Crop sensor camera lenses - help!

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  • boogieman said:
    Matt_McG said:
    Can I add a dissenting voice? Wide angle lenses don't make for very interesting landscape photos. 

    If all you care about is 'fitting more into the frame', then sure. And you may have a really good reason for wanting to do that.

    But I think you'd be surprised what focal length was actually used on most/many of the more compelling/iconic landscape shots you see.
    I think the real problem is that a lot of WA landscape shots have pretty much been done to death and we’re too used to seeing the same style of shot, repeated over and over. Seascapes especially. 
    Oh God yes the rock or bit of driftwood with smoothed waves and sunset in the background. Yawn. 

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  • BudgieBudgie Frets: 2099
    I think you could level that criticism at all genres of photography though.
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  • jellyrolljellyroll Frets: 3073
    boogieman said:
    Matt_McG said:
    Can I add a dissenting voice? Wide angle lenses don't make for very interesting landscape photos. 

    If all you care about is 'fitting more into the frame', then sure. And you may have a really good reason for wanting to do that.

    But I think you'd be surprised what focal length was actually used on most/many of the more compelling/iconic landscape shots you see.
    I think the real problem is that a lot of WA landscape shots have pretty much been done to death and we’re too used to seeing the same style of shot, repeated over and over. Seascapes especially. 
    Oh God yes the rock or bit of driftwood with smoothed waves and sunset in the background. Yawn. 
    The only sensible thing Ken Rockwell has ever said is that wide angle lenses aren't for "getting more in", they're for getting closer to the subject. 
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  • LodiousLodious Frets: 1942
    RMJ said: 
    Thanks for your inputs guys. I have ordered a used 17-55 f2.8 from mpb.  I think it's the best option for what I need, which is a standard zoom range that I can use in low light. 

    If cost and convenience weren't so .If I of an issue I would be going for various primes.
    I had that lens for a while it was a cracker.
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  • GrumpyrockerGrumpyrocker Frets: 4118
    edited January 2019
    jellyroll said:
    boogieman said:
    Matt_McG said:
    Can I add a dissenting voice? Wide angle lenses don't make for very interesting landscape photos. 

    If all you care about is 'fitting more into the frame', then sure. And you may have a really good reason for wanting to do that.

    But I think you'd be surprised what focal length was actually used on most/many of the more compelling/iconic landscape shots you see.
    I think the real problem is that a lot of WA landscape shots have pretty much been done to death and we’re too used to seeing the same style of shot, repeated over and over. Seascapes especially. 
    Oh God yes the rock or bit of driftwood with smoothed waves and sunset in the background. Yawn. 
    The only sensible thing Ken Rockwell has ever said is that wide angle lenses aren't for "getting more in", they're for getting closer to the subject. 
    I tend to use my wide angle lens (Fuji 14mm) in a slightly unusual way. I always tend crop shots from it at least to 16:9 (and sometimes more like 2.35:1).

    It's a cinematic look. But then 14mm on Super35 is a popular combo in cinema. 

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  • Budgie said:
    I think you could level that criticism at all genres of photography though.

    Portraits shot wide open on a 105mm 1.4, 85mm 1.4 or 135mm 1.8. YAWN. 

    I keep seeing portraits where the ears and nose are blurred enough that it actually makes them look larger and distorted. If they'd just stopped down to f/2.8 or f/4 it would look much more natural.

    Fun fact - I've never been asked to blur the background more, but I have had one person ask if I could remove the "blur filter" so the photo as a whole was sharper. Funny world! 
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26753
    jellyroll said:
    boogieman said:
    Matt_McG said:
    Can I add a dissenting voice? Wide angle lenses don't make for very interesting landscape photos. 

    If all you care about is 'fitting more into the frame', then sure. And you may have a really good reason for wanting to do that.

    But I think you'd be surprised what focal length was actually used on most/many of the more compelling/iconic landscape shots you see.
    I think the real problem is that a lot of WA landscape shots have pretty much been done to death and we’re too used to seeing the same style of shot, repeated over and over. Seascapes especially. 
    Oh God yes the rock or bit of driftwood with smoothed waves and sunset in the background. Yawn. 
    The only sensible thing Ken Rockwell has ever said is that wide angle lenses aren't for "getting more in", they're for getting closer to the subject. 
    I tend to use my wide angle lens (Fuji 14mm) in a slightly unusual way. I always tend crop shots from it at least to 16:9 (and sometimes more like 2.35:1).

    It's a cinematic look. But then 14mm on Super35 is a popular combo in cinema. 
    I do the same with the 10-24. I'll still often shoot at the 24 end and still crop, wide-in-widescreen can be really lovely too. 


