New to 35mm EOS

5artist5 · Mar 30, 2023

Hi all. I just ordered an ebay EOS 7 body.
I mostly shoot manual cameras like A1, k1000 etc.. so I don't have any experience with the later model canons.
This camera will be for my wife, who has been resistant to shooting film. It turns out that the reason she was resistant is that she dosent like the split prism focusing.
So I got her a point and shoot and she had a lot if fun with it.
That made me think that auto focus is the way to go for her.
So now What lens do you all think would be right for a beginner with an EOS 7?
I was thinking about a 50mm prime because that's what I like, but I am open to a kit zoom if that seems better for some reason. I want it to be simple and be able to autofocus well.

Any thoughts?

Hassasin · Mar 30, 2023

The 40/2.8 STM it's small, well built, and a great lens, slightly wider than 50 and I love it (when I use it that is), there is funky looking hood for it, basically looking like a filter ring with glass removed.

Anon Ymous · Mar 30, 2023

You should also state your budget, a lot depends on it. Yes, the 50mm f/1,8 STM is affordable and hard to beat. Another lens to consider is the 40mm f/2,8 STM, which is also very nice and can be had cheaply. Actually, this lens makes an excellent combination with the 300V/X cameras with remarkably small size. I don't think kit zooms are anything to write home about. I have a 28-80 that came with a body I bought and it's just an indifferent squeaky lens. The 28-105 f/3,5-4,5 is ok, but not as sharp as a prime, or an expensive zoom lens and overall soft wide open.

skylight1b · Mar 30, 2023

Agree with Hassasin (edit: and Anon Ymous), the 40mm is a great multi-use lens. I also personally really like the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens for a zoom, but it is very heavy comparatively.

Steven Lee · Mar 30, 2023

5artist5 said:
What lens do you all think would be right for a beginner with an EOS 7?

The only food for thought you are giving us is that she's a beginner. In my experience, most people prefer zooms, even if they're heavier and slower.

When I was heavily invested into the digital EOS platform, I remember that Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS was extremely well-liked as a high quality kit lens on dpreview and other online communities dedicated to Canon DSLRs. Although I personally always found the 17-40mm to be more versatile and lighter.

Another thing to keep in mind when shopping new EF lenses, is that not all recent lenses from 3rd party brands like Sigma and Tamron are compatible with older film bodies.

[EDIT] And if you want a prime lens, my favorite by far is the Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM. Image stabilization on a 35mm lens with f/2 aperture is HUGELY helpful for film shooters. You can get away with ISO 400 film in a typical interior setting without flash.

MattKing · Mar 30, 2023

I really like the 40mm STM lens, even if it takes a bit of getting used to STM!
But I actually think that the 28 - 80mm kit zoom lenses that came with the camera are quite good.
A bit slower than the 40mm lens, but very flexible for a beginner.
Is the body a 7, or a 7e? If it is a 7e, that means in addition to regular AF, it has an extra mode for AF - eye controlled AF. That feature works for some, and not for others. And for some it works when their glasses are off, but not when they are on. I'm not sure what contact lenses do to it.

5artist5 · Mar 30, 2023

Anon Ymous said:
You should also state your budget, a lot depends on it. Yes, the 50mm f/1,8 STM is affordable and hard to beat. Another lens to consider is the 40mm f/2,8 STM, which is also very nice and can be had cheaply. Actually, this lens makes an excellent combination with the 300V/X cameras with remarkably small size. I don't think kit zooms are anything to write home about. I have a 28-80 that came with a body I bought and it's just an indifferent squeaky lens. The 28-105 f/3,5-4,5 is ok, but not as sharp as a prime, or an expensive zoom lens and overall soft wide open.

I would like to be around $100 +- 50.
It's kind if a test the waters type of thing. But you know how it is, if the pictures come out great, she will be more encouraged to shoot more and it will be more fun for her. But if the auto focus is slow and the pictures aren't very good, she will quit I think.

