Upgrading your Canon kit lens - lots of recommendations!
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 4 окт 2024
- So, you want a better lens for your camera for everyday use? There are tonnes of options out there, but here are the lenses I most frequently recommend to people (these are my recommendations for APS-C cameras). Here are links to all the reviews:
Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (the kit lens): • Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS ...
Canon 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM: • Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3...
Canon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM: • Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/...
Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 OS HSM: • Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 OS...
Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM: • Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2...
Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 HSM: • Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC...
Canon 40mm f/2.8 STM (pancake): • Canon EF 40mm STM 'Pan...
Sigma 30mm f/1.4 HSM: • Sigma 30mm f1.4 Lens R...
Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC 'Art': • Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC 'A...
Sigma 35mm f/1.4 HSM: • Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HS...
If you've found this or other videos I've made to be helpful, then support me on Patreon! www.patreon.co...
All shots and video taken by me with my trusty Canon 60D.
Music: 'Shades of Spring' by Kevin Macleod (www.incompetech.com)
Love to see the face behind the voice that always talks about my favourite lenses :)
Its always a little weird though isn't it, its like when you see a radio presenter, I know the voice, but Im just not used to seeing you! Great videos though Chris, Love em!
I dont trust anyone elses Camera reviews on RUclips, Chris is the only guy i check out when i need to purchase a new lens.
Jared Polin he is a Profeccional Photographer
There is also Ken Rockwell who has a website and a RUclips channel
Can't tell you how much I appreciate these thoughtful, un-biased reviews that move through the whole parameter space of a decision succinctly. Eleven minutes of my time instead of 8 hours of confusing research. Incredibly luxurious. Liked and subscribed!
You know Chris, i thought the voiceover was a robot haha as your voice sound so flawless. Glad to see your finally appear here
Just a reminder that you make superb quality videos. I trust your judgment because of your thorough nature and ability to be objective. This hobby is more enjoyable because of these videos.
Angel Rodriguez Thanks! :-)
For me the 24-70mm/2.8L II works absolute wonders. I rarely used the
Your voice is soooooo incredible relaxing. Listening you enables me to achieve inner peace, as well as better photos. Keep up the good work!
I struggled taking landscapes with the softness and purple aberrations of my Canon 18-135 kit lens till I was nearly driven mad and could take no more. I took your advice and got a Sigma 17-50. Boy is that lens a dream.
Love your lens reviews. Used this and a few others (mostly from you) to decide on my new Sigma 17-50mm f2.8. Wild that this video from 9yrs ago still seems to have some of the most relevant info on this sort of lens choice.
really love your work . Its such a systematic manner that i can compare every lens just because of the standard test that all the lenses follow
Before I buy I always come here to check your reviews first... keep up the good work...
Cheers Chris, as always a balanced and informative review.
Thanks cristopher...thanks to this video I bought a sigma 17-50 f/2.8. I bought my first dslr without kit lens and bought that one directly. thumbs up
Funny that I'm getting recommended a lot of your old videos at the moment. I didn't realise you used to appear on camera! Thought it was a very recent thing you introduced.
Great job Chris. I own 2 of the lenses you mentioned. The Canon 18-135mm STM and the prime Canon 40mm STM. I am very happy with both. The 18-135 takes exceptional pictures and I look forward to your hands-on review of it later this year. I think you are going to like it. Your review of the 40mm was great. Shalom!
Very New in photography and this has explained so much on why my pictures look the way they do (kit lens) thank you for the tips on lenses
Oh hi! Didn't see you come in.
(calls police)
Ded😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Glad to see the the face behind that very distinctive voice, offering good advice.
I love the fact that you keep the section name at the top left for quick reference if I want to skip around the video.
your reviews are really straight forward and thurough. i really like watching them. i was discussing with my father which lens he should upgrade to from his kit lens and we discussed 3 of the lenses you recomended in this video. its funny the lenses we chose were the same ones you recomended. we settled on the 15-85mm as he wants to do primeraly landscape and i personally own that lens and i love it. thanks for puting so much time and effort into your videos.
