What lens should a beginner start with on a Canon T2i?
Asked 4/25/2012
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2 answers
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I’m new to photography and want to learn both technique and theory with a Canon T2i. Which lens is best to start with if I want to experiment with different styles and figure out what I enjoy shooting most?
Originally by Harsh. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Harsh
14y ago
2 Answers
9
Assuming that your T2i has some lens, that is the best one to start. Learn how to use the camera. Once you have taken a few thousand photos, you will know what kinds of shots you like, what your needs are, and then it will be obvious to you what types of lenses you should get as a second, or third lens.
The "kit lens" on the T2i was the 18-55. Its a cheap lens, but will do the job. Many folks like the Canon EF 50mm F1.8 as a second lens, its a much faster prime. But if you like to take sports or wildlife photos, you will want a longer telephoto zoom.
Don't hang around photography forums, go shoot photos.
And get a decent post processing software package, such as Aperture, Lightroom or Photoshop Elements. Even beginners can do amazing stuff with these packages, an they are all under $200.
Edited: per @mike, the 50mm is EF mount, works on full frame too.
Originally by user8620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user8620
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Start with the lens you already have, especially if it’s the 18-55mm kit lens. It covers a useful wide-to-short-telephoto range and is enough to learn exposure, depth of field, composition, and the effects of shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.
For beginners, learning to control the camera manually is more important than buying more lenses right away. Spend time shooting a lot and figuring out what kinds of photos you actually enjoy making.
After that, choose your next lens based on what the kit lens can’t do for the images you want:
- A 50mm f/1.8 is a common second lens if you want a faster prime and shallower depth of field.
- A telephoto zoom makes more sense for sports or wildlife.
- Other genres like portraits, street, landscape, or macro each point to different lens choices.
In short: use the kit lens first, learn the camera well, then let your shooting interests determine the next lens.
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