Any Photographers out there?

[hathalove]

I want to buy a real camera and was considering the Canon EOS rebel T3i and the Canon EOS 70D. Any opinions on either of these?

 

[Karl_K]

I haven't been keeping up with new models for a while but both are good cameras.
The first question is what do you want to do and what is your experience level with slr cameras?

 

[hathalove]

I haven't been keeping up with new models for a while but both are good cameras.
The first question is what do you want to do and what is your experience level with slr cameras?

Mostly for photos at concerts, festivals etc. Capture intimate moments happening within the larger crowds. As well as larger groups and far away crisp focused shots. Both for performer perspective and audience perspective. Almost just as interested or more interested in its use for video too! YouTube content etc...

 

[hathalove]

Oh and zero experience with slr cameras!

 

[kenny]

I'm a Nikon guy but I took a look.
BTW Nikon and Canon are neck and neck though Canon usually has the edge on video and Nikon has an edge on lower-noise sensors for low-light situations.

For only the camera body, no lens, the 70D is $1000, and the Rebel T3i is $500.
I'm surprised you are considering cameras with such different price points.
Between those cameras Canon also has:
Rebel T5I for $600
EOS 60D for $700

I'd google up reviews from dpreview and dxomark.
Ken Rockwell's reviews and website (though very user-friendly) are ridiculed and pretty much discredited by the more-knowledgeable folks.

You have to compare features and decide if the $1000 camera's features are worth it to you.
I know this is tough as a beginner.
I'd be happy to answer your specific questions on specs and features.
Generally, obviously, you pretty much get what you pay for.

If your interest grows you'll likely be glad you bought a better body.
If not you'll be glad you spent less.

Give strong consideration to lens choice.
You have to decide if you want primes or zoom(s).

I would not buy a kit (aka bundle), which is a camera body with a lens or two is chosen by sellers and combined and priced together.
Kit lenses are usually entry-level lenses that you'll eventually discard if your interest grows and you buy better lenses.
I recommend buying the body alone and researching which lens(s) fits your needs/budget.

You can buy one zoom with a wide range or 2 or 3 prime lenses that do not zoom and have a fixed angle of view.
Primes are cheaper, sharper and faster (wider diameter to let more light in, a VERY desirable thing) than zooms ... but they don't zoom so you have to change lenses or "zoom with your feet" by walking closer to or further from your subject.
Some people don't mind that and prefer the technical superiority of primes.
Today's professional level zoom lenses can have astonishing quality, but those are priced near $2000 each.
If you go the prime route you may want a 24 or 28mm, a 50mm and a 135 or 200mm.

Many serious photographers spend WAY WAY more on lenses than a body.
They'll keep lenses for decades but upgrade bodies every few years.
They often encourage you to spend generously on lenses ... it's cheaper in the long run, compared to upgrading, and REALLY makes a huge difference in your photography.

If you go the zoom route and can afford it I recommend a zoom with a very wide range like 18-135mm or better yet the 18-200mm.
If you buy the budget kit lens 18-55mm then add a 55-200 (or buy a bundle with these) you'll be swapping lenses often which really sucks compared to having the whole range in one lens.

Though worth it, real Canon lenses are costly.
You may also consider Sigma, Samyang and Tamron.
The quality of some of these third-party lens makers is quite high for the price these days.
Check dxomark for lens reviews.

I recommend buying from B&Hphoto or Adorama.
You may like Costo because of their generous return policy, but you would probably be stuck buying a kit (bundle) with two lenses, 18-55 and 55-200

 

[NewShiny]

I recommend the T3i and I 24-70mm 2.8 zoom lens along with a 70-200mm zoom lens for what you are wanting to take pics of. Once you start getting the hang of photography you may then want to upgrade your camera body. Both are good choices, but with the T3i there is room left in the budget for decent lenses. Good luck and let us know what you decide!

 

[kenny]

I recommend the T3i and I 24-70mm 2.8 zoom lens along with a 70-200mm zoom lens for what you are wanting to take pics of. Once you start getting the hang of photography you may then want to upgrade your camera body. Both are good choices, but with the T3i there is room left in the budget for decent lenses. Good luck and let us know what you decide!

Wonderful lens suggestions, which I sort of agree with.
I own Nikon's 24-70 f2.8G and 70-200 f2.8G VRII, and they are two of photography's holy grail lenses, worth every penny!

But, this person is considering Canon bodies that are low to mid-range, not high-end so though I support splurging on glass such lenses are likely not in budget.
Canon's 24-70 f2.8 zoom lens is $2,300.
Canon makes two 70-200 f2.8 zooms, priced $1,450 and $2,500.

