 Mary K. Stewart |
Canon EOS 50D vs Full Frame I am interested in purchasing the Canon EOS 50D with an EF 24-105mm f4 L IS USM for the purpose of mostly landscape photography. This will be my first large investment in equipment. I was wondering if I can achieve the same or similar results using a wide-angle lens as I could achieve if I upgraded to a full-frame camera. Please help as I am somewhat new to this.
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Frank E. Trinkle |
Hi Mary, The 50D is a great camera (I own one, along with my 5d MkII Full Frame and a new 7D). The difference between the full frame and the 50D is the sensor. On the 50D, you have to multiply the lens focal length by a factor of 1.6. That means that your effective focal length on the 24-105 using the 50D is actually going to be the equivalent of 38-168mm. That is not really a true "wide angle" ... it is really a normal to medium telephoto zoom. If your primary focus is on landscapes, I might recommend that if you end up with a 50D and want an "L" lens, that you consider the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L, which is a truly awesome wide angle zoom and would give you an effective focal length of 25-56mm on the 50D. Having said that, the full frame 5D MkII is a phenomenal camera, and if you can afford the premium price, you would be in heaven with it. But the 25-105 matched with it is still barely a true wide-angle, and when I shoot landscapes with my 5D, I am still always using the 16-35. (You might ALSO consider the 7D that has features very similar to the 5D but at the 1.6 focal length multiplier, and it shoots HD movies as well!) Hope this helps a little. Cheers
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Mary, another good Canon wide-angle L lens is the 17-40. And I would second Frank's recommendation ... if money isn't a problem, get the 5D-II ... because next year you'll be ready to upgrade anyway. :-)
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Mary K. Stewart |
Thanks for your responses. Since this gets into more money, what is a less expensive standard telephoto that would work with this camera for some closeups of kids, nature, etc.? I am looking to be able to get into the landscape photography, but also want to have capability for other shots.
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R K Stephenson |
I'm not sure what will constitute less expensive, but Canon's 70-200 is one of my favorite lenses and it can be used for portraits, nature and landscapes. The f/4 70-200 without image stabilization is a little over $600 at BHPhoto; about $1200 with IS. (The f/2.8 with IS tips the scales at $1800.)
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Frank E. Trinkle |
Without knowing what your budget is, I have to assume that you want to keep it relatively low (hence your original post regarding the 50D). The 50D "kit" with the 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 Canon lens is a great starter. Buying as a kit also saves you about $200 off what buying the body and lens separately would cost. The 28-135 lens is an IS USM lens, not an "L" lens, but it has received very good reviews around the net on evaluation sites. It is not technically a macro lens, but it has close focusing to 20" from the subject. At Amazon, the price is currently $1129 as a kit and in stock. They also have the kit with the EF-S 18-200mm for $1770, however I do NOT recommend this kit because the lens is an "EF-S" and will not be compatible with higher level Canons down the road should you decide to upgrade bodies or add a 5D for example down the road. The link to Amazon's Kit is: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EQ4BY0/ Other options may be more suitable should you have a higher budget. Let us know here.... Cheers
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Mary K. Stewart |
Thanks everyone for your responses! I settled on the 50D with the 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 and additionally purchased the 16-35mm f/2.8L so that I can upgrade the camera body in the future if needed. Your input was all very helpful.
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Frank E. Trinkle |
Happy for you Mary. Great choices! Let us know how you like the camera. Also, may I suggest one of the best books on the 50D: Canon 50D Digital Field Guide by Charlotte Lowrie. She has written a number of Canon Field Guides and the books are really very comprehensive and specific to the model. $13.59 at Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Canon-EOS-Digital-Field-Guide/dp/0470455594/ Will really give you a head start! Cheers
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