Chris you give the best reviews...making the decision to make a purchase so much easier. Thank you.
Thanks for your attention to detail and keeping the videos from getting too dry, Chris! Long-time fan and subscriber, first time commenter.
I watch a lot of your videos, and only watched this one as it appeared to put a face to the voice. It was rather shocking, in so much as I had a different face in my mind. Great videos, don't be shy of putting yourself on camera and keep up the good, honest, work. Thanks.
Thanks for a review on a few lenses you talked about, I enjoy watching your reviews and the building that you to show sharpness and softness of the lens and I like your commentary, your style is new and fun to watch.
Help a lot when looking for a upgrade after I was sick of the lack of quality from the kit lense. Cheers!
As most comments, great video and great to see you! First place to come if you want an honest and full lens review.
Finally I could put a face to the very familiar voice 😊
This review is a guide for all beginners who wants to upgrade from kit lens, myself included. Thanks for this amazing video.
Perfect video. I choose to upgrade my kit zoom lens to a Sigma 18-35 mm für Night and Indoor/concert shoots and now i'm searching for a "Superzoom" for outdoor and travelling.
Probably gonna be the Canon 18-135mm.
i’ve been watching your videos since 2020 and this is the first time i saw your face!
Chris! Get your eyes ready for some compliments! I love this new video ^ :). It is such a great idea to create a video about upgrading your kit lens and I can't believe that I hadn't thought of it myself! and come to think of it, no reviewers that I follow have done one either! nit like you have anyway..
A person with a library of reviews as large as yours is a great person to make recommendations like that :). great work!
I've actually been inspired by your reviews and have actually started making my own reviews :). My dad and I joke and say "I'm going to make a Christopher Frost style review" and try and mimicking your voice but fail to make anything sound as lovely as yours :)
so I'm glad you're still creating, and I hope your patrons are supporting you enough :)
Thanks! It's really kind of you to send this encouraging message :-) I think this video might be due for an update sometime soon. All the best :-)
+Christopher Frost Photography no problem Chris. aahh yeah that would be a great idea! I look forward to it :)
Thanks for the video, Chris. Personally, I started with a Nikon D40 and the kit lens which was a 18-55 mm. I have to say that I took many photos which I was really pleased with. It is, as they say, the photographer that's important - excuse me blowing my own trumpet. Additionally, I always advise friends to use the kit lens for a while before buying another lens to see what kind of photography they enjoy. I discovered that I loved macro photography. And it really was a discovery. I had no idea when I bought the camera that that kind of photography would grab me.
That is good advice, to use the kit lens first :-)
Hi Chris! Kudos on your lens reviews. They are the best on RUclips in my humble opinion. Going back and shooting the same building is also a great way to see the differences between different lenses and I don't see anyone else doing anything like that. Whatever you do, Don;'t let them tear down that building!!! :-)
I just wanted to add a quick thought or two on the subject you covered here. I've been using the Canon 15-85mm IS for almost three years now and I really love it. I bought it as my first upgrade from my kit lens. It paired well with my T1i and more recently my T5i and think it was well worth the costs. The main drawback is the speed. I recently took it on holiday to Europe and paired with a Canon 28mm f2.8 IS, and I was able to get most of what I wanted. The Canon 24mm might have been a better choice for indoors on a crop sensor body, but both primes are nice and worth a look. The 24 is about $50(US) more.
I also recently purchased the Sigma 18-35mm 1.8 for Christmas, and I was saddened to have to return it. The build, color and sharpness of this lens really blew me away, but the copy I had had serious focus issues. This lens may just not pair well with certain Canon bodies, or it may have just been knocked around in transit, I don't know. I ended up settling for the Sigma 17-50 f/2.8, in part based on your review, so thank you for that. I was temped to wait and buy the next revision of the Canon 17-55, but one never knows when that might happen. It's also twice as expensive as the Sigma, and I saw some criticism from buyers about the current version of the Canon that also waived me off. But since I don't own one I won't pile on, I'll just say that I saw no complaints about sharpness, accuracy or color.