Canon f4 versions of these zooms at $1,500 and $709 or $1,350, are also possibilities to consider.

Canon makes two lines of DSLR lenses, one for their smaller sensor and another line for their larger full-framed sensor.
One big reason to not consider these lenses is they are made to fill up a larger full-frame sensor of Canon's 3 most-expensive camera bodies ... but the two bodies under consideration do not have that large full-framed sensor.
They have the smaller APS-C sensor.
That means much of the enormous price of these lenses is wasted unless you are certain you will upgrade to a full-framed sensor body, which start at $1,900 for Canon's EOS 6D.

So, if upgrading to a full-frame sensor body is certain I totally agree with your lens recommendation.
Better yet, buy those two lenses and just spring for the full frame EOS 6D today, it's only $6,700.
Upgrading makes money go poof.

Note: prices are from B&H's paper Summer 2014 catalog.
Check online for today's prices.

 

[hathalove]

Thank you so much Kenny for all of the information!!! I appreciate everyones input!

This is a joint decision between DH and I and I think we have decided on the Canon EOS 70D

I have read that the video features are much easier to work with compared to the others and I like that it has features on the camera vs having to go into the menu to search and find them.

Knowing this we are trying to figure out where we should buy and what our options are. I guess my DH wants to also be able to take portraits and close up video as a priority not the distant shots I thought he was looking for to start with.

Our Options:

Purchase one of Kenny's retail suggestions for the body only (Comes with free 16GB or 32GB card and free case) $999
and purchase first lens. We were thinking the Tamron AF 17-50mm? $460. Any thoughts on this combo?

Best Buy $1349 comes with the body and a 18-135 lens.

Costco $1299 Body, EF-S 18-55mm and EF-S 55-250mm, camera bag, and 32GB SD card. I read that one of the lens will serve as a door stop though lol.

 

[kenny]

Purchase one of Kenny's retail suggestions for the body only (Comes with free 16GB or 32GB card and free case) $999
and purchase first lens. We were thinking the Tamron AF 17-50mm? $460. Any thoughts on this combo?

Best Buy $1349 comes with the body and a 18-135 lens.

Costco $1299 Body, EF-S 18-55mm and EF-S 55-250mm, camera bag, and 32GB SD card. I read that one of the lens will serve as a door stop though lol.

You're welcome, my pleasure.

Of the 3 suggestions I go with the 70D body bundled with the Canon 18-135.
But B&H has several bundles to choose from which may be cheaper and better.

Since video is important to you (which involves transfering TONS of data quickly so the process does not get hung up and lag) be sure to get a fast memory card.
Compare speeds which are expressed in MB/S.
Higher is better.
B&H has some bundles of that body and that lens with video doodads which would be cheaper to buy bundled than separately.

Clickey: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=canon+eos+70d+18-135&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma&Top+Nav-Search=

 

[Karl_K]

The problem with the Canon 18-135 is its slow.
slow focus, slow f-stops
While the range of the lens is great and for the price its not bad but you may get frustrated with it if you shoot moving items or in low light.
Both ends of the zoom range have some artifacts your going to have remove in post processing when you get enough experience to be picky.
Within a year your likely going to want something better.

 

[NewShiny]

This is a diamond forum, right? Shouldn't we all go big or go home? Kidding!!!

I didn't realize the 24-70 was so expensive. Was that the price for the L version? I have the Tamron knockoff which I bought used for about $600. My zoom lens was part of the original kit that came with my old 2Ti. It's really a good lens and not that expensive.

I don't agree that good glass is wasted on a crop sensor though. My 24-105L is amazing on the T2i. Also, I know we aren't discussing primes, but my 50mm 1.4 is amazing on my crop body as well. Of course I love them even more on my 5Dmkiii, but I think good glass is a good investment even on a crop body.

I recommend the T3i and I 24-70mm 2.8 zoom lens along with a 70-200mm zoom lens for what you are wanting to take pics of. Once you start getting the hang of photography you may then want to upgrade your camera body. Both are good choices, but with the T3i there is room left in the budget for decent lenses. Good luck and let us know what you decide!

Wonderful lens suggestions, which I sort of agree with.
I own Nikon's 24-70 f2.8G and 70-200 f2.8G VRII, and they are two of photography's holy grail lenses, worth every penny!

