Favorite Canon mount lenses?

Seriously though, the best deal available is the rokinon cine lenses. Since you didn't mention budget, I just went for one of the best available. But at about $5k a piece, the CP.2's add up quick... whereas, you can get a full set of rokinon's for less than the cost of one cp.2.
Rokinon is also marketed as Samyang (the actual brand) and Bower. They're good and solid, and most of them are decent quality, although I have reservations with a couple of them. From memory, the 35 and 85 looked decent.

You can buy a nice Zeiss and get a CP.2-like housing for it made in china out of engineering plastic which looks pretty high quality, but I haven't experienced one first-hand. Most of the manufacturer-adapted video lenses based on their other lenses normally give a much longer (300 degree or so) focus throw from MFD to infinity. I know Canon's video lenses are not only high quality, but have that long focus rotation. And are also very expensive, naturally.

For your t4i, Tokina makes an 11-16 f/2.8 that I hear a lot of people use. I don't have first-hand experience with that, either. I have shot on a Sigma 8-16, which is stupid wide but does not have a wide aperture.

I've recently been investing in Zeiss medium format vintage lenses with adapters, but you won't find any of those in wide angle.
 
I guess I didn't really answer your question...

I think my favorite wide angle lens would be the EFS 17-55 IS. It has L-quality glass, wide aperture, stabilization, and is reasonably well-built. It has some issue being adapted for video, as gears added to the focus ring make it more difficult to turn, which has caused me some issues.

The funnest UWA lens I've used is the sigma 8-16. Distortion takes on a new meaning in video compared to stills, and this is the widest of the ultra-wide angles for a crop camera like the t4i.
 
Wide angle lightweight zoom at T2.6:

http://www.abelcine.com/store/Zeiss-LWZ.2-Lightweight-Zoom-with-Interchangeable-Mount/

Great for versatile handheld, nice image, decent zoom range. Couple it with a CN-E 30-105 (https://www.abelcine.com/store/Canon-CN-E-30-105mm-T2.8-Cinema-Zoom/) and you have a pretty decent handheld (or not) zoom range, versatile lens package, and no problems shooting at T2.8.

Will Vincent said:

Personally, I'd use the 21mm T2.9 more than I'd use the 15mm. 21 is wide without being too extreme. That's not to say I wouldn't have a place for a 15mm if I was building a full set, but I'd use the 21mm much more. Plus it's a tad cheaper. Though, I'm not a huge fan of CP.2s, but you can get much else on an EF mount at that kinda level - there's the CN-Es but I've only ever used CN-E zooms.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/687442-REG/Zeiss_1839_121_Compact_Prime_CP_2_21mm_T2_9.html

Of course, assuming a S35 sensor - say on a C300 or C500.


But seriously, what's the budget? :P
 
Last edited:
Remember the t4i is a crop sensor camera, so 15mm isn't as crazy extreme as it is on a full frame (although it's still fairly wide). I would have trouble using that on my 5d3, but could find uses on my 7D.

I'm thinking the budget is not very high since he's using a t4i.
 
Remember the t4i is a crop sensor camera, so 15mm isn't as crazy extreme as it is on a full frame (although it's still fairly wide). I would have trouble using that on my 5d3, but could find uses on my 7D.

I'm thinking the budget is not very high since he's using a t4i.

Two good points. ^

OP, you should give the folks here an idea of your budget.
 
Remember the t4i is a crop sensor camera, so 15mm isn't as crazy extreme as it is on a full frame (although it's still fairly wide). I would have trouble using that on my 5d3, but could find uses on my 7D.

I'm thinking the budget is not very high since he's using a t4i.

Blasphemy!!

I bought a sigma 18-35mm F1.8 for my .... T3i

dont judge me

:bag:
 
The T4i (along with all of the rest of the Rebel line) is a native EF-s mount. All EF-s mount cameras will accept EF mount lenses, but EF mount cameras (1D, 5D and 6D lines) will only accept EF lenses.
 
15mm wide enough?
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/857793-REG/Zeiss_1864_642_Compact_Prime_CP_2_15mm_T2_9.html

:lol:

Seriously though, the best deal available is the rokinon cine lenses. Since you didn't mention budget, I just went for one of the best available. But at about $5k a piece, the CP.2's add up quick... whereas, you can get a full set of rokinon's for less than the cost of one cp.2.


yeah my friend was telling my to look into the rokinon cine lenses
 
Wide angle lightweight zoom at T2.6:

http://www.abelcine.com/store/Zeiss-LWZ.2-Lightweight-Zoom-with-Interchangeable-Mount/

Great for versatile handheld, nice image, decent zoom range. Couple it with a CN-E 30-105 (https://www.abelcine.com/store/Canon-CN-E-30-105mm-T2.8-Cinema-Zoom/) and you have a pretty decent handheld (or not) zoom range, versatile lens package, and no problems shooting at T2.8.



