or two of purchase.

That "renewed" lens on Amazon looks to be a pretty good deal at $140. That lens sells for $299 new and $240 refurbished.

Your other question in your other post, relates to the filter thread size of lenses.

Your Canon EOS Rebel SL2 is an interchangeable lens camera... The camera itself does not have a filter thread.

The EF-S 18-55mm kit lens that you got with your SL2 has a 58mm filter thread. This is merely the diameter of filter you would need to buy, should you choose too use on on that lens (Note: Circular polarizers are by far the most useful filters for digital photography. Virtually all other filters... and there are dozens of types... are completely unnecessary or only needed for specialized purposes.)

The EF-S 55-250mm IS STM lens you are considering also uses a 58mm filter. In other words, the two lenses can easily share a filter, since you can only use one lens on the camera at a time.

The other lens you ask about, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM, is smaller. It's a "fast" lens, meaning that it has a larger maximum aperture. It's f/1.8 setting allows in over 4X the light the f/4 of your 18-55mm (at 18mm) or the 55-250mm (at 55mm).... or over 8X the light those other lenses allow in at f/5.6 (18-55mm at 55mm or 55-250mm at 250mm).

This will be good for low light situations. It also will make for nice background blur effects (shallow depth of field), which can be useful for portraits.

The EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens uses a smaller 49mm filter. So it will not be able to easily share filters with the other two lenses. The best thing would be to buy the correct size for this lens, if you feel the need for a filter on it. (Portraiture and low light shooting generally don't require any filters.)

There is a way to use oversize filters on lenses... inexpensive "step rings". This is simply a ring that has one size of threads on one side and a different size on the other. To use a 58mm filter on a lens with 49mm filter threads you'd need a 58mm to 49mm step ring. HOWEVER, there's a down side to using step rings. You can't use the standard lens hood with the step ring. And, in my opinion, the lens hood is much more important (they improve images AND physically protect the lens... they also protect the filter from breakage and shade it from the sun, if using a filter). Personally I avoid using step rings for this reason. I just buy the correct size filter for my lenses with different diameters.

The EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens on an APS-C camera will act as a short telephoto... ideal for portraiture and a lot of other things.

It's not a "standard" or "normal" lens (neither telephoto nor wide angle), the way a 50mm lens is on "full frame" cameras.

If you are looking for a standard/normal lens, a better choice might be Canon's EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM ($120 refurbished)... which is a "slightly wide normal". This is an especially compact "pancake" lens, too. Canon's EF 28mm f/1.8 USM or Sigma's 30mm f/1.4 lenses are both closer to "normal" lenses when used on a camera like yours... but are also considerably more expensive, bigger and heavier.

All these lenses can serve you well. The only other thing I'd encourage you to do is to by the "matched" lens hood for each of them... and use it! Canon lenses (other than the L-series), don't come with lens hoods. They're sold separately. Your EF-S 18-55mm lens uses "EW-63C" lens hood. The EF-S 55-250mm IS STM lens uses "ET-63" lens hood. And the 50mm f/1.8 STM lens uses "ES-68" (Note: This lens has a fairly recessed front element, so might not need a lens hood for regular use... though I'd recommend one if planning to use a filter or for better physical protection of the lens.) Canon's OEM hoods typically cost at least $24 apiece. There are third party manufacturers offering "clones" for a lot less. Vello, JCC and others sell similar "dedicated" hoods that probably work just as well, for about 1/3 less or half the price of Canon OEM.

All these lenses can serve you for a long time. They may be all you ever need and are quite capable. The photographer's knowledge and skill are more important than the camera and lens. You might find other things you want to do and may want to add some other lenses in the future. In previous post you asked about doing macro and close-up photography... and to an extent you can do that with the above lenses along with a set of macro extension tubes. However, if you really enjoy it and find yourself doing a lot of macro work, you might eventually want to add a true macro lens. There are a number of those available (Canon themselves make a half dozen or so, including the compact EF-S 60mm f/2.8 USM). Or, perhaps you'll decide you want a wider lens to be able to take more panoramic landscape photos or capture expansive building interiors (one option is Canon's relatively inexpensive, but quite good EF-S 10-18mm IS STM lens). Or maybe you will find you need a portable flash... the ones built into cameras are wimpy, in the worst possible place for redeye problems, and draw heavily on the camera's battery.

I would suggest you don't get too many lenses or accessories to start, though. Two or three lenses, tops. Work with them for a while. Find out what you like to do. Then add or change if you need to. Don't overwhelm yourself with too much, too soon! You would be better learning what to use when and how to use it well... and this comes with experience and practice. To speed things up you might want to take a basic class locally or online and buy some books:
https://www.amazon.com/David-Buschs-Canon-Digital-Photography/dp/1681983389/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Fourth-Photographs-Camera/dp/1607748509/ref=sr_1_1?

Have fun!

P.S. I'm going to copy this to your other post, too, where you are requesting essentially the same info.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Hard to fit that onto an SL2.

rdubreuil Loc: Dummer, NH USA

Fixed focal length not aperture.

RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia

The 18-555 kit lens should meet a lot of your need, in good light levels. For wildlife, that is not used to people you will need a lens that will allow you to fill the frame with the subject (55-250 or a 70-300?).

In low light levels (indoor?) when you cannot use a tripod or add additional light, you will need a lens with a wide maximum aperture (that will let in a lot of light) - Say a 50mm f1.8 (inexpensive) or a 24mm f2.8.