Junebugg71

Good morning everybody!! 🌞
Me again....

I am looking to purchase both, a telephoto and a prime lens.  Want to stay in the $300-350 range, total.

This is the telephoto I'm looking at on Amazon, but what does "(renewed)" mean??  Is that the same as refurbished?? 

Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 is STM Lens for Canon SLR Cameras (Renewed) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010FAU86K/ref=cm_sw_r_fm_apa_i_bAGIDbJXW30VA

This is the prime 50mm f/1.8 I am looking at this one on Amazon. 
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X8MRBCW/ref=cm_sw_r_fm_apa_i_ojGIDbD7SDR05

For the 50mm, reviews states improvements such as metal mount, sturdier barrel and AF/MF switch, larger focus ring, grippy matte finish and STM.  However, it also states thread size is 49mm instead of 58mm, which is what my SL2 has. 

Now, do all "nifty fifty" lenses have a 49mm thread?  Would the 50mm stand alone as an everyday lens without having to pair it with filters/tubes, etc, or would I have to buy even more items dedicated to just this 1 lens, or do they make a 58mm thread for it? If it's on Amazon, I'm just so tired, I'm apparently overlooking it....but If it's a stupid question, and they don't or can't make those number configurations, please go easy on me. I'm the first to admit numbers are NOT even close to being my strong suit.  I think that's why I find aperture, shutter speed, and ISO so difficult to grasp. Numbers, numbers, and more numbers...《sigh》 I read and YouTube everything I can, trying to "get it", but it just gets overwhelming and my brain turns to mush. 🤯

Anyway, I digress, but I do have just one more question (for now)....

For someone like me, who's just doing this as a hobby with my daughter, are these lenses ones that will be ok for a long while, without the need to upgrade?

I just want some decent lenses to take nice, crisp pictures for us to have and enjoy; maybe put some in scrapbooks and such for future generations.  I'm not looking to file bankruptcy with constant upgrades, become a pro, or be featured in NatGeo or anything. 😂😝

Thanks in advance!
Angee

BlueMorel Loc: Southwest Michigan

Buy from trusted vendors like B&HPhoto or KEH instead. I bought my 50mm direct from Canon refurb for $125. And, yes, it's a 49mm filter size. I bought my 55-250mm used from B&H for about $150. It takes the same 58mm filters as my kit lens.
Both are great lenses for those on a budget - quality glass.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

Renewed is like refurbished but not by the manufacturer. Amazon defines it as:
"Renewed: A product that has been inspected and tested to work and look like new by an Amazon-qualified and performance-managed supplier (a Marketplace seller or vendor) or by Amazon. The product has minimal to no signs of wear, no visible cosmetic imperfections when held 12 inches away, and may arrive in a brown or white box with relevant accessories that may be generic with exceptions, if any, mentioned on the product detail page. The product comes with the Amazon Renewed Guarantee giving you a replacement or refund within 90 days of purchase if the product does not work as expected.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Angee, you already have a lens covering 50mm in your 18-55 lens that came with your SL2. In one of your posts you mentioned mobility issues. A prime lens requires that you move around to frame your shoots, sometimes referred to as 'zooming with your feet'. I personally find my EF 50mm f/1.8 to be one of favorites lenses due to the smallish size and lite weight and incredible sharpness; but for your situation, it would seem this is not the best option as well as being redundant to your current 18-55. To add 'reach' to your camera beyond the 18-55 lens that you already own, look instead at the 55-250 as the next purchase.

Junebugg71

I see what you're saying and you make sense. But....I also want a fast lens like the 1.8 that can capture shots quickly. What would you suggest for that?

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

You're misunderstanding "fast" in this context. Shutter speed as measured from 30-seconds to 1/4000 of a second is how you freeze a fast moving subject or allow the subject to move / blur within the image. That fast / slow (long vs short) duration of the shutter is an attribute of the camera, any / all cameras. The duration of the shutterspeed has nothing to do with the lens, any lens.

When someone says the lens is "fast", they mean the lens has an option for a wide aperture. Lenses with maximum apertures of f/2.8 to f/0.5 are considered "fast". These "fast" lenses let you work in very low light and / or have very shallow depth of field and that pleasing blurred background that separates the focused subject from the blurred background.

A fast lens and a short shutter for a fast moving subject are not the same thing. They have no relation beyond the sense of both being photography terms.