Personally, I'd use the 21mm T2.9 more than I'd use the 15mm. 21 is wide without being too extreme. That's not to say I wouldn't have a place for a 15mm if I was building a full set, but I'd use the 21mm much more. Plus it's a tad cheaper. Though, I'm not a huge fan of CP.2s, but you can get much else on an EF mount at that kinda level - there's the CN-Es but I've only ever used CN-E zooms.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/687442-REG/Zeiss_1839_121_Compact_Prime_CP_2_21mm_T2_9.html

Of course, assuming a S35 sensor - say on a C300 or C500.


But seriously, what's the budget? :P


yeah my budget is at around $1,500. but I'm also contemplating investing in 1200LED Camera Video Panel Lights. Does anybody have any experience with them.
 
Personally, I'd use the 21mm T2.9 more than I'd use the 15mm. 21 is wide without being too extreme. That's not to say I wouldn't have a place for a 15mm if I was building a full set, but I'd use the 21mm much more. :P

Jax, just went through the options of that focal length (~21mm) using a Canon-mount, Rokinon 16mm lens and .71x wide angle adapter for my GH2. Metabones doesn't have a Speedbooster EF mount ("yet," whatever that means) and I can't find one that is EF that I'm sure about enough to buy. Sigh, seems like that would be a winning combination with all pieces of glass at high enough quality...
 
It's not my favorite lens (I think it's kinda over-rated, but that's a personal aesthetic opinion, mechanically and technically they are good and many people really like them and their look), but your t4i can use the Tokina 11-16. It's not really that fast (2.8), but it has the advantage of covering the range you're seeking and only costing 1/3 of your budget if bought new, less for a used one but take care to examine them if you go that route.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/554035-REG/Tokina_ATX116PRODXC_11_16mm_f_2_8_AT_X_116.html

<Edit: /facepalm I forgot that the sig 18-35 is EF, not EF-S>

They're not going to have nearly the build quality of the (vastly superior) suggestions others have made, but you don't seem to be working with a budget that size just yet.

For $1500 you could probably do the Tokina, a full set of the Rokinon/Samyang primes (cine mod versions) and a Canon 50mm EF. All you'd be missing are focal lengths longer than 85, and there are options there too. The slower L series 70-200 isn't as good as it's more expensive (by >2x) f2.8 brother, but it gets the job done. On the other hand, if I was in your position I'd look for a way to rent the nicer 70-200 when I needed it instead of dropping the grand on the lesser version. Depending on where you are that may or may not be a good option for you.

To be cheeky: my favorite "canon mount" lenses are my old manual FD ones, particularly my 135 - but that's the wrong mount. :P I'm a sucker for the vintage lens look. I almost bought a set of OCT-18 lenses, but I talked myself out of it because the 18's don't adapt to PL as well as the 19's do, so the long term investment aspect didn't look as good, and the price jump between the 18's and the 19's is mildly significant - probably for the same reason I talked myself out of that purchase. :lol:
 
Last edited:
Canon 10-22. Affordable, very wide, fast (enough, with all those lights), and great image quality. A wide angle doesn't get the use you may imagine though. Another choice to add to that lens would be the Tamron 17-50 2.8, giving you a range of 10-50mm with great quality and budget left over for lights and sound!
Of course the favorites for me are the Tamron 24-70 2.8 VC - Canon 70-200 2.8 IS II, and for overall use in one lense, the Canon 24-105 F4 IS as it's parfocal, fast enough for most situations, great quality, and can be found almost everywhere.
 
Of course the favorites for me are the Tamron 24-70 2.8 VC - Canon 70-200 2.8 IS II, and for overall use in one lense, the Canon 24-105 F4 IS as it's parfocal, fast enough for most situations, great quality, and can be found almost everywhere.

The 24-105 is definitely a strong lens with IS, but I'm pretty sure it's not parfocal. The wide angle barrel distortion is not great, either. But still, it's a good deal and has a great range.
 
Last edited:
I currently run almost exclusively (day to day shooting) with a Tamron 28-200 "super zoom" and a Sigma 30mm 1.4 (which makes the tamron look cheesy in comparison.

Both very nice lenses that take great pictures for me. My Facebook page has samples of each in the photos section.
 
My favorite lens is my 35mm f1.4L. A close second is my 70-200 f2.8L IS. The 50 and 85mm f1.2Ls are also up there for me. The downside is that any of these lenses will blow your entire budget. A word of caution about Canon's L series of lenses, once you shoot with them, you will compare every other lens you pick up to them. Most lenses will not compare favorably. L glass is addictive.
 
Back
Top