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Looking for a solid lens combo....on a budget(kinda)?

Hi all,

After much deliberation and second guessing my choices, I recently purchased a Sony A7rii (my other choice was an A7iii, upgrading from a Canon 6D). I've got a body now, but I'm looking for a solid lens combo or a recommendation from anyone with experience. I'm trying not to spend much more than $1500 on my lens(es). I'm definitely interested in looking into the used market. I primarily shoot portraits, but I also love to do landscapes. My only requirement is that the lens have autofocus, because not only do I suck with manual focus, but I'm also relatively lazy (lol). Since the a7rii has IBIS, image stabilization is not a must-have.

 

I've been looking at getting these:

Samyang 18mm f/1.8 (for landscape)

Sony 85mm f/1.8 (portraits)

Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 (mainly as a multipurpose "do-it-all" lens). --> Is there a big enough difference between the 75mm f/2.8 and 85mm f/1.8 to warrant buying a whole new lens?

 

I've never actually shot with primes before. I used the 24-105f4L on my Canon 6D as my main and loved it. Are they that much better than a zoom?

 

Like I said before, please feel free to suggest lens combos you love or have worked for you!

 

Thanks :)

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What are you intending to shoot primarily and how? It really depends on your subject, as that will drive your lens choices.

 

For me, I currently run with the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM, the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, and the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens for what I shoot with my EOS R. I will probably replace my EOS R with either the R5 or R6, and add probably the RF 600mm or 800mm to my collection down the line because of my subjects, which require a lot of reach but I do need decent portability.

 

Primes in general are sharper and experience less distortion and chromatic aberration than the equivalent zooms but that lead has diminished to the point that unless you are doing something extreme, or pixel peeking extensively, most people won't notice. Zooms are far more versatile and allow you to have a variety of focal lengths at hand without having to change lenses.

 

Sony is a bit tough as the first party lenses for Sony are generally much more expensive than the equivalent lens from other manufacturers, with a slightly smaller lens catalogue as well.

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On 7/14/2020 at 2:15 AM, MrPhantastic said:

Hi all,

After much deliberation and second guessing my choices, I recently purchased a Sony A7rii (my other choice was an A7iii, upgrading from a Canon 6D). I've got a body now, but I'm looking for a solid lens combo or a recommendation from anyone with experience. I'm trying not to spend much more than $1500 on my lens(es). I'm definitely interested in looking into the used market. I primarily shoot portraits, but I also love to do landscapes. My only requirement is that the lens have autofocus, because not only do I suck with manual focus, but I'm also relatively lazy (lol). Since the a7rii has IBIS, image stabilization is not a must-have.

 

I've been looking at getting these:

Samyang 18mm f/1.8 (for landscape)

Sony 85mm f/1.8 (portraits)

Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 (mainly as a multipurpose "do-it-all" lens). --> Is there a big enough difference between the 75mm f/2.8 and 85mm f/1.8 to warrant buying a whole new lens?

 

I've never actually shot with primes before. I used the 24-105f4L on my Canon 6D as my main and loved it. Are they that much better than a zoom?

 

Like I said before, please feel free to suggest lens combos you love or have worked for you!

 

Thanks :)

This is why I like Fuji, you buy their lenses and nothing else. Removes complications but increases prices :) Good job they're decent. 

 

Always thought the basic 3 would be "multipurpose" like kit lenses like a 15-45mm, a prime and a tele at like 50-200/250mm

Dirty Windows Peasants :P ?

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1 hour ago, Lord Vile said:

This is why I like Fuji, you buy their lenses and nothing else. Removes complications but increases prices :) Good job they're decent.

that is why I'd never be on their system. I could get a full set of sony lenses from sigma then in 5 years move to canon and they will remount them if I wanted to pay that cost.

 

I'd almost just return the sony and get a used 5D mkIV

for just photos zooms do fine. if you really after that shallow depth of field from say an f1.4 prime then it can make sense.

 

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On 7/13/2020 at 6:15 PM, MrPhantastic said:

Hi all,

After much deliberation and second guessing my choices, I recently purchased a Sony A7rii (my other choice was an A7iii, upgrading from a Canon 6D). I've got a body now, but I'm looking for a solid lens combo or a recommendation from anyone with experience. I'm trying not to spend much more than $1500 on my lens(es). I'm definitely interested in looking into the used market. I primarily shoot portraits, but I also love to do landscapes. My only requirement is that the lens have autofocus, because not only do I suck with manual focus, but I'm also relatively lazy (lol). Since the a7rii has IBIS, image stabilization is not a must-have.

 

I've been looking at getting these:

Samyang 18mm f/1.8 (for landscape)

Sony 85mm f/1.8 (portraits)

Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 (mainly as a multipurpose "do-it-all" lens). --> Is there a big enough difference between the 75mm f/2.8 and 85mm f/1.8 to warrant buying a whole new lens?

 

I've never actually shot with primes before. I used the 24-105f4L on my Canon 6D as my main and loved it. Are they that much better than a zoom?

 

Like I said before, please feel free to suggest lens combos you love or have worked for you!

 

Thanks :)

Yeah go for it, you’ll learn a lot through observation. Don’t think too hard on it either, they’re not going to be last lenses you’ll ever own. The Samyang might be garbage or too wide to be useful, could also be your go-to, could be a dog optically, buy as much variety as you can so you can see why these lenses are different. that’s my opinion. 

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