Lenses below $250 new/used... at DVinfo.net

James Millward · September 22nd, 2010, 02:53 AM

Hey guys, im very new to all this but one thing I do know is that my stock 18-55 3.5 isnt fast enough.

The second thing I know is lenses are expensive! I do this for a hobby and am just starting out so im am looking for your advice regarding lenses at the lower end of the price scale.

I know price isnt the first thing one should think about when it comes to choosing suitable glass, but at the end of the day it is the overiding factor.

Im hoping we can compile a list of lenses suitable for use on the 550d new or used that are below the $250 price point (approx 160 sterling).

The first and most obvious one would be:

Canon 50mm 1.8 (under 100 punds in the UK). This would have been my next lense, but with the crop factor, it puts it at around 80mm which is not what I want really. (the 28mm looks good and is just in the price, but its 2.8)

Let me know your advice and please add your thoughs and I will update the list. Also, when you make a suggestion, please note if the it requires an adapter to fit (like I say im very very new to this!)

Thanks
James

LIST:

Canon 50mm 1.8
Canon 28mm 2.8

Ian Holb · September 22nd, 2010, 07:07 AM

A Pentax Super-Takumar 50mm f1.4 can be had for under $100. You can get a Helios 44M 58mm f2.0 for under $40. You will need an M42 to EOS adapter for both; those sell for under $4 on eBay. A Rokinon 85mm f1.4 (EOS mount) goes for around $250 and can be used for your telephoto range. I have one and love it. Unfortunately, I know of no cheap, fast wide angle lenses. Samyang has been reported to be offering a 35mm f1.4 due out at the end of this year, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

I'd be saving up for a Tokina 11-16 f2.8 ($600) to handle your wides. It's likely to be your best investment, so far.

My suggestion if you can't find any fast wide angle lenses under $250, is to first buy any affordable lens you can in f2.8 and then also purchase Neat Video. You can shoot at higher ISOs and use NV for noise reduction. It works very well until you are able to buy fast glass. The drawback, as any, is additional render time in post.

Mark Von Lanken · September 22nd, 2010, 08:30 PM

Hi James,

As long as you are primarily shooting video and not stills, you can go with vintage manual focus lenses and save a bunch of money. You can certainly take photos with vintage lenses, but they do not have auto focus, which is a draw back for taking photos, especially in a fast action invironment, even though it was done for decades without auto focus. ;-)

Fast, Wide, Cheap, pick any two.

Fast and Cheap, 50mm 1.4 from Nikon, Takumar/Pentax and a few others can be found for $100 or less. The Helios 44 that Ian mentioned is only f/2.0, but it's a great lens at a great price, usuallly under $40. I just did my first video with the Helios and I finally got to expreience the Helios magic.

Wide and Fast will cost you more than your budget, but you can get a Nikon 24mm or 28 mm f/2.8 within your budget.

And again I totally agree with Ian. The Rokinon 85mm 1.4 is a great lens at $250. I shot with it for a few months but then experienced Zeiss, which is not Cheap, but is Fast and Good. Anyway, I am selling my Rokinon 85mm 1.4 for $200, complete with original box and everything, not a scratch on it.

So based on your list of two lenses, I opted to go with vintage Nikons, both a 50mm 1.4 and 24mm 2.8 and I prefer those lenses over your two choices, for their speed, ease of focus and price.

As far as adapters, the Helios and most Takumars need an M42 to EOS adapter. The Nikons need a Nikon to EOS adapter. You can find adapters on Ebay as well as Fotodiox Fotodiox also has an ebay store and you can save about $10 per adapter on the Nikon model.

Since the Rokinon 85mm 1.4 is a brand new lens, I ordered it with an EOS mount, so there was no need to purchase an adapter.

James Millward · September 23rd, 2010, 03:11 AM

Thanks for the kind advice guys. It is appreciated.

Am I right in saying that the Rokinon and Super-Tak are mainly found in America (there wasnt a single Super on UK Ebay!)?? Not that not really matters, just a general wondering.

Ian, I think you are right re the fast wide. I will probably go for a canon 28mm 2.8, and a 50mm 1.8

Mark, Do the Nikons you mentioned all fit to the 550d?

I will update the list.
Thanks again
james

LIST:

Canon 50mm 1.8
Canon 28mm 2.8
Super-Takumar 50mm f1.4
Helios 44M 58mm f2.0
Rokinon 85mm f1.4

Mark Von Lanken · September 23rd, 2010, 01:51 PM

Hi James,

I know you can find the Taks and Nikons all over Europe. You can look on Ebay under the phrase, Pentax, Takumar, Super Takumar and even Spotomatic. You can often find good deals by purchasing a Takumar 50 1.4 on an old Pentax camera, like the Spotomatic. Just make sure it has a lens cap with it.