5artist5 · Mar 30, 2023

MattKing said:
I really like the 40mm STM lens, even if it takes a bit of getting used to STM!
But I actually think that the 28 - 80mm kit zoom lenses that came with the camera are quite good.
A bit slower than the 40mm lens, but very flexible for a beginner.
Is the body a 7, or a 7e? If it is a 7e, that means in addition to regular AF, it has an extra mode for AF - eye controlled AF. That feature works for some, and not for others. And for some it works when their glasses are off, but not when they are on. I'm not sure what contact lenses do to it.

It's a 7e

MattKing · Mar 30, 2023

5artist5 said:
It's a 7e

You just might find yourself asking to borrow it .
You might end up with one eye controlled calibration for you, and another for your wife.
I'd also recommend looking for the accessory battery holder that permits using the camera with AA batteries.
Otherwise you need two CR123A lithium batteries - which can be a bit expensive at stores, and a bit cheaper if you buy several through the internet.

5artist5 · Mar 30, 2023

I will shoot it for sure. I want to do some back to back tests with the A1 to see if I can tell the difference.

I guess I should start reading the manual while I'm waiting for it to come so I know how to do the fancy features.

Arcadia4 · Mar 31, 2023

I mostly use a 28-105mm ef zoom with the eos 30 which was a mid range/quality step up from the kit zoom, its relatively inexpensive to buy now, and covers a useful range for travel/ everyday use and is not too heavy if you are carrying it all day. There are two versions; the original made in Japan and later ii taiwan version of the lens.

Image quality is good for most purposes. I’ve often thought about getting an L zoom say 24-70mm or 105mm but it adds a lot more to the weight when you not being paid to carry it round and the former cuts the range.

Id also recommend pairing it with a prime lens option for lower light say 35mm f2 or 50mm 1.8 or 1.4 depending on preference. The ef lenses resell easily so also easy to change later.

ken rockwell has plenty of reviews for the ef lenses.

Ive found that the cr batteries last over a year particularly if you arent using the inbuilt flash much.

Anon Ymous · Mar 31, 2023

5artist5 said:
I would like to be around $100 +- 50.
It's kind if a test the waters type of thing. But you know how it is, if the pictures come out great, she will be more encouraged to shoot more and it will be more fun for her. But if the auto focus is slow and the pictures aren't very good, she will quit I think.

Then the 28-105 I mentioned earlier is a reasonable choice if a zoom lens is what you want. It gets better if you stop down a couple of stops. AF is perfectly fine.

5artist5 · Mar 31, 2023

Thanks all. This was a hard choice. I am a prime lens guy, so I was really close to going with the 40mm. But this isn't for me, so I ended up getting her the 28-105. I still may get her the 40mm later.

neilt3 · Apr 1, 2023

If your set on just one prime lens then I'd go with either the 40mm or 50mm .
A 40mm can me more versatile as it's wider , you can always crop a bit off the negative when printing or scanning .
A 50mm can sometimes be too narrow .
A two lens option might be a 28mm and 50mm .

The point and shoot camera , if it had a prime lens rather than a zoom , probably had a 35mm lens .
Knowing what focal length lens has been being used might answer your question.

If your not sure , then getting a budget zoom might be a good idea .
The 28-105mm or 24-85mm are o.k .
After using it for a while you'll know whether a certain focal length is preferred or the full range of the zoom .

Then when budget allows , you can upgrade to better optics if required.

The 24-70mm f/4 L and 24-105mm f/4 L are both very good lenses , have image stabilisation, but are well above your current budget.
You might get the 28-135mm IS lens for your budget , that would also be a good start .

neilt3 · Apr 1, 2023

5artist5 said:
Thanks all. This was a hard choice. I am a prime lens guy, so I was really close to going with the 40mm. But this isn't for me, so I ended up getting her the 28-105. I still may get her the 40mm later.

You'll soon end up with several lenses .
The zoom for the wife , and the 40mm when you sneak off with it !

wjlapier · Apr 2, 2023

5artist5 said:
Thanks all. This was a hard choice. I am a prime lens guy, so I was really close to going with the 40mm. But this isn't for me, so I ended up getting her the 28-105. I still may get her the 40mm later.

I have the same camera you have with the 40mm pancake lens. It’s a hard to beat combo. The lens is fast to focus and very sharp. I also have the 28-105 but don’t use it. I prefer the compactness of the 7e and 40mm lens.

New to 35mm EOS

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