Anyway I do now own the Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 and have decided to keep it. I took it to a couple of family Christmas events and did some indoor shooting. The constant 2.8 is nice, the color is OK, but the focus accuracy at 2.8 is not always as spot on as on my Canon 15-85mm wide open. I found myself shooting the Sigma mostly in manual mode at 4.0, 1/200, bouncing my flash in ETTL mode, which worked really well for indoor family snaps, and of 35 or so "keepers" I only saw one with questionable focus. Anyway thanks again for your excellent and generous input on this subject. I'm sure many people have found your work helpful. Merry Christmas!
+MediumGreenMike Sorry to hear you had a bad time with the Sigma 18-35. One way to get more accurate autofocus, if you're in a critical situation, is to use the slower autofocus in the liveview mode on your camera - it's contrast detection and a bit more accurate
I got an 18-150mm with an f/3.5-5.6 aperture as a kit lense. The autofocus was quite fast usign an STM motor. I first got a more wide-angle zoom (11-22mm f/4-5.6) then a more telephoto zoom 70-300mm f/4-5.6. At this point I am getting prime lenses for indoor and low light as well as close-ups.
I love my sigma 17-50mm f2.8! Relatively cheap and fantastic picture quality.
I'm very happy with mine as well. A bit heavy but who cares.
Wonderful easy to watch videos. As a dslr newbie they are invaluable. Thanks Christopher
Thank you very much Cristopher for your great videos that really help amateur photographs. Following one of you video, I finally bought the 15-85mm of Canon instead of the 17-40mm f/4 L.
Very good decision
Come on the 18-55 IS STM is really great, you need to relplace it only if you want more zoom, or a wider angle. but in terms of image sharpness, it's really good
This is my first time seeing your face after seeing probably 50 of your videos!🙂
Gotta love the nifty fifty, and 18-135.
Great lineup! The only drawback is... some of those lenses are quite pricey for the hobby photographers among us.
Keep the reviews coming, great work Christopher.
Take a look at my budget lens videos :-)
Really recommend 70-300mm tamron sp di VC USD, can get it used for $200 and it's very sharp even at long zoom ranges
Finally, I saw how you look like. All the videos I watched for you was just your sound :D
Nice to finally meet you, Chris. Greetings from Melbourne Aus
I enjoyed the good advice and also liked the intro..."Oh, hi! I didn't see you come in." Keep up the good work!
P.S. My ideal lens would be the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 but I am disabled so it will take quite a while to save for that. I am also torn between spending that kind of money on the lens or the Sony a7. That seems to be the wave of the future and when every penny counts, the right decision is crucial. Some might say, why such an expensive "hobby". Any true photographer has no choice. We feel driven....obsessed almost. Thanks again for your great vids!
RHANK YOUUSO MUCH, IN 2019 THIS VID IS STILLLLLL USEFUL
lol what's you doing here mojo
Well, we are now in 2023… and still, this channel is extremely relevant and useful. Just subscribed also. Thank you!
When I started photography I bought a 70-300mm lens and a 50mm F1.8 it was great
First vid i've seen of yours which features your face, handsome chap! Lol great vid as always, really enjoy watching all your lens reviews and find your tests decently comprehensive. Thanks for all the work you do to help us make better lens choices
The 40mm is awesome. Very sharp f/2.8, nice bokeh, fairly fast AF (with manual override in oneshote mode) and super compact. I would buy it again even if it costed 3 times its price.
You look SO much like Josh Radnor/ Ted Mosby it's incredible haha
Love your reviews have purchase lenses that you've recommended it is nice to see The Man Behind The Voice.
After watching this I went on eBay and purchased a go faster stripe for my Lada Riva - bloody hell it can now do 0-60 in 1.9 seconds !
Hi Chris.
