gofast Loc: Joliet, IL

More details: I have a T3i I've been using for probably 10 years, and just bought a used 5Dii that I'm just learning how to use. I have an EF 28-80 IS as the main lens for the 5, and the EF 75-300 for both cameras. I know the 75-300 isn't a very good lens; anything under $100 can't be too good.
I'm an older guy; started in 35mm 40 years ago. Got pretty good at it. Have 3 magazine covers to my credit and a handful of awards in the 80's.
Switched to DSLR a dozen years ago. Had major spinal problems that resulted in surgery, down time, rehab, loss of job, etc. A few years later another surg on my neck that the VA messed up leaving me with nerve damage in both hands. I didn't do much with the camera for a very long time. I want to get back in the game. I forgot a lot, and am guilty of letting the automation do too much thinking for me. Several years of slacking.
Now, I have the 5D, half ass lenses-tho I wish I could use a couple of my good FD-and will start photog classes at college even tho I'm not pursuing cert/degree.

So I'm asking y'all to teach me a little. School will help me recover my memory of photo fundamentals, but I'm way behind on current equipment-primarily the lenses. I'm retired on disability pension, so money is an issue. Pretty good at scrounging; $1200 lenses are not gonna happen. I'm 30 mi ouside Chicago-big market available.


Thank you

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Hey gofast, unless your eyes are still great and you're shooting (expensive) film, I'd get rid of any FD lenses (and bodies) you might be holding onto for sentimental sake. My Canon EOS bodies and lenses are my primary tools. I reached the point last year where my FD equipment was just gathering dust. I can't manually focus good enough to justify the film and nearly focused results when I have an EOS film body that shares the EF lenses and focuses perfectly. My attitude on FD lenses is they work best on mirrorless bodies via adapters and you can "peek" to 100% via the electronic view finder and actually see what you're focusing on, still in manual focus and manual exposure via the aperture ring on the FD lens. Depending on the specific FD model(s) you have, they might be worth next to nothing or may fetch several hundreds dollars if you're holding onto some of the exotic wide aperture L-lenses. Any funds generated could be put toward EF lens(es) for your EOS bodies.

At or just above the $100 threshold can obtain multiple excellent EF primes, both new and used. Look at the EF 50 f/1.8 (any version), EF 40 f/2.8, or EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS as three quick ideas. I shop primarily from KEH for used equipment, where they have a 14-day return policy, no questions asked if there is a problem. Your 5DII is a superior camera and unless you're concerned about size & weight and need an option for certain situations, I'd sell the T3i for whatever it's worth and again, use those funds for equipment focused on your 5DII, such as a lens, or 2nd battery, or maybe software, tripod, etc.

If looking for other low(er) cost ideas, assure you've downloaded the free PDF user manual for the 5DII from the Canon site. If you need editing software, look at GIMP that is freeware, powerful, but "doc" only via online tutorials (free). You should also download both the v3 and v4 releases of Canon's Digital Photo Professional (DPP), also available free from the Canon website. You just need any valid EOS serial number to enable the download.

PS - From your posting history, I see in December I said almost the same thing. Have you considered any of the 7-items mentioned before?

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

Welcome gofast. I love the 5DII. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have done just about everything with that camera, so feel free to send me a private message any time you have a question about it. For a lens, as Paul said you can't go wrong with Canon's 50mm f/1.8. (Paul is a very reliable person to answer your questions here, by the way.) Canon's processing software Digital Photo Professional, is good and makes working with Canon raw files very easy and gratifying.

$1200 lenses?? We don't need no stinkin' $1200 lenses!

Mike

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

You should be able to pick up a decent EF 24-105L for around $400 now that the version II has made a splash. Another oldie but goodie is the 100-300L. They went out of production years ago but are a darn good lens and there's usually a few on eBay pretty cheap. You can get one even cheaper if it needs professional cleaning. I've bought several lenses dirt cheap because they needed a good internal cleaning. The repair shop I use does a good job for a very reasonable price. For example, I've bought used lenses for $300, paid $100 to have it cleaned and resold it for $600.
Best of luck on your quest!

LXK0930 Loc: Souh Jersey

I have to disagree with advice to get rid of the T3i. You won't get much for it. I would keep it as an emergency backup, in case something happens to your FF.

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

One rather sharp lens you can purchase is the Canon EF 100-300mm f/5.6 L (not the consumer grade model but the 'L' model). This venerable L lens can be purchased in very good condition for about $200 or less on places like e-bay. It is the only L lens that is affordable, and this baby is not fast but it is sharp. There are some other compromises about it. It is an old push-pull zoom, and the manual focusing ring is surprisingly crude feeling. Probably the worst feeling manual focus ring ever made (though it does work). But this ugly duckling is still sharp. I have one, and I love it. If interested, you can do some research on it by looking up reviews. Here is a link to the Flickr page where people post pictures taken with this lens: https://www.flickr.com/groups/canon100-300mm56l/pool/ By coincidence my pictures are the most recent ones posted in the thread.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

It would help to know what kind of photography you want to focus on. Street, portrait, landscape, sports, etc.... This will have a big impact on the specifics of replies. Knowing this, a base set of lenses could be identified and a path to get them determined.