But, this person is considering Canon bodies that are low to mid-range, not high-end so though I support splurging on glass such lenses are likely not in budget.
Canon's 24-70 f2.8 zoom lens is $2,300.
Canon makes two 70-200 f2.8 zooms, priced $1,450 and $2,500.

Canon f4 versions of these zooms at $1,500 and $709 or $1,350, are also possibilities to consider.

Canon makes two lines of DSLR lenses, one for their smaller sensor and another line for their larger full-framed sensor.
One big reason to not consider these lenses is they are made to fill up a larger full-frame sensor of Canon's 3 most-expensive camera bodies ... but the two bodies under consideration do not have that large full-framed sensor.
They have the smaller APS-C sensor.
That means much of the enormous price of these lenses is wasted unless you are certain you will upgrade to a full-framed sensor body, which start at $1,900 for Canon's EOS 6D.

So, if upgrading to a full-frame sensor body is certain I totally agree with your lens recommendation.
Better yet, buy those two lenses and just spring for the full frame EOS 6D today, it's only $6,700.
Upgrading makes money go poof.

Note: prices are from B&H's paper Summer 2014 catalog.
Check online for today's prices.

 

[NewShiny]

I would stick with the body only. I still don't think the 17-50 is an ideal lens unless your primary focus is going to be landscapes. You will get distortion and vignetting in portrait images, even on a crop sensor body. I'm attaching a photo from a recent session I did that illustrates the distortion. It was taken at 32mm on a full frame camera body. See how his head looks so much bigger than his body? Of course, I could have avoided this by backing up and adjusting my exposure settings, but it's hard to know all of that when just starting out. Below that photo is one where I backed up properly and extended my zoom (fellow photogs, please excuse the blown out white shirt).

You may wish to consider a less expensive version of the 24-70mm f2.8 lens. This focal length is known as the traditional typical "one size fits all" walk around lens for every day use. It does pretty well in lowish light, and usually gives good results in great light. If you have a local camera store, I would go there and play with the lenses. Best buy might even have them in stock to play with. As you can tell by the varying opinions here, photographers are a passionate bunch and what works for you is not necessarily what works for the person standing next to you. The only way to really determine what gear is best for you is to make the investment and start playing.

I have the Tamron 24-70mm lens which I bought used. Of course it isn't as sharp as the super fancy pro lenses (Canon "L" series), but you won't notice the difference until you've been at photography for a while. I don't know a thing about video, so I can't comment on that part, sorry.

The sigma 24-70mm is $799, and even less if you are willing to purchase used. http://www.adorama.com/SG247028HEOC.html

Oh, and I agree 1000% with Kenny's suggestion on the SD memory cards. Get excellent quality ones or you will be frustrated waiting for your camera to catch up while you are missing out on the action you want to capture.

Finally, if you really want to start learning photography, pick up a copy of the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. It took me about 3-4 times of reading the book and doing the exercises, but it was totally worth it to keep trying until my mind finally started to understand how to achieve proper exposure.

Happy shopping!

Thank you so much Kenny for all of the information!!! I appreciate everyones input!

This is a joint decision between DH and I and I think we have decided on the Canon EOS 70D

I have read that the video features are much easier to work with compared to the others and I like that it has features on the camera vs having to go into the menu to search and find them.

Knowing this we are trying to figure out where we should buy and what our options are. I guess my DH wants to also be able to take portraits and close up video as a priority not the distant shots I thought he was looking for to start with.

Our Options:

Purchase one of Kenny's retail suggestions for the body only (Comes with free 16GB or 32GB card and free case) $999
and purchase first lens. We were thinking the Tamron AF 17-50mm? $460. Any thoughts on this combo?

Best Buy $1349 comes with the body and a 18-135 lens.

Costco $1299 Body, EF-S 18-55mm and EF-S 55-250mm, camera bag, and 32GB SD card. I read that one of the lens will serve as a door stop though lol.

 

[kenny]

Great pics NewShiny.

I don't agree that good glass is wasted on a crop sensor though. My 24-105L is amazing on the T2i. Also, I know we aren't discussing primes, but my 50mm 1.4 is amazing on my crop body as well. Of course I love them even more on my 5Dmkiii, but I think good glass is a good investment even on a crop body.

I won't argue against that perspective, though some people would.
In fact, all lenses are sharpest and more free from distortions like pincushion, barrel and chromatic aberrations at their center.
Everything is worst at the corners, as is vignetting.
A crop-sensor body's smaller sensor uses only the center of the oversized circle of light projected by a full frame lens.
That means it's only using the sweet spot.
If you have the money and don't mind the weight, yes, invest in full-frame lenses.
They hold their value much better too if you ever want to sell.

