Camera Labs

I was looking very hard at Pany G3 for a while but I finally settled with T2i.
(I already have sx40hs and I plan to take most of my videos on it so I chose T2i instead of T3i)

It comes with 18-135, 55-250 lenses. I have nifty-fifty.

If you are in my shoes and could choose just one lens to complement the collection, what would you buy, and for what kind of pictures?

Thanks.

I am so excited to try my first DSLR!

If I had to choose a single general purpose lens for my camera it would probably be the EF-s 15-85mm, budget permitting obviously. a second option would be the twin lens kit of 18-55 & 55-250

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Canon EOS 400D, EF-S 18-55mm, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, EF 50mm f/1.8 MK I, EF-S 10-22mm, EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM, EF 28mm f/1.8, EF 85mm f/1.8
Canon 430EX II, Manfrotto 055CXPRO3, Arca Swiss P0
Panasonic GF3, Panasonic 20mm f/1.7, Olympus 45mm f/1.8

MY FLICKR!

Your present zooms do cover much range. I really enjoy my 10-22mm EF-S. I use it at work to show interiors of rooms, and to get overall images of large outdoor areas, before switching to other lenses for close-up detail shots. (To simplify things, I have multiple camera bodies.) On my own time, I will sometimes use the 10-22mm during daylight as a walk-around lens, when I anticipate wanting to shoot ultra-wide to wide-normal images.

If you are content with the 18mm end of your 18-135mm as being wide enough, and you like shooting images of birds and wildlife, perhaps a 400mm 5.6? That one is on my short list, but there is little urgency, as I presently have so little time to visit open spaces.

If neither wider nor longer than your zooms are of interest, well, try seeing if there are any sweet spots where you tend to use your zooms, but might want a wider available aperture. If 35mm seems to be a favored focal length, for example, a 35mm 1.4L might be a consideration, if your budget wil accommodate it. People who own these tend to love them. An 85mm 1.8
is much more budget-friendly, and also seems to be much-favored. (I own a 35mm1.4L, but not an 85mm 1.8.)

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Canon 7D/5D/40D/1D2N; Nikon F6, FM3A, & Coolpix A; Canon 40mm Pancake, 135L, 50L, 35L, pre-II 50mm 1.8, 100mm 2.8L Macro, 10-22mm EF-S, 28-135 EF, 400mm 5.6L; Nikkor 50mm 1.2 AI-S, 50mm 1.4G, 50mm 1.8D, 16mm 2.8D Fisheye, 180mm 2.8D, 100-300mm 5.6 AI-S; Tokina 17mm & 100mm 2.8 Macro

So 18-135, 55-250 and 50mm do exist yet and we have to choose what lens to add? In this case I'd look for a macro lens like the 100mm 2.8.


The title of this thread sounds like "You have a camera but no lens and you want a lens you'll never change" - in this case I'd go for the Tamron 18-270 VC

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Canon EOS 500D + Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Canon EF 24-105mm 4L IS USM + EF 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS USM + EF 100mm 2.8L Macro IS USM + Sigma 12-24mm 4.5-5.6 EX DG HSM + Canon Speedlite 580 EX II + Nissin Speedlite Di 466

The T2i/550D was my first and I went with the Sigma 18-125 which gave me a good range to start learning with. Being a APS-C sized sensor the wide angle 18mm is very handy. I would certainly recommend the 18-135. the 55-250 if it will be your primary lens will be too narrow at 55mm on a APS-C sensor.

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Mike "The Squirrel"
Canon 550D | Canon EF 35mm 1:2 | Canon 50 f/1.8 II | Sigma 18-125mm DC OS | Tamron SP 70-300mm Di VC USD | Canon 430EX II
Military Issued Canon 40D | Canon 55-250mm IS