The t3i may not bring much on trade in or resale, but if you are on a tight budget, every penny helps. Also Chicago has some good stores. Calumet still operates there and the venerable Central Camera on Wabash is staffed with EXTREMELY knowledgeable people. And they have a lot of used equipment.

MountainDave

I'll second the idea that prime is the way to go on a budget. Go used to save more money. Even a cheap prime will deliver IQ equal to or better than the best zooms not to mention wider apertures and lighter weight.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Hi Gofast,

Well, you sort of painted yourself into a corner, getting that 5D Mark II. It's a nice camera, but full frame cameras require full frame lenses, which are generally bigger, heavier and more expensive than the crop-only lenses such as your T3i was able to use.

However, there are some "budget" lenses that are quite capable. Some possibilities:

1. Look for a Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM as a "walk around" lens. Even though Canon discontinued it last year, they are pretty common (many were sold as "kit" lenses with various cameras) and affordable. Often under $200. I've used several over the years and know of some other pros who have used them as well (Joe Farace at Shutterbug mag used one a lot... every time he tested a Canon camera, as well as for his own portrait work and other things). Carried over from the film era, it's a very capable lens with image quality, autofocus speed, image stabilization that rival that of some much more expensive "L-series" lenses. It doesn't feel as well built an an "L", but actually is just about as durable as the original EF 24-105L (that costs 3X as much originally, still sells for at least 2X as much used). The newer 24-105L "II" might be more durable, hard to say because it hasn't been around very long yet... only a couple years.

2. Get one of the original EF 70-300mm IS USM used, to replace that 75-300mm (especially if it's the "III"). The 70-300mm is a much better lens in all ways.... better image quality, faster USM autofocus, image stabilization. For that matter, the price of the newer EF 70-300mm IS USM "II" is lower than the older model sold for originally.... often under $500. It has even better IS and slight improvements in some other ways... but the original model used will probably be $400 or less.

3. There are a number of primes that can be bought relatively inexpensively. The EF 50mm f/1.4 USM is a good value at about $350 new (less used). The EF 50mm f/1.8 STM can be had for even less, around $125 new. (Avoid the EF 50mm f/1.8 II, now discontinued and only selling used... plasticky and "iffy", slow, noisy micro motor focus drive.)

4. Other primes that might serve well include the earlier versions of the EF 24mm f/2.8 and EF 35mm f/2... only available used now, they sell for much less than the models that have replaced them. The current models of these have faster USM focus and image stabilization. The older models lack those, but they are decent performers in other respects, very capable of making high quality images, and even though they use slower micro motor focus drive, because the shorter focal lengths mean they don't have to move their focus group very far, that's not too problematic in these particular models. I haven't looked to see what these are selling for used, but they are pretty common so should be reasonably priced.

5. If you need a portrait lens, consider the EF 85mm f/1.8 USM or the 100mm f/2 USM. Canon has recently introduced an 85mm f/1.4L which a lot of people are "upgrading" to.... so there can be good values on either of those other two lenses. The 85mm f/1.8 is pretty common... the 100mm is more of a sleeper (there are also two 100mm macro lenses).

6. Speaking of macro, if that's something you want there are lots of alternatives and some of them cheaper, but I'd recommend holding out for the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM. The reason is that the two Canon 100mm macro lenses are the only macro lenses around this focal length that can optionally be fitted with a tripod mounting ring, which I consider an important accessory for macro work. The older, but still in production 100mm f/2.8 USM is an excellent lens in all respects and it's price has come down a bit because folks with big budgets gravitate to the 100mm f/2.8L IS USM for it's "L-series" label and image stabilization. In truth, both lenses are highly capable of making superb images... and image stabilization is of limited value at higher macro magnifications. Again, I haven't shopped them recently, but I would bet you can get the older, non-L/IS model used for close to what a Tokina AT-X 100mm f/2.8 costs.... and the Canon 100mm is a much better lens in many ways (though the Tokina is capable optically and may be a good value for some... it uses slower AF, doesn't have full time manual focus override, isn't internal focusing and can't be fitted with tripod mounting ring).

Your best bet with any of these will be to either shop locally so you can check out and test any used lenses before you buy. Or, shop the used departments of well-established stores online, such KEH in Atlanta or B&H Photo and Adorama in NYC. The prices will be a little higher at those stores, but the gear will have been checked out by a knowledgeable person and will usually have a reasonable warranty.