So, to capture images of fast moving subjects requires a camera that reacts quickly with a lens that focuses quickly. Your SL2 and the candidate 55-250 meet this requirement.

Bike guy Loc: Atlanta

Check the Canon refurbished site. 1 year warranty. They have the 55-250- EF-S iS II for $199. It is a better lens than the one on Amazon. I have it and love it.
They also have the 50mm EF 1.8 which I too own. But ch canon advice is good on staying with your kit lens.

cameraf4 Loc: Delaware

Angee, first welcome to our group. From your posts I would deduce that, at this point, the best thing that you should do is buy/get/steal a good book on Photographic technique. Many folks here swear by Brian Peterson. He has written several very informative books.
Again, welcome and best of luck learning about our passion (photography, of course).

LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

The EF 50mm f/1.8 STM is a well regarded lens, and, if it fits your needs, is an economical way to go. From what I have read it is preferred over the 50mm f/1.8 II. There is also this lens, for a bit more money:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/801910504-USE/canon_2515a003_ef_50mm_f_1_4_usm.html
That is a faster, more expensive lens but still within your budget. It is used, but you can rely on B&H for their used products being as good or better then what they list them at.
The thread size that you mention only applies to the lens. It indicates what filter diameter fits the lens. It has nothing to do with your camera or pretty much anything else, unless you choose to use an aftermarket screw-on lens hood. You can get step-down adapter rings that would allow the use of a 58mm filter. The lens I provided the link for takes 58mm filters, BTW.

Edit: This will take you to reviews of the lenses being discussed:
https://kenrockwell.com/canon/lenses/index.htm#50

Junebugg71

Thanks I'll read these links.

I guess I just don't understand it though. My 18-55mm f/4-56 and the Canon EF-S 55-250mm IS STM are both f/4-5.6....except mm, these two have the very same aperture numbers.

I mean I obviously get that the 55-250mm focuses at a greater distance, but other than that, with the same aperture #, I don't understand the difference.

Looks like I need Photography For Dummies, and see if that can dumb it down for me. I know y'all have to feel like you're talking in circles with me. I'm sorry. 😔

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The entire collective knowledge of humankind is readily available on the internet. To begin to understand 'aperture', you can buy a book. But even quicker, you can ask google: what is aperture. The Wikipedia entries are always a good place to start your research. Read as many different responses to your google query until you find what makes sense to you.

Aperture and f-stops are rather technical if you really want to dig into the details. You seem to have attached your concern to a relatively unimportant aspect of these two lenses, both having the same maximum aperture possibilities. The difference in these lenses is the focal length that makes them completely different lenses for completely different uses even if the offer a common maximum aperture.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

OK. If no one else will say it, I will:
Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0104EOJSK/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

Joe Blow

First, I am always hesitant about buying used products from Amazon. Amazon doesn't own the product, hasn't seen the product, and is only collecting a commission for selling the product. Reviews and ratings are too easily manipulated to be reliable. New products might be safe, but I'm too wary about used.

My suggestion is to always buy from a reputable dealer. Yes, you may get something online from the big guys; Adorama, B&H, Roberts, etc. The biggest retailer of used camera equipment is KEH. These guys are pros and know what they are selling and have reputations to worry about. My favorite is to actually visit a bricks and mortar store that sells used equipment. They have guys that know what you need and can talk live to you. If you live in a large city that (hopefully) isn't a problem. (I bought my 70-200 f4, used, from Roberts in Indianapolis and couldn't be happier)

The Canon 50 1.8 is a decent lens and you will find uses. It can be used for a portrait lens, low light, etc. I would go for the 55-250 mm instead of the shorter lens. There will be many more times you want to zoom in on a subject than zoom out. A wider angle lens would be handier for indoor use and if you want to take large vistas. However, you would probably find the 55-250 works fine for most panoramas.

NOTE: You mention the EF 50 mm lens as having a 49 mm. That is the filter diameter. That is only important if you are attaching filters. Other kit lenses usually use a 58 mm filter. That means if you want to use a polarizer or lens hood you will need to buy them in each size and can't just switch the filter.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Of course, depending on her requirements and despite the mobility issues, she may want a 50mm fast prime for it shallow depth of field and low light advantages

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

The 55-250- EF-S iS II is not a better lens than the STM version