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  • RMJRMJ Frets: 1274
    Received my EFS 17-55 f2.8 today. Can't fault the quality of the test images I have taken with it. But fuck me sideways it's big. I'm really concerned about getting it round New York. Not exactly inconspicuous. 

    Dilemma - return it to mpb (can I even do that?) And pit the money towards a micro 4/3 system (Have been thinking about switching for a while), OR suck it up and embrace the heft in the knowledge I will get decent images of my trip of a lifetime.
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  • RMJ said:
    Received my EFS 17-55 f2.8 today. Can't fault the quality of the test images I have taken with it. But fuck me sideways it's big. I'm really concerned about getting it round New York. Not exactly inconspicuous. 

    Dilemma - return it to mpb (can I even do that?) And pit the money towards a micro 4/3 system (Have been thinking about switching for a while), OR suck it up and embrace the heft in the knowledge I will get decent images of my trip of a lifetime.

    MPB have 14 day no quibble returns :) 

    What is your budget? If size is a real concern, I truly wonder whether you could swap your kit for a fuji xe-2 or xe-3 and the excellent fuji 18-55. Sony a6300 are great too, but lacking in small, good quality zooms.
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  • RMJRMJ Frets: 1274
    RMJ said:
    Received my EFS 17-55 f2.8 today. Can't fault the quality of the test images I have taken with it. But fuck me sideways it's big. I'm really concerned about getting it round New York. Not exactly inconspicuous. 

    Dilemma - return it to mpb (can I even do that?) And pit the money towards a micro 4/3 system (Have been thinking about switching for a while), OR suck it up and embrace the heft in the knowledge I will get decent images of my trip of a lifetime.

    MPB have 14 day no quibble returns :) 

    What is your budget? If size is a real concern, I truly wonder whether you could swap your kit for a fuji xe-2 or xe-3 and the excellent fuji 18-55. Sony a6300 are great too, but lacking in small, good quality zooms.
    Well the lens was 450. So probably 500....

    Fuji are APS-C no?
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  • RMJ said:
    RMJ said:
    Received my EFS 17-55 f2.8 today. Can't fault the quality of the test images I have taken with it. But fuck me sideways it's big. I'm really concerned about getting it round New York. Not exactly inconspicuous. 

    Dilemma - return it to mpb (can I even do that?) And pit the money towards a micro 4/3 system (Have been thinking about switching for a while), OR suck it up and embrace the heft in the knowledge I will get decent images of my trip of a lifetime.

    MPB have 14 day no quibble returns :) 

    What is your budget? If size is a real concern, I truly wonder whether you could swap your kit for a fuji xe-2 or xe-3 and the excellent fuji 18-55. Sony a6300 are great too, but lacking in small, good quality zooms.
    Well the lens was 450. So probably 500....

    Fuji are APS-C no?

    They are, but you have stumbled on what I believe is the failing of Canon and nikon - the full frame experience.

    In short, Canon and nikon didn't put tons of effort into decent lenses across a range of sizes. There were small, quite low quality kit lenses and some larger full frame equivalents.

    Fuji are committed to the smaller sensor, so you have choice - tiny, decent quality variable aperture lenses, mid range, good quality lenses a bit above the competition and the larger full frame equivalents that are aimed at serious photographers. The fuji 18-55 kit lens gives you the 18-55 range but the variable aperture is a full stop faster than offerings from Canon and nikon, and the optics are very good - so it's f/2.8 - f/4. It's not a huge lens, bit bigger than a cheaper Canon kit lens but smaller than the quite large f/2.8 lenses, focuses fast and gives great images.

    The older gen of cameras (xt1, xe2) and the newer xt20 offer phenomenal value. You should be able to get an xe2 or xt1 plus that kit lens for about £500 ish, and they are great cameras. The next gen (xt20, xt2, xe3) give better focusing, more pixels but not a whole lot else - definitely refinement rather than remaining the wheel. 

    However, it won't be as small as m43 and I'd recommend try before you but to make sure it's a good fit. You'll be surprised at how good that little fuji lens is though. Alternatively, I really still love the Panasonic gx85 and the absolutely diddy kit lens. Not fast, not amazing quality but tiny and still takes great shots. 
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  • RMJRMJ Frets: 1274
    Thanks @ThePrettyDamned ....bloody nightmare this. Need to make a decision quickly as I go to NY on the 19th Jan. A smaller less conspicuous package that takes decent pictures sounds really attractive to me right now!! 
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  • RMJ said:
    Thanks @ThePrettyDamned ....bloody nightmare this. Need to make a decision quickly as I go to NY on the 19th Jan. A smaller less conspicuous package that takes decent pictures sounds really attractive to me right now!! 

    Are you near Cambridge? Happy to let you try out my xt2. I don't have a zoom, just the 23mm 1.4 and 50mm f/2, but it'll give you a feel for size (bearing in mind the xt2 is larger than other models, it's still less intimidating than even a tiny plastic SLR, maybe due to styling).