The thing you have to watch out for with the 50mm Tukamar/Pentax lenses is yellowing. I believe there was something about the way they did the coating that over time turns yellow. Both of the Taks that I bought were yellowed. You can do a manual white balance to overcome it, but then you have to re white balance when you change lenses. To fix the yellowing, you can put the lens under a UV lamp or set it in a window that gets sunlight. The latter may take a couple of weeks, or so I have heard.

I didn't have the patience for it and went with a Nikon 50mm 1.4. About the same price and no yellowing. All of the manual focus Nikons that I know of can be adapter to Canon EOS (T2i) with the adapter that I gave the link to in my previous post.

Gustavs Repse · September 24th, 2010, 04:12 PM

I got myself a Pentax-m Smc 50mm 1.4f(no yellowing) for around 80 pounds and a Pentax k to eos adapter for araund 12 pounds.

The focus wheel of these lens are buttery smooth, and the low light capabilities are really stunning. Sharpness as well ofc

I love it, and had no problems mounting it to my 550d.

If you will be using ur T2i for video then a manual lens is what you need, if the price is an issue . And i would not recomend you to get the canon 50mm 1.8, if for video, because it has a wherry cheep build and the focuse wheel, as i heard is ust awfull. But if its for photography you will be better of with the canon, i gues, since its Auto Lens.

Lee Ying · September 25th, 2010, 10:49 AM

For 50mm prime, there are lots of choices. Canon 50mm 1.8 probably is the best in terms of performance/price. I wouldn't want to mess with Nikon and others as a lot of them have reverse focus ring that probably ends up more confusing than helping.
For wide angles, under 35mm (which is 56mm on 550D and not really wide), I cannot think of any choices under $250. Canon 28mm 2.8 with no IS is not that much better than your stock lens 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 with IS in terms of speed (sharpness is secondary in video); and I personally don't think its worth spending extra $250.
I think for really cheap all around solutions, the stock lenses 18-55mm IS and 55-250mm IS ($230) and a prime like 50mm 1.8 will do for most situations.

September 22nd, 2010, 02:53 AM	#1
James Millward Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: England Posts: 53	Lenses below $250 new/used... Hey guys, im very new to all this but one thing I do know is that my stock 18-55 3.5 isnt fast enough. The second thing I know is lenses are expensive! I do this for a hobby and am just starting out so im am looking for your advice regarding lenses at the lower end of the price scale. I know price isnt the first thing one should think about when it comes to choosing suitable glass, but at the end of the day it is the overiding factor. Im hoping we can compile a list of lenses suitable for use on the 550d new or used that are below the $250 price point (approx 160 sterling). The first and most obvious one would be: Canon 50mm 1.8 (under 100 punds in the UK). This would have been my next lense, but with the crop factor, it puts it at around 80mm which is not what I want really. (the 28mm looks good and is just in the price, but its 2.8) Let me know your advice and please add your thoughs and I will update the list. Also, when you make a suggestion, please note if the it requires an adapter to fit (like I say im very very new to this!) Thanks James LIST: Canon 50mm 1.8 Canon 28mm 2.8

September 22nd, 2010, 08:30 PM	#3
Mark Von Lanken Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 910	Hi James, As long as you are primarily shooting video and not stills, you can go with vintage manual focus lenses and save a bunch of money. You can certainly take photos with vintage lenses, but they do not have auto focus, which is a draw back for taking photos, especially in a fast action invironment, even though it was done for decades without auto focus. ;-) Fast, Wide, Cheap, pick any two. Fast and Cheap, 50mm 1.4 from Nikon, Takumar/Pentax and a few others can be found for $100 or less. The Helios 44 that Ian mentioned is only f/2.0, but it's a great lens at a great price, usuallly under $40. I just did my first video with the Helios and I finally got to expreience the Helios magic. Wide and Fast will cost you more than your budget, but you can get a Nikon 24mm or 28 mm f/2.8 within your budget. And again I totally agree with Ian. The Rokinon 85mm 1.4 is a great lens at $250. I shot with it for a few months but then experienced Zeiss, which is not Cheap, but is Fast and Good. Anyway, I am selling my Rokinon 85mm 1.4 for $200, complete with original box and everything, not a scratch on it. So based on your list of two lenses, I opted to go with vintage Nikons, both a 50mm 1.4 and 24mm 2.8 and I prefer those lenses over your two choices, for their speed, ease of focus and price. As far as adapters, the Helios and most Takumars need an M42 to EOS adapter. The Nikons need a Nikon to EOS adapter. You can find adapters on Ebay as well as Fotodiox Fotodiox also has an ebay store and you can save about $10 per adapter on the Nikon model. Since the Rokinon 85mm 1.4 is a brand new lens, I ordered it with an EOS mount, so there was no need to purchase an adapter. __________________ Mark Von Lanken www.VonWeddingFilms.com