I'm getting a bit disillusioned with the EF-S range. I paired an 18-135 STM with my 80D. It's a great carry out set but edge sharpness is frankly not great. Try the 24-70 f/4.0L IS USM on a cropper, It's amazing. I've got blow away sharpness on my 7Dmk1 and 80D and post processing is down to just the odd crop. Well worth the extra bit of cash. The 17-40 f/4 L is great too but a bit limited on range.
Thank you very much for the excellent and fair review, Christopher.
Hi Christopher,
I'm planning on buying a Canon 60D DSLR mainly for the reason of capturing my sons' childhoods.
I'm planning on using this DSLR at home, taking pictures and videos (while trying to get as much of the background in a small space-therefore wide angle), as well as on vacation, where I can get the entire background and the subject in focus.
I would also like to zoom in a bit with the least amount of shaking, for those necessary times when the boys are too far out.
Although I like pictures with a shallow depth of field, I wouldn't want a lens with just that for the times I want to capture the wide view indoors and out.
Therefore overall I would like a versatile lens that I can capture home videos, family photos, and basically capture the memories of my two wonderful boys.
I was hoping you can suggest a lens that would meet my parental needs. I really appreciate your channel with the helpful tips and reviews. Also, your humble communication is indeed applaudable.
Thank you for your help. Happy New Year and May God Bless You with a prosperous career.
Try a fast standard zoom lens.Check out my comparison video. God bless!
Thanks for this Chris. I do almost exclusively bird photography, with the 100-400mm Mk2, but it makes sense to have something shorter and moderately decent too! Yesterday I tried out the 18-55mm kit lens that came with my 700D properly for the first time. I reckon the IQ is awful. Your recommendation of the 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 reflects opinion in other reviews and I'm going for that. Thanks again.
finaly you r in front of camera 👍
First time to see the person behind the cool voice.
I would love to see a review on the new Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM.
And personally I don't really see the point of the Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM, because the more versatile (and faster) Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art is the same price or even a bit less expensive! The only benefit of the 35mm F1.4 is of course its size. (And if you own a full frame camera you don't a have choice.)
I'm about to buy my first DSLR and it's very hard to make up my mind on what lens(es) to get. Thanks for all of your videos!
Thanks for the comment - I'm trying to get a sigma 17-70 at the moment. The advantage of the 35mm 1.4 is that it lets in 66% more light, and it's full frame compatible, and it's a tiny bit sharper than the 18-35
some one just make a 18 to 75 1.4 lens with stablization and global fixed aperture.
S Tra woah that there is a tall order, with all the optics and elements with that kind of lens, it prohibits wide apertures at 200mm due to lack of space
Dear Christopher, the USP of the day is your physical appearance; midst all channels you won the the priority as long time desire to see the guy behind the wise Lenz review.
Happy to see you.......
Hey Chris - great videos. Really helped in my decisions on camera choice as a beginner.
Went with the Canon 700d 18-135mm and 50mm F1.8
Thanks again
Ayyy, I've got very similar, just I also use the 100mm macro and I recently got a 70-200mm f2.8 is usm 2nd hand (nearly new :D )
How 18-135 worked ?
Love this channel has helped me decide my line up for buying equipment I plan on buying a Canon 6d soon :)
Not how I imagined you would look. But love the videos.
Amazing video, just what i was looking for! Thanks, keep up the good work!!
My current lenses are:
1) Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM (Ultrawide, $210 refurbished)
2) Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM (General purpose, $380 used)
3) Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II (Telephoto for travel, $40 used, craigslist)
4) Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM (Telephoto for events, $1200 used, minor scratches)
4) Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary (Telephoto for wildlife, $600 used, won eBay auction)
5) Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM (Low light lens, $120 new)
Redundant:
- Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM (Kit lens, will sell)
- Canon EF-S 18-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS STM (sold last month)
- Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM (general use, sold last week)
Great reviews here thank you Frost 👍
For a humble person, you do amazing work..
I saw your work on FB.Amazing.. Do you have a book of your work?
Would love to see another video like this, but current.
Great video! I appreciate your efforts in providing thorough reviews. My question is which lens(es) do you suggest for someone who is more into producing videos?
