EF or EF-S lens question: Hello and Happy Holidays to all. I own a Canon 7D. The lenses I've purchased have been EF lenses because I figured someday I might want to go "full frame."...

LindaChaplin Loc: South Dakota

Hello and Happy Holidays to all. I own a Canon 7D. The lenses I've purchased have been EF lenses because I figured someday I might want to go "full frame." Of, course, I have to figure the 1.6 crop factor in with these lenses. This seems like a very silly question, but do I still need to factor in the 1.6 crop factor with an EF-S lens or is an EF-S 18-200 truly those focal lengths? Thanks for the help.

birdpix Loc: South East Pennsylvania

LindaChaplin wrote:

Hello and Happy Holidays to all. I own a Canon 7D. The lenses I've purchased have been EF lenses because I figured someday I might want to go "full frame." Of, course, I have to figure the 1.6 crop factor in with these lenses. This seems like a very silly question, but do I still need to factor in the 1.6 crop factor with an EF-S lens or is an EF-S 18-200 truly those focal lengths? Thanks for the help.

Yes, you still need to figure in the crop factor.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Focal length never changes from lens to lens. What changes is the size of the sensor in the body that you use that lens on. Your body has the crop sensor so you need to calculate the 1.6X crop factor on any lens that you use on it to determine the effective equivalent focal length as compared to a full frame sensor.

LindaChaplin Loc: South Dakota

That's what I was thinking. Is there any advantage to purchasing the EF-S lenses other than they can be a bit less expensive?

haroldross Loc: Walthill, Nebraska

LindaChaplin wrote:

That's what I was thinking. Is there any advantage to purchasing the EF-S lenses other than they can be a bit less expensive?

That's probably a loaded question.

Cost is a consideration but there are a few very high quality EF-S lens out there that are not cheap.

For me, it came down to the question, Am I going to a full frame camera in the near future? I stopped buying EF-S lens a few years ago when I felt like it wouldn't be a long time before I made the change to a FF body.

Buy the best quality lens that you can to get the photographs you want. I went through 2 of the Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM autofocus lens on my cropped body Canons. It was my walk around lens that got extensive use. I don't feel that my money was wasted on these lens.

LindaChaplin Loc: South Dakota

Thanks for the discussion, Harold. The more I learn...the more I realize I don't know!

elandel Loc: Milan, Italy

Buy the best quality you can afford with future in mind.

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

LindaChaplin wrote:

That's what I was thinking. Is there any advantage to purchasing the EF-S lenses other than they can be a bit less expensive?

I can think of one case where buying EF-S or equivalent is your best option.
To get truly wide on an APSC camera then this is the path to take.
Its 10-11mm vs 16-17mm. Big difference.

infocus Loc: Australia

LindaChaplin wrote:

Thanks for the discussion, Harold. The more I learn...the more I realize I don't know!

Ah yes Linda! The wise man once said "To know you don't know begins all learning" I wish you good shooting. :D

ole sarg Loc: south florida

Let me get this straight. I have a camera with a crop size sensor. I am using a lens for a full sensor. So I put the camera to my eye and look through the camera at the subject I am going to capture and immediately calculate to know what I would capture if I had a full frame sensor. Why?

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

ole sarg wrote:

Let me get this straight. I have a camera with a crop size sensor. I am using a lens for a full sensor. So I put the camera to my eye and look through the camera at the subject I am going to capture and immediately calculate to know what I would capture if I had a full frame sensor. Why?

Ole sarg, would you like to rephrase that so that we know what the question is?

ASR666 Loc: Singapore

The EF range is far more extensive and has the professional (L) lenses. EFS lenses are generally lower quality and 'advanced amateur' quality at best. I use crop bodies (40D and 550D) and use the following:

* EFS 17-55 f2.8 as my general walkabout. Excellent lens but not cheap
* EFS 55-250 for distance and zoom work. Very light & sharp. I've done everything starting from portraits, fashion, wildlife and macro with it
* EF 100 for macro work
* EF 400 f5.6 for special birding and wildlife trips

quote=LindaChaplin]That's what I was thinking. Is there any advantage to purchasing the EF-S lenses other than they can be a bit less expensive?[/quote]

CamObs Loc: South America (Texas)

ole sarg wrote:

Let me get this straight. I have a camera with a crop size sensor. I am using a lens for a full sensor. So I put the camera to my eye and look through the camera at the subject I am going to capture and immediately calculate to know what I would capture if I had a full frame sensor. Why?

Substitute "field of view" for crop size. I don't know why you would need to "calculate" anything. WYSIWYG.

flyguy Loc: Las Cruces, New Mexico

LindaChaplin wrote:

That's what I was thinking. Is there any advantage to purchasing the EF-S lenses other than they can be a bit less expensive?

I would stick to buying EF lenses, if at all possible, because you will need to keep the 7D in order to utilize the EF-S lenses that you own. My first camera was the EOS 50D and I purchased the best
EF-S lenses not knowing that I would one day get the EOS 5D MKII and now wish that I had purchased the best EF lenses from the outset.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

ole sarg wrote:

Let me get this straight. I have a camera with a crop size sensor. I am using a lens for a full sensor. So I put the camera to my eye and look through the camera at the subject I am going to capture and immediately calculate to know what I would capture if I had a full frame sensor. Why?

Look through your camera and that's what you get!!!!
No factors needed.

WHY do you need to know the conversion factor?

I've shot from DX format all the way up to 8 x 10 view cameras and never did any math to convert anything.

You guys are taking a simple thing and making it wayyyyy too hard.