As Karl pointed out the 18-135 is a slow lens.
Its maximum aperture varies from f3.5 to f5.6 as you zoom through its range.
f5.6 is quite a small hole for the light to squeeze through so you'll be handicapped in low light.
Then it focuses more slowly because it does not have Canon's fancy USM motor they put on their more expensive lenses.
But hey, 18-135 is an awesome range for a real $500 Canon lens and IMO a much better starting lens than the usual kit lens of 18-55mm f3.5-5.6, also without the nice USM focusing motor.

Lens choice is much more complex than body choice.
There are pros and cons tradeoffs to every lens and the final choice is very personal.
This really sucks for noobs making their first purchase.
You really need to use the gear for some time to get what all the nuances are.
You could test drive gear by renting from lensrentals.com, but I assume they only carry pro-level gear.

Even if you pigged out and dropped a zillion bucks on the most expensive Nikon/Canon DSLR set up you may decide the gear is just too heavy and large for you.
Then you sell it all and spend a zillion bucks on a complete Leica set up and while the quality is top-drawer and the gear is small and feather-light Leica just doesn't have the sensors or the features or make the range of lenses and accessories that Canon/Nikon does.
Then you sell all that and go medium format and spend a trillion bucks on a complete Hasseblad set up, and while the quality and skin tones and astonishing shallow depth of field of medium format make you drool the massive file size takes forever to handle in post processing.

Such is the joy and the pain of this photography obsession.
It never ends.

 

[NewShiny]

Hathalove, sorry for hijacking your thread into a philosophical topic about gear and lens choices! We all agree that you should make a choice you are comfortable with and start taking pics and videos. It's really the best way to learn. I had no idea what focal lengths were or the differences between a $100 and $1,000 lens when I first started learning about photography about 3 years ago.

Kenny, I enjoy learning your logic and I've enjoyed this discussion overall. I wish people were this polite and well reasoned in the photography forums. You are totally correct about the joy and pain in the photography obsession! I'm not sure that my husband would have bought me that first DSLR when our son was tiny if he knew how much it would cost him in dollars and time (that I used to spend with him) spent learning everything I can photography related. Thanks for the compliments on my pics. Photography is a hobby for me so I don't have a website or anything. Sometimes I wish I did so I could share more of my work, but it would take up even more time to format for web and create storyboards, etc. etc.

Great pics NewShiny.

I don't agree that good glass is wasted on a crop sensor though. My 24-105L is amazing on the T2i. Also, I know we aren't discussing primes, but my 50mm 1.4 is amazing on my crop body as well. Of course I love them even more on my 5Dmkiii, but I think good glass is a good investment even on a crop body.

I won't argue against that perspective, though some people would.
In fact, all lenses are sharpest and more free from distortions like pincushion, barrel and chromatic aberrations at their center.
Everything is worst at the corners, as is vignetting.
A crop-sensor body's smaller sensor uses only the center of the oversized circle of light projected by a full frame lens.
That means it's only using the sweet spot.
If you have the money and don't mind the weight, yes, invest in full-frame lenses.
They hold their value much better too if you ever want to sell.

As Karl pointed out the 18-135 is a slow lens.
Its maximum aperture varies from f3.5 to f5.6 as you zoom through its range.
f5.6 is quite a small hole for the light to squeeze through so you'll be handicapped in low light.
Then it focuses more slowly because it does not have Canon's fancy USM motor they put on their more expensive lenses.
But hey, 18-135 is an awesome range for a real $500 Canon lens and IMO a much better starting lens than the usual kit lens of 18-55mm f3.5-5.6, also without the nice USM focusing motor.

Lens choice is much more complex than body choice.
There are pros and cons tradeoffs to every lens and the final choice is very personal.
This really sucks for noobs making their first purchase.
You really need to use the gear for some time to get what all the nuances are.
You could test drive gear by renting from lensrentals.com, but I assume they only carry pro-level gear.

Even if you pigged out and dropped a zillion bucks on the most expensive Nikon/Canon DSLR set up you may decide the gear is just too heavy and large for you.
Then you sell it all and spend a zillion bucks on a complete Leica set up and while the quality is top-drawer and the gear is small and feather-light Leica just doesn't have the sensors or the features or make the range of lenses and accessories that Canon/Nikon does.
Then you sell all that and go medium format and spend a trillion bucks on a complete Hasseblad set up, and while the quality and skin tones and astonishing shallow depth of field of medium format make you drool the massive file size takes forever to handle in post processing.

Such is