Something with at least an f/2.8 and image stabilization. Depends on your need.
Tboneslim - it doesn't really matter it's up to the artists a lens and camera is just an instrument all lenses are great from the cheapest to the most expensive on any lengths. My go to camera lens are the cheap ones great quality just takes more time but it works
I one important thing to note for anyone out there:
If you have a:
60D or older (50D*, 40D* etc)
T5i or older (T4i, T3i* etc)
T6 or older (T5, T4, T3*)
You'll have 9 AF crosstype points, but in the ones marked you'll get only center AF as crosstype being from older linear type the rest.
These kind of AutoFocus system are old and not so good for modern standars, and those cameras will fail to correctly focus A LOT of pictures under f4. It is not a big deal in f2.8, but at f1.4 focusing will be a nightmare.
This should be taken into consideration, since f1.8/2 lenses are way cheaper than premium f1.4... and if your camera body is a legacy one it wouldn't really take advantage of the extra apperture
I think you should make a review for canon 18-135 mm IS USM lens. Please make the video
Nice works, thanks a lot. It helps to take a right decision.
do you have a 2017 update to this video :)?
Not yet - there haven't been that many new options
Sigma 18-35 1.8, canon 50mm 1.8 stm and a 70-200 f4. That's a nice starter kit
Would you rather recommend the Sigma 17-50mm or the Sigma 17-70mm? Nice video as usual.
hi Christopher, nice videos! just wondering if you can recommend an affordable Macro lens for my t3i? I mostly zoom in on mechanical parts and would like to have it blurred behind the parts as you can see in my videos, thanks
Either the Canon 60mm f/2.8 Macro or the Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro
Christopher Frost Photography thanks I appreciate it
Thanks. This is very helpful!
"Have fun making up your mind" hahaha sounded kinda sarcastic.
the Sigma 18-35 seems like a beast of a lens though. My next buy is def a sigma
Hello Christopher, great videos.
I am a bit confused on what to get instead of a kit lense.
I am going to purchase a Canon 700d, I really need the camera for very flat shots of textures, like fabric, ribbon etc, to create my abstract art work (digital artist). I use a scanner which is great, but sometimes I want to to take photos of objects that are not completely flat and won't fit under a scanner, or I want the object to be a different distance (rather than 1 distance available when scanning). So I guess what I am trying to achieve is something like product photography. I need to be able to take photos inside and achieve enough light or not have too many issues with taking photos on overcast days outside. I am not too concerned about depth of field, although nice, this wont be my primary purpose. I definitely don't want distortion of images.
And although, I know I can use a tripod to keep things steady, I would love it if I didn't have to constantly grab a tripod for shots...so I am guessing image stabilization will help with that.
Any suggestions?
Thank you :)
If you're doing indoor product photography then you'll want to use a tripod really - and that will eliminate your need for a lens with a wide maximum aperture. So it sounds a bit like you might be fine just with a kit lens.
I would say, give the 18-55mm STM kit lens a try first, and see if that covers your needs. Buy it with your 700D and it won't cost much, so you could easily sell it on eBay if you want to upgrade to a better lens.
Thanks for this.
Yep I thought I would just start out with the kit lense, but I probably will do more products shots outside, just because I can set-up more easily...will that make a difference?
I mean I still want to experiment/explore the artistic side of photography. Based on your review, I wondered if the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 OS HSM would also be something for me to think about... if the kit lense isn't enough for me? Thanks for your advice I really appreciate it. I'm finding all this camera stuff really confusing.
simone downey The Sigma lens is great and it'll do a fantastic job for - take a look at my review for more info. Definitely go for it if you have the money, because it'll do everything your kit lens can do but better (although it can't focus quite as closely) but it's not a bad idea to see how you might do with the kit lens if you do want to try that first
Christopher Frost Photography Thanks! Yeah I had a look at your review it was great, but being new to it all it still is a bit hard for me to get my head around. But yep, great suggestion...I think the kit lense is my best bet first.
Thanks again for your help. Very informative videos.
