Best Lens for Disney and beyond

KaylaBreanna

👸🏻
Joined
Jan 16, 2020
Hello all!

So I have a canon rebel t5i and have been using the standard lens that came with the camera all those years ago. I am looking to bearden my horizons and take my photos to the next level. Obviously I should take some photography classes to learn more than meets the eye, but I want to upgrade my lens as well.

In your opinion, what would you reccomend I purchase lens wise? And also what that exact lens does.

Thank you!!
 
This may help: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/buying-guide/purchasing-your-next-lens

The standard (kit) lens is good for most photography but as our style develops we find it is: not fast enough; not long enough; not short enough. A good prime lens will probably be fast and helps with dark photography and getting shallow depth of field. For my second lens a more experienced photographer talked me into a wide angle when I wanted a telephoto, it was a good choice to make me get close to my subject and think about foregrounds/backgrounds.
 
You might also want to consider a nice quality fast mid-range zoom. Something like the Canon 17-55 f/2.8. It covers about the same range as your kit lens, but IQ is so much better, and it's a lot faster, so better in low light.
 


You might also want to consider a nice quality fast mid-range zoom. Something like the Canon 17-55 f/2.8. It covers about the same range as your kit lens, but IQ is so much better, and it's a lot faster, so better in low light.
A good idea! Thank you!
 


So I have a canon rebel t5i and have been using the standard lens that came with the camera all those years ago. ...

In your opinion, what would you reccomend I purchase lens wise? And also what that exact lens does.
I assume you have the 18-55mm kit lens that came with. A perfectly acceptable option is to get the 55-250mm kit lens, and really, for $130 (or $70 used at BH) it would be a crime not to have it. Next on the kit lens train is the 10-18mm, which is about $280. Both of the kit lenses are on the large side and neither are particularly fast (large aperture) but they are stabilized so shooting in lower (ish) light is possible*. I actually really like a big range zoom like the 55-250 or an all-in-one zoom like a 16-300 for days I'm just walking the parks and especially Animal Kingdom where long shots seem to be the norm. big range zoom lenses and the kit lenses don't really have great optics if you're particularly nitpicky about it but I'm usually not. Also, optical distortions can usually be mitigated in Lightroom by loading up specific profiles for each lens. LR is expensive and worth every penny.

On the other hand, a prime lens (opposed to a zoom) has a lot to recommend it. It seems like not having a zoom feature would be very limiting, but in reality, you're taking 18MP pics, you can do your zooming with the crop tool after you get home. But a prime lens like a 35mm F2 is very light fast, even if it lacks stabilization you'll do better during real low light situations (dark rides) and the lens' are much smaller and easier to manage. On that track... a Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Lens is a great second or third lens. Less than $200 and it's so small, less than an inch long including the mount.

Another couple of good budget friendly primes to consider... the Canon 50mm F1.8, or Nifty Fifty is a great lens. There is a Chinese brand, Yongnuo that makes a very decent 35MM F2 lens for less than $100.

And of course, for every category and size of lens I mention there are better and better versions of it with larger aperature and higher quality glass inside to take however much money you want to drop on a lens. I started off buying cheap lenses then replace the ones I used most with better quality versions.
 
I assume you have the 18-55mm kit lens that came with. A perfectly acceptable option is to get the 55-250mm kit lens, and really, for $130 (or $70 used at BH) it would be a crime not to have it. Next on the kit lens train is the 10-18mm, which is about $280. Both of the kit lenses are on the large side and neither are particularly fast (large aperture) but they are stabilized so shooting in lower (ish) light is possible*. I actually really like a big range zoom like the 55-250 or an all-in-one zoom like a 16-300 for days I'm just walking the parks and especially Animal Kingdom where long shots seem to be the norm. big range zoom lenses and the kit lenses don't really have great optics if you're particularly nitpicky about it but I'm usually not. Also, optical distortions can usually be mitigated in Lightroom by loading up specific profiles for each lens. LR is expensive and worth every penny.

On the other hand, a prime lens (opposed to a zoom) has a lot to recommend it. It seems like not having a zoom feature would be very limiting, but in reality, you're taking 18MP pics, you can do your zooming with the crop tool after you get home. But a prime lens like a 35mm F2 is very light fast, even if it lacks stabilization you'll do better during real low light situations (dark rides) and the lens' are much smaller and easier to manage. On that track... a Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM Lens is a great second or third lens. Less than $200 and it's so small, less than an inch long including the mount.

Another couple of good budget friendly primes to consider... the Canon 50mm F1.8, or Nifty Fifty is a great lens. There is a Chinese brand, Yongnuo that makes a very decent 35MM F2 lens for less than $100.

And of course, for every category and size of lens I mention there are better and better versions of it with larger aperature and higher quality glass inside to take however much money you want to drop on a lens. I started off buying cheap lenses then replace the ones I used most with better quality versions.
You are an absolute life saver!

That is the exact lens my kit came with (18-55mm) which has been good to me over these past few years. I just more variety when taking photos, which is why I am so happy you have mentioned all these lenses and why.

I will probably begin with selecting two of these recommendations, and in due course I can upgrade to the more expensive verison of that lens.

Thank you soooooo much!!!
 
On buying lenses:
“Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will...”
;)
This. My 24-70 f/2.8 zoom lens was more expensive than my camera, and I by no means have a cheap camera. When the 70-200 f/2.8 releases for my mount next month, it's even more expensive.
 
Fwiw, my most used lens is a 14-140 (micro 4:3). After years of turning up my nose at ultra-zooms it is just so convenient and IQ is not bad although maximum aperture is small. My favorite lens is an Olympus 45 f/1.8, great IQ and bokeh with amazingly shallow depth of field for micro 4:3.
 
I think it really comes down to what conditions you shoot in. If you mostly shoot outdoors in daylight, you might not need a particularly fast lens. Personally, I shoot at night and indoors a lot, and I handhold at night, so I need relatively fast lenses, but I don't take very many pictures of people, so I don't really care about bokeh that much.

For Disney dark rides, I was very satisfied with my 35mm 1.8 prime (full frame) in POTC and Haunted Mansion this past trip. Seemed just about right. So, for crop users, a fast 24ish might be pretty good for this specific role.
 
I think it really comes down to what conditions you shoot in. If you mostly shoot outdoors in daylight, you might not need a particularly fast lens. Personally, I shoot at night and indoors a lot, and I handhold at night, so I need relatively fast lenses, but I don't take very many pictures of people, so I don't really care about bokeh that much.

For Disney dark rides, I was very satisfied with my 35mm 1.8 prime (full frame) in POTC and Haunted Mansion this past trip. Seemed just about right. So, for crop users, a fast 24ish might be pretty good for this specific role.
I feel like my photos are definitely split down the middle with light and dark, but when it comes to the theme parks, night time is just gorgeous to shoot, but my lens has never been the best for that. Thank you!!
 

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