Should I buy another lens?

abdurrahmaan

Estimable
Aug 3, 2015
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0
4,510
Hi,

I am thinking of buying a cannon 700d that comes with a kit lens:
EOS 700D Digital SLR Camera + EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Lens Kit

However, I have been advised to buy this lens:
EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens

Having looked a bit into it is seems that the kit lens has zoom and image stabilization whereas the 24mm is wider. Please can you tell me a bit more about the differences and whether I should buy the 24mm.

Thanks
 
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t53186

Distinguished
Aug 6, 2006
140
1
18,710
If this is your first DSLR then save your money and don't get the second lens just yet. Have fun with the new kit, get to know how the pictures look, then maybe consider an additional lens.
 

abdurrahmaan

Estimable
Aug 3, 2015
8
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4,510


What lens would you suggest I get in the future?
 

bjornl

Estimable


The 24mm is not wider. The kit lens goes to 18mm. I would suggest you don't get a 2nd lens until you decide what you shoot that your kit lens is less than ideal for. If you simply want a better kit lens, get the 15-85mm instead of the 18-55.

Do you mind if I ask what lead you to select the 700d? It is a 4 year old design with a fairly noisy sensor (for anything other than ideal lighting). Check Dpreview and dxomark for info.

 

abdurrahmaan

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Aug 3, 2015
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4,510


I want to shoot vlogs so obviously I need really good autofocus (zoom is not compulsory).

Honestly I saw a review on the 650d as a good vlogging camera but I eventually found the 700d with kit lens for around £350 so I thought that was a decent price. Please could you suggest any other vlogging cameras for around the same price (max £500)

Thanks

 
Jun 3, 2017
6
0
520
Hi there abdurrahmaan,
If you are planning to primarily do vlogging, I would definitely recommend getting the Canon M5 or M6, these are both great cameras that take great video and photos. They are both very light and easy to carry around, they have decent battery life, and are very versatile. I Hope this helped!
 

bjornl

Estimable



Not good advice man. They have below average battery life and there is nothing about them that in any way makes them more suitable to vlogging than every other camera out there. They are not remarkable in any way.
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/canon-eos-m6/canon-eos-m6A.HTM

abdurrahmaan,
Which camera to get depends on if you will be stationary or moving around. If you are going to be moving around, you'll need a camera with reasonably fast video auto-focus or you will need a camera-man.

Again I suggest you do some checking on some other sites. The ones I mentioned before are the definite sources for all sorts of info. They are far more authoritative than random advice from strangers.

But just so I don't seem to be blowing you off, here are a few tips.
For vlogging, you should get:
1 Good lighting (critical)
2 Good tripod (very important)
3 Some sort of set. Meaning a recording location free from background noise and with reasonably plain visuals as well.
4 ideally a decent microphone. Most anyone will do, just get a stand and a long cord.
5 Some practice
6 A general understanding of exposure and shutter speed to be used in a video. Don't go below 24fps or above 60fps until you exactly what you are doing.
7 get some camera (least important variable) and a suitable lens (more important than the body). OR get a all-in-one with the lens "glued on" (non-removable lens).

One option
If you need autofocus, see about getting a Panasonic FZ1000 or Sony rx10. The Sony has a nicer lens (weather sealing (doing any outside shots?) and a lens which is faster, wider and has better optics). The fz1000 has faster focus in video and more "zoom" (which might matter for playing around, but not for vlogging). Both are limited to 29 minutes recording for each time you press the record button.

Another option
Get a decent cam-corder. Focus on the sensor size and the aperture (the smaller the number the better). Sensor size plays a bigger role in quality of video than aperture so long as the aperture is not ridiculously large. Cam-corders can record for as long as you want.

Another option
Get a DSLR of some sort. The quality will be better. Focus speed is generally too slow to rely on auto-focus in video. I would suggest a trip to the sites I mentioned before buying. Older Canons, for example, are very grainy (noisey). Sony cameras have fast video focus but they use a center-crop and so the image will seem like it is with a much longer lens (meaning to get the same framing, you will need a wider lens on a Sony or move the camera further back. None of the DSLR type can record for more than 30 minutes at a time. This is ok if you are shooting pro-style with short takes spliced together or are shooting short episodes. The only exception to this run are the Panasonic GH series of cameras. Among the cameras I use is a Panasonic gh3. You can get it new from amazon with a 14-42 lens for 600. The sensor is a little smaller. It has a crop factor of 2 while the 700d (for example) has a crop factor of 1.6 and a Nikon d5600 has a crop factor of 1.5. The smaller the crop factor, the larger the sensor. But read DXO to get a real understanding of the differences in capabilities.
 
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