Recommended Canon EF Lens and Flash Sets

This is a series of a few posts to review the different aspects of a Canon DSLR camera system, mostly focused on full frame bodies. Here are the other posts in the series:

• Review of Canon 6D and Unboxing
• Introduction to Digital Photography Nomenclature
  • Crop factors (APS-C vs Full Frame), Focal Lengths, F-number
• Introduction to Canon Lens (EF and EF-S, despite the fact that EF-S does not fit on a full frame body)
  • This post will include some standard information about different focal lengths and f-stops.
  • It will also include two major different focusing hardware
• Introduction to Canon SpeedLite Flashes (works with any Canon DSLR, which is pretty amazing)
• Recommended Canon EF Lens Sets

Here are my budget lens options for a full frame camera:

• 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Zoom Lens (only $780 refurb)
• 50mm f/1.8 (only $70! refurb) or 50mm f/1.4 ($271 refurb)
• 70-300mm IS USM Telephoto Lens (only $360 refurb)
• 17-40mm f/4L Wide Angle Zoom Lens ($570 refurb, Out of Stock often)
• Canon 430EXII Flash ($200 Refurb)

This kit will pretty much cover the wide range of shooting conditions. After getting the wide angle, I wish I had the telephoto first instead of wide angle. Wide angle is best for indoor shots as it makes outdoor shots too small and too distant from the camera. I would still recommend getting a flash for those who already have a pop-up flash on their camera. The dedicated flashes are usually much more powerful and better than the pop-up flash.

Here is my ideal (non-budget constrained) lens options for a full frame camera:

• 24-70mm F/2.8L or 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Zoom Lens (only $780 refurb)
  • I would choose IS over non-IS but some people really like the f/2.8 on the 24-70mm lens
• 50mm f/1.8 (only $70! refurb) or 50mm f/1.4 ($271 refurb)
• 70-200mm f/4L IS USM Telephoto Lens
• 16-35mm f/2.8 Wide Angle Zoom Lens
• Canon 580EXII Flash or 600EX-RT

The only reservation I have about this kit is the size and weight of the 70-200mm zoom lens. It is probably regarded as the best zoom lens Canon makes but not nearly as portable or versatile as the 70-300mm IS USM zoom lens. Also, the 24-70mm would require constant lens changes. Combined with the 70-200mm lens, it is not nearly as travel friendly as the budget option above.

I would recommend the Canon 580EX II, even though Canon has a new one called 600EX-RT. If you wait patiently enough, you can find a 580EX II used for about $200-$250 on craigslist or about $250-$300 on Ebay. I just saw a website selling the 600EX-RT for $435, so if you have a bit more cash, I say buy the 600EX-RT. The main difference between the two is the remote trigger option. The 580EX II requires line of sight to control other flashes. I listed most of the differences in my previous post about Speedlite flashes [link above].