Hey Chris! I've also recently got the 18-35 Sigma lens!
Even though it might be an older lens for now, but the aperture and the quality still stand at the top of the line.
hoping to get the 50-100 f1.8 or the 150-600 Contemporary when I will have my money again... xDD
Love your reviews Chris!
Hey Christ, I am new fan of you and your videos, I have watched many lens and camera related reviews from you and have found that you don't biase or take side of somebody, that's a great thing.
What I wished to see you is that could you please suggest me a videangle lens for my Canon EOS 200D other than Canon's 10-18mm, that's very precious for me.
Take a look at my ultra wide angle lens comparison video :-)
I just upgrade to a sigma 18-50 f2.8 from the kit lens (nikon 17-55 f3.5-5.6). My model is D5300. I'm happy with the speed and sharpness of the sigma 18-50, but the problem is the pretty visible vignetting at both the long and wide end(f 2.8). But I don't see too many people complain about this issue on the internet. Is it that only my copy has this problem?
I wish Canon made a really wide EF-S prime lens ~15 mm or so with a big aperture; would be about ~24 mm equivalent. The actual 24 mm lens is ~38 equivalent, which isn't really all that wide; the only wide angle lenses they make, below ~18 mm are all zoom lenses, and they don't have large apertures.
thank u chris for this amazing video ... god bless you
Very informative thanks
I want to know where are you from? I'm from Argentina, i usually see your videos, i actually bought a tamron 85 mm 1.8 Sp, because of your recommendation, i like it so much, i agree with you in most of cases, thank you!
Thanks for this comparison!
+Christopher Frost Photography When you said sharp, I almost laughed because my old Lumix LX5 can barely get any good detail in every lighting condition, and I never take photos above ISO 400 with it. Its that bad.
Hi I just discovered your great video , as I have a Canon 18-55mm EFS with my Canon750D. I would like to improve my photo quality. I am being told that my Canon body is not so bad, but I could improve the lens part. BTW I have also a Canon 55-250 EFS. From your video, I think the best would a better and faster lens. You mentioned the Sigma 17-50 f2.8 OS HSM. But maybe as your review is 10 y old, maybe you would have now other recommendations. Thank you in advance
I have the Canon 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II, Canon 50mm F1.8 and now am deciding between the Sigma 17-55 F2.8 and 18-35 F1.8. The price for the Sigma lens is $520 and $880 (CDN $$$) respectively. I don't have any need for video and low light pictures are important, but I'm not sure if the lack of IS and the missing range of 35-55mm would be problematic? I've watched all of the relevant reviews, and any opinion you have would be appreciated.
Volvo745T I'd go for the 18-35, as the lack of range is made up for by your 50mm f/1.8
I just bought a Canon 7D, but i'm not quite sure what is a good lens I have a 50mm f1.4, but I really want a lens that can be used well for portrait & travel lens.
Your voice is like meditation. I just don't get it, but having listened to you for only 5 minutes (or so I thought!) I'm sitting here surrounded by a couple of L lenses and about $10000 less in my pocket. How'd you do that?
No seriously, great job, keep it up!
Hehe, thankyou :-)
Hey Chris,
I'm in the market for a camera and am really loving your videos. I want to get the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM. Is it worth getting another lens for portrait/event work? If so, which one would you be most likely to recommend?
Thanks!
Have you ever tried the Sigma 17-70mm 2.8-4.0? It is fantastic!
Haven't tried it yet!
Great video Chris! I've learned so much from your reviews. I have a question...what would you recommend....buying the 50mm 1.8 lens or saving up for a faster standard zoom lens? I primarily do photography (not video work), and my main concerns would be money and image sharpness. Thanks again for all your videos!
If you're just doing photography then maybe the 1.8 is for you :-)
But what about Canon EF 28-105 F/3.5-4.5 USM ?
Easily my favorite lens reviewer, and now with a face. I was so used with his old format that seeing his face is kind of shocking (It's pretty close to how I imagined it to be). Subscribe if you haven't. 😁