Wanted: OT: Buying a Canon 60D, looking for Lenses etc

So the new tax year begins on Wednesday which means i am finally able to buy a new camera! I have been doing my searching around and have found some good deals but i thought i would see what you guys had at home that could be of use.....

I am going to buy a Canon 60D but if anyone has a 7D they want too get rid of for a good price then let me know (and although it aint gonna happen if you have a 5DMk2 that is gathering dust and you want to sell it for a grand then definitely let me know).

Lens wise i am looking to get started with a decent zoom or 2 until i am working more to be able to afford some nicer bits. Ideally EF rather than EF-S to future proof me a bit so all the usual favourites considered 24-105 and 17-40 T4 Canons or the Sigma T2.8 equivalents. Also looking for a nice fast (>f1.8) 35mm prime and any nice old school fast manual everything nikons which everyone wants. But please just let me know what you have and i will give it some consideration.....

Im around this week to meet up so drop me a PM.

Theo

I've still got my 18-50 sigma

Cheers Gabe. Sent you a PM.

Thanks Howard. Will checkout that list, seems like some nice stuff.....

get yourself an oldschool 50mm f1.4 (or faster) on old canon FD or M42 and get a £2 conversion ring. Yeah they aren't AF and maybe aren't as good as the £1k+ L glass 50mm, but then they are cheap and on a crop body it gives you an 85mm F1.2 or f1.4 = ideal fast sexy portrait lens :p

sigma 18-50 if its the full frame one were always nice, failing that, 17-40L's are lush :)

I would get a cheap 18-55 kit lens because they are actually all right and it's good to have for the wide end. And a couple of good primes (28 1.8 , 50 1.4 , 100 2.8 Macro) which are compatible with future FF bodies.
Then you add a 70-200 when you've got more cash and you've got a full kit.
When you change for FF body, get a 17-40 F2.8 or similar with it to replace the cheapo kit lens.

Get M42 lenses that are a bit more special that a 50mm! I dunno, a fisheye, tilt/shift etc.. because they are "toy" lenses.

I've got a 7D and have been through too many lenses to find what i've now got. which is:
17-40 f4 L
Sigma f1.4 30mm ex dc hsm (really an extremely good lens, as good as the cannon 1.4 50mm but more useable on the crop body).
I tried the cheaper lenses but was unsatisfied.

I would get a cheap 18-55 kit lens because they are actually all right and it's good to have for the wide end. And a couple of good primes (28 1.8 , 50 1.4 , 100 2.8 Macro) which are compatible with future FF bodies.
Then you add a 70-200 when you've got more cash and you've got a full kit.
When you change for FF body, get a 17-40 F2.8 or similar with it to replace the cheapo kit lens.

Get M42 lenses that are a bit more special that a 50mm! I dunno, a fisheye, tilt/shift etc.. because they are "toy" lenses.

you mean the canon 18-55 kit lens? That is possibly one of the most aweful lenses ever produced. Fact. Its got bitching barrel distortion, horrific CA, terribly inaccurate focus and suspect build quality, even if it was free I would rather not have one.

Also as NEV, get what you want in the first place, getting low end stuff or things that aren't what your after in the 1st instance is pretty much only OK when you 'need' something to do a job, beyond that you just get frustrated. Buy L glass first time round or bust* :)

*generally I've also found it cheaper in the long run to just buy what you want, if you get something crap/ low end, it costs £££ whatever, and then in teh future that vision of just being able to trade it in melts as you find you can barely even give away kit lenses/ low end stuff.

you mean the canon 18-55 kit lens? That is possibly one of the most aweful lenses ever produced. Fact. Its got bitching barrel distortion, horrific CA, terribly inaccurate focus and suspect build quality, even if it was free I would rather not have one.

Also as NEV, get what you want in the first place, getting low end stuff or things that aren't what your after in the 1st instance is pretty much only OK when you 'need' something to do a job, beyond that you just get frustrated. Buy L glass first time round or bust* :)

*generally I've also found it cheaper in the long run to just buy what you want, if you get something crap/ low end, it costs £££ whatever, and then in teh future that vision of just being able to trade it in melts as you find you can barely even give away kit lenses/ low end stuff.

The 18-55mm IS is actually a big improvement over non IS old kit lens.

The EF 50mm 1.8 can be got new fo £70, it's AWESOME (imho)

Ok I'll admit the is version is better, almost usable, but wouldn't put money on one, not even 20 quid.

The bogo 1.8 mk2 is ok though I prefer the older one technically and image character.

If he's spent a fair but if cash on a decent body then he'll probably spring for decent glass. Though right now I haven't seen any bargain must have deals on the kind of thing the op is after in a while, even second hand there isn't mega deals going :/

get a 50mm f/1.8 because its cheap and cheerful.
go for a 35mm f/2 for something more 'normal'
105/85mm f/1.8 possibly for nice portraiture.

I have the sigma 18-50 f/2.8 ex (macro ((nikon))) and i love it.

consider some super telephoto/wide later depending on what you shoot.

Dont listen to the crap about only buying L "glass" (Lenses) just get out and take some interesting pictures and you wont be scared about every grain of sand or raindrop.

Top tips everybody, much appreciated. Ordered the body this morning, got my eye on a couple of zooms to get me going then some nicer primes as i go along.....

you mean the canon 18-55 kit lens? That is possibly one of the most aweful lenses ever produced. Fact. Its got bitching barrel distortion, horrific CA, terribly inaccurate focus and suspect build quality, even if it was free I would rather not have one.

What I meant was that it's not amazing, but it takes pictures and can be useful in certain situations where you don't want a flashy heavy lens but want the range that a zoom can provide. For me that's what a zoom lens should do because their IQ won't be as good anyway. I keep primes for doing the more serious work, and the 50mm is on the body 70% of the time.