For all the above aside from the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM, get the matched lens hood. Many of these Canon lenses don't come with one... the hood is sold separately. If buying used, maybe it will be included. The lens hood is especially important on the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens, physically protecting what can be an easily damaged auto focus system (which costs $160 to repair, last I heard). The 50mm f/1.8 has a fairly deeply recessed front lens element, so might not need a hood. The rest have more exposed front elements and will benefit from the shade and the physical protection against bumps. Most of these lenses use a bayonet hood (the 85mm f/1.8 uses a clip-on that seems flimsy, but actually holds up surprisingly well).

All the above are full frame capable "EF" lenses. There are also some good third party lenses I didn't get into here (Sigma, Tamron, Tokina). With those you have to be careful to get full frame capable. And there's some risk of third party lens incompatibility with future Canon cameras... more-so than with Canon lenses on Canon cameras.

Besides shopping used, you also might check out the Canon USA website. They sell refurbished gear there, which can be a good value, often is little different from new and has the same warranty as new.

For lots more info about any of the above and many more lenses, I recommend Bryan Carnathan's The-Digital-Picture.com website. He has reviews of virtually everything Canon has ever made since the EOS system was introduced, his detailed reviews are usually spot on, and there's means of comparing test shots and specs of any two lenses (or cameras) against one another there. Unfortunately, it looks like he never tested the EF 28-80mm (discontinued long ago)... so can't compare that with some of the alternatives. But you can compare the EF 70-300mm IS USM with the EF 75-300mm III: https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=358&Camera=453&Sample=0&FLI=4&API=1&LensComp=776&CameraComp=453&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=4&APIComp=0 Note: Bryan tests most lenses on multiple camera models, but 5D Mark II isn't one of them. However, he does test most full frame capable lenses on a 1Ds Mark III, which has the same sensor and image quality as 5D Mark II. Where a choice is given, select the 1Ds III to get the best idea how particular lenses would perform on your camera.

Hope this helps! Have fun shopping and good luck with your classes.

Note: If you were looking for lenses for your T3i, I'd have instead recommended you replace that EF 75-300 "III" with the EF-S 55-250mm IS STM, which is a MUCH better lens in all respects. However, as an EF-S lens it's not usable on a full frame 5D Mark II. That 55-250mm can usually be found used for less than the 70-300mm lens I suggested above

alberio Loc: Casa Grande AZ

Get one of the original EF 70-300mm IS USM used, to replace that 75-300mm 

I have had two of these, sold the first and purchased another because the first was very good. It's a great walk around zoom, and not heavy. My 60D loves it as did my 5D mkIII. My second one cost me $175.00
A very good value for the money IMO.
I'll probably keep this one permanently.

Unclehoss

Sounds familiar. I worked hard, put food on the table, etc. Had a few nice things and a good camera and couple of lenses. Got hurt, surgeries (10) and down time. Time to retrain. Got into a different field and got to go DSLR. First one, T1i body and used film lens that worked with the body. "Upgraded" to a crop lens 'designed for that camera body' and no improvement. Wanted full frame so I got a used 5DII, then 'splurged' on a used L lens for the 5D. Tried it on the T1i that camera body came alive. Go for a used L lens for your glass and that will take you farther than any other single purchase.

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

An emergency back up?!

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

So you believe a $100 prime lens will perform better than a $2400 zoom?!
I own both the $100 prime and the $2400 zoom and the zoom out does the prime 99 and 44/100th percent of the time.
You are spot on about saving money by going the used route, but buyer beware; make sure the used lens is in good shape and fully functional. As I previously recommend, some used lenses may be had a lot cheaper than others due to needing to be professionally cleaned. You can save a lot of money if you buy the right dirty lens and pay to have it cleaned. The first time I did this was an EF 28-70 f/2.8L zoom. The lens was in good shape and worked ok but it was quite dusty inside. Because of the dust, no one wanted to buy the lens so I got it for $275 USD. It cost me $125 USD to have the lens disassembled and cleaned and reassembled. My cost was $400 USD and I later sold the lens for $830 USD. I then bought another one and did the same thing except I still use that one. Basically, I got a really nice lens for free.

MountainDave

Well, I own (among others) a 24-70 F2.8L II which some have called the zoom by which all zooms will be judged. Fabulous lens IMO and it is my workhorse and worth every penny. However, my cheapie 50mm 1.8 STM is just as sharp. Maybe the color is not quite comparable but it's close. AND, it's 1-1/3 stops faster. Yeah, it's cheaply built but for 125., who cares? I do use zooms mostly but I also like my 85mm 1.8 a lot for portrait work. Got it on sale for about 250. Finally, although I don't use it as much, a 135mm F2L which some reviewers say is Canon's best lens ever. It does produce exquisite images which explains why, after 20 years, used examples are still 500-650. BTW, nice work getting those deals!