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Old 05-02-2012, 07:55 PM
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jjjnettie (Jeanette)
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Upgrading. Which Lens?

It's time to upgrade from the stock 18-55mm.
As I already have the Nifty Fifty, I'm thinking that either of these lenses would almost fill the gap.
Canon EF 28mm F2.8 $369
Canon EF 24mm F2.8 $539
I'll be using it for Terrestrial as well as Astro work.
Price is a big consideration here. If I can get away with the cheaper lens, that would be great.
The reviews I've read say they are comparable in optical quality.
Has anyone used either lens for Astro work??
Is there any other lens that you would recommend? It doesn't have to be a prime.
Thanks.
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Old 05-02-2012, 08:31 PM
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koputai (Jason)
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Hi JJ,

I've read a fair number of reviews saying the 28mm (both versions) are
not great performers.

I was looking at similar lenses to you, so analysed six Canon lenses,
the two 24's, two 28's, and two 35's. The results from best to worst
were:

35mm f/1.4
35mm f/2
24mm f/2.8
24mm f/1.4
28mm f/1.8
28mm f/2.8

I couldn't justify the 35mm f/1.4, so bought the 35mm f/2. It has
turned out to be a great lens. It's awesome for hassle free astro
work as the focus stops bang on infinity for easy astro focusing.

If the 35mm is too narrow for you, I'd go for the 24mm f/2.8

Cheers,
Jason.
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Old 08-02-2012, 07:12 AM
gbeal
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JJ,
I know you state price as a consideration, but have you considered the Zeiss equivalent, ZE24, ZE28 or whatever it us they make? Maybe ZE25?
While a manual focus lens could be a PITA for daylight photos (not for me, but some do like auto), at night, the manual will really come into it's own, if you have ever tried the uphill struggle that is focusing finely an auto-focus lens.
Gary
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Old 08-02-2012, 07:44 AM
Chancellor (Jeff)
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I'm not sure when you are looking to purchase, but Canon have just announced new versions of their 24 and 28mm F2.8 lenses.
It'll still take a few months before they are released (June release date I believe), but I guess we should start to see the older versions on sale in the coming months.

Also, speaking of 35mm lenses, I have heard some very good things about the Samyang 35mm F1.4 lens. It's manual focus only but much cheaper than Canon lenses and has some very good reviews.
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Old 08-02-2012, 02:12 PM
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[1ponders] (Paul)
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I know its a bit out of your price range and is f/4 but the 17-40mm is a lovely lens to use. Being at work I can't check ebay but it might be worth thinking about
http://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/lenses/17-40mm.htm
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Old 08-02-2012, 03:09 PM
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jjjnettie (Jeanette)
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I don't care how lovely the lens is, F4 is too slow and at 2 to 3 times the price of the lenses I was looking at, I'd say that's more than a "bit" out of my price range.
Mustn't be waving stuff like that under my nose Paul. shakes finger

Last edited by jjjnettie; 08-02-2012 at 05:12 PM.
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Old 08-02-2012, 04:22 PM
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StephenM (Stephen)
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Hi jjj,

Like Jason, I'd recommend the EF35mm f/2 lens. My copy is fairly sharp even at f/2, and I use it both for astro and daytime use (e.g. kids portraits, for which it gives great results). I owned a nifty 50 briefly, but the 35 f/2 is a far better lens in my opinion. It's currently $372 delivered from DWI:

http://www.dwidigitalcameras.com.au/...p?idProduct=57

Hope this is useful.

Cheers,
Stephen
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Old 08-02-2012, 04:42 PM
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Octane (Humayun)
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The 35mm is effectively a 50mm lens on the 1.6x crop bodies.

50mm then becomes an 85mm equivalent. Perfect portrait focal length.

H
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Old 09-02-2012, 10:07 AM
Poita (Peter)
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I find the 35mm focal length on a DX body to by just perfect for general shots of the family and is usable for astro work.
I'm on the Nikon side of the fence, but find my 1.8 35mm is the most used lens on my DX cameras. Just like a 50mm on a full frame body.
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