    John Lewis always has some micro 43 cameras out to try. 
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  • RMJRMJ Frets: 1274
    RMJ said:
    Thanks @ThePrettyDamned ....bloody nightmare this. Need to make a decision quickly as I go to NY on the 19th Jan. A smaller less conspicuous package that takes decent pictures sounds really attractive to me right now!! 

    Are you near Cambridge? Happy to let you try out my xt2. I don't have a zoom, just the 23mm 1.4 and 50mm f/2, but it'll give you a feel for size (bearing in mind the xt2 is larger than other models, it's still less intimidating than even a tiny plastic SLR, maybe due to styling).

    John Lewis always has some micro 43 cameras out to try. 
    Thanks but not local to you unfortunately 

    What's the xt1 like? Seems ok spec wise
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26753
    edited January 2019
    I'm still loving my XT1. I much prefer it over the X-Ex series for all the manual controls. As I feel like saying so often on facebook groups and forums "it was an awesome camera the day before they released the newer one and didn't become any worse after". 

    That with the 18-55 should make an awesome walkabout combination. I use the 18-135, 10-24 or 35 f1.4 depending on what I'm doing but can shoot all day with any one of those. I'm 100% sure the 18-55 is just as good and smaller than the other zooms too. Fuji literally doesn't make a single bad lens.

    FWIW I started with an Olympus M4/3, then went Canon 650D for better quality, then moved to Fuji after getting annoyed carrying a bulky DSLR around everywhere. I did all that within the space of 3 or 4 years, and have now had the XT1 for 4 years and not even considering anything else since, except now maybe an XT3 purely for better high-ISO performance and general speed. 
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  • RMJRMJ Frets: 1274
    Thanks @stickyfiddle ;

    The 18-55 looks very decent for a kit lens. That combination will set me back 600+ quid used by the looks of it 
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26753
    RMJ said:
    Thanks @stickyfiddle ;

    The 18-55 looks very decent for a kit lens. That combination will set me back 600+ quid used by the looks of it 
    It's genuinely awesome. It's really not like any other "kit lens" from the Canikon side of things - serviceable but cheap. It's a properly great lens. The only reason i don't have one is because I already have the longer one, and that was chosen more for weather resistance than focal length. 

    Might be worth getting your hands on an XE2/2s/3 if you can, just for comparison's sake but the XT1+kit is definitely what I'd buy for that budget.

    I've also just remembered the EVF! It's amazing, and way better than the X-E version Buy the XT1! :D
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  • GagarynGagaryn Frets: 1553
    If I was in your shoes I'd just use a EFS 10-18mm STM and the 50mm f1.8 STM. Both are more than good enough that poor shots are more likely be down to the user rather than the lens and they are small enough to stick in a coat pocket. Plus you could pick up the pair on MPB for £250 so you are unlikely to lose any money if you decide to move to full frame or mirrorless in the future.
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  • RMJRMJ Frets: 1274
    RMJ said:
    Thanks @stickyfiddle ;

    The 18-55 looks very decent for a kit lens. That combination will set me back 600+ quid used by the looks of it 
    It's genuinely awesome. It's really not like any other "kit lens" from the Canikon side of things - serviceable but cheap. It's a properly great lens. The only reason i don't have one is because I already have the longer one, and that was chosen more for weather resistance than focal length. 

    Might be worth getting your hands on an XE2/2s/3 if you can, just for comparison's sake but the XT1+kit is definitely what I'd buy for that budget.

    I've also just remembered the EVF! It's amazing, and way better than the X-E version Buy the XT1! :D
    The xt10 is quite a bit less expensive and seems to have similar features to xt1. Looks like it could work....
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26753
    RMJ said:
    RMJ said:
    Thanks @stickyfiddle ;

    The 18-55 looks very decent for a kit lens. That combination will set me back 600+ quid used by the looks of it 
    It's genuinely awesome. It's really not like any other "kit lens" from the Canikon side of things - serviceable but cheap. It's a properly great lens. The only reason i don't have one is because I already have the longer one, and that was chosen more for weather resistance than focal length. 

    Might be worth getting your hands on an XE2/2s/3 if you can, just for comparison's sake but the XT1+kit is definitely what I'd buy for that budget.

    I've also just remembered the EVF! It's amazing, and way better than the X-E version Buy the XT1! :D
    The xt10 is quite a bit less expensive and seems to have similar features to xt1. Looks like it could work....
    Yes, it's the same sensor and software so should be able to give you essentially identical pictures.

    The XT10 loses the ISO dial (not a huge issue - it's set & forget for most applications) and has a smaller EVF, and no weather sealing. But it's also smaller and lighter and cheaper, so most likely will be all the camera you need.
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