Canon 550D Lens Question

[AllanKustom]

Hi
I’m looking at getting myself my 1st DSLR camera. I really like the look of the Cannon 550D
My question is regarding lens to get.
I intend to go for the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS SLR Lens which comes bundles with the camera.
I have also seen it sold with a Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS SLR Lens, as well as a bundle deal this has the Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS Lens as well as the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS SLR Lens.
I’m a bit stuck at which to do for in all fairness.
I want to use the camera for portraits, landscapes, kiting and surfing shots and general out and about photography as well as taking hi-quality photos of tattoos I work in a tattoo studio, and of our studio.
I would be really grateful of any advice to help me
Thanks
Allan

[MikhailCompo]

Hello mate

I recently bought the 550D with the 18-55 kit to go to the Dolomites, it was a suitable lens for the many panorama shots, but i felt it was too short at the telephoto end.

The 550D however, I love. Its my first DSLR, my sixth digital camera.

If i could do it again, i would get the 550D with a single 'super zoom', i particularly like (really really want!) the look and reviews of the Tamron AF 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 Di ll VC LD (http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/...p5-6p3_vc_n15/ http://www.intro2020.co.uk/pages/tamron31.htm)

However, in the UK that lens is about £400 compared to the £550 or so for a 550D body only so its a lot of money.

Basically, I would not go for the 18-55, i think it limits how you would enjoy the camera.

Let us know how you get on and what decision you make. Good luck!

[CaraRose]

For an inexpensive combo, the kit lens (18-55) and the 55-250mm covers a good deal of range and would be cheaper than a superzoom. The Tamron 18-270 is a really nice lens if you want to avoid changing lenses.

[Rivman]

I borrowed my b-i-l's Tameron 18-270 lens for a short period this summer to try it out on my XSi (450D). He bought it for his T1i (500D). It was a little larger and heavier than the "kit" lenses that came with the XSi (18-55 IS,55-250 IS), and took a little getting used to, but the convenience of not having to change lenses, and the overall performance, make this superzoom lens a logical choice that is really very affordable to extend your range. :thumbsup:

[straightarm]

if you're new to SLR photography, take it gently and don't rush in buying extra lenese before you really know what you want.

Just but the cmaera with the kit lens, and when you've reached the limitations of that lens, then buy others to enable yo to take the pictures you want to take but the lit lens won't allow you to.

[Skyman]

I own a ton of lenses, primes, zooms and a couple of L series lenses in my home kit. For work we recently bought a 550d and the canon 18-200is - primarily for video, but I have been so impressed with their performance I am seriously considering selling my gear and swapping them for this kit. The only downside is that your kite and surfing photos really need specialist longer lenses - 400+ mm (in the film days 600mm was sort of the target focal length. You could get away with a 300mm zoom and a teleconverter but then you will be sacrificing a lot of light and AF ability - and I am not sure if there are teleconverters available to suit EF-s lenses (canons digital mount) Same goes with the tatoos. You might find that a standard lens is good enough, but I think you might be wanting to shoot semi macro. This would mean either buying a dedicated macro lens or extension tubes which I am not sure work with EF-s lenses. The good news is that regular EF lenses work great on the 550d, but you really don't see wide angle ones cheap.

So the upshot of all of this, there are two ways to look at it. If your budget is tight and you are happy to live with limitations you will do fine with almost any of the lenses you listed. If you want the right gear for the job, you can see yourself getting seriously into photography and or growing your gear over time (and you have the budget of course) then it actually makes financial sense to get the best gear you can now, as if you factor in the cost of upgrading as you want more / better gear, then you will end up spending several times more than you would have at the outset.

Solutions - there aren't any, but maybe get the camera and a very basic lens but then hire some of the lenses you are interested in to work out what YOU want in your kit. Not every photographer needs / wants everything and save up to buy the gear you need not the gear you can afford.