September 23rd, 2010, 01:51 PM	#5
Mark Von Lanken Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 910	Hi James, I know you can find the Taks and Nikons all over Europe. You can look on Ebay under the phrase, Pentax, Takumar, Super Takumar and even Spotomatic. You can often find good deals by purchasing a Takumar 50 1.4 on an old Pentax camera, like the Spotomatic. Just make sure it has a lens cap with it. The thing you have to watch out for with the 50mm Tukamar/Pentax lenses is yellowing. I believe there was something about the way they did the coating that over time turns yellow. Both of the Taks that I bought were yellowed. You can do a manual white balance to overcome it, but then you have to re white balance when you change lenses. To fix the yellowing, you can put the lens under a UV lamp or set it in a window that gets sunlight. The latter may take a couple of weeks, or so I have heard. I didn't have the patience for it and went with a Nikon 50mm 1.4. About the same price and no yellowing. All of the manual focus Nikons that I know of can be adapter to Canon EOS (T2i) with the adapter that I gave the link to in my previous post. __________________ Mark Von Lanken www.VonWeddingFilms.com

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September 22nd, 2010, 07:07 AM	#2
Ian Holb Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 127	A Pentax Super-Takumar 50mm f1.4 can be had for under $100. You can get a Helios 44M 58mm f2.0 for under $40. You will need an M42 to EOS adapter for both; those sell for under $4 on eBay. A Rokinon 85mm f1.4 (EOS mount) goes for around $250 and can be used for your telephoto range. I have one and love it. Unfortunately, I know of no cheap, fast wide angle lenses. Samyang has been reported to be offering a 35mm f1.4 due out at the end of this year, but I wouldn't hold my breath. I'd be saving up for a Tokina 11-16 f2.8 ($600) to handle your wides. It's likely to be your best investment, so far. My suggestion if you can't find any fast wide angle lenses under $250, is to first buy any affordable lens you can in f2.8 and then also purchase Neat Video. You can shoot at higher ISOs and use NV for noise reduction. It works very well until you are able to buy fast glass. The drawback, as any, is additional render time in post.

September 23rd, 2010, 03:11 AM	#4
James Millward Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: England Posts: 53	Thanks for the kind advice guys. It is appreciated. Am I right in saying that the Rokinon and Super-Tak are mainly found in America (there wasnt a single Super on UK Ebay!)?? Not that not really matters, just a general wondering. Ian, I think you are right re the fast wide. I will probably go for a canon 28mm 2.8, and a 50mm 1.8 Mark, Do the Nikons you mentioned all fit to the 550d? I will update the list. Thanks again james LIST: Canon 50mm 1.8 Canon 28mm 2.8 Super-Takumar 50mm f1.4 Helios 44M 58mm f2.0 Rokinon 85mm f1.4

September 24th, 2010, 04:12 PM	#6
Gustavs Repse Regular Crew Join Date: May 2010 Location: Riga,Latvia Posts: 129	I got myself a Pentax-m Smc 50mm 1.4f(no yellowing) for around 80 pounds and a Pentax k to eos adapter for araund 12 pounds. The focus wheel of these lens are buttery smooth, and the low light capabilities are really stunning. Sharpness as well ofc I love it, and had no problems mounting it to my 550d. If you will be using ur T2i for video then a manual lens is what you need, if the price is an issue . And i would not recomend you to get the canon 50mm 1.8, if for video, because it has a wherry cheep build and the focuse wheel, as i heard is ust awfull. But if its for photography you will be better of with the canon, i gues, since its Auto Lens.

September 25th, 2010, 10:49 AM	#7
Lee Ying Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Atlanta, Ga Posts: 73	For 50mm prime, there are lots of choices. Canon 50mm 1.8 probably is the best in terms of performance/price. I wouldn't want to mess with Nikon and others as a lot of them have reverse focus ring that probably ends up more confusing than helping. For wide angles, under 35mm (which is 56mm on 550D and not really wide), I cannot think of any choices under $250. Canon 28mm 2.8 with no IS is not that much better than your stock lens 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 with IS in terms of speed (sharpness is secondary in video); and I personally don't think its worth spending extra $250. I think for really cheap all around solutions, the stock lenses 18-55mm IS and 55-250mm IS ($230) and a prime like 50mm 1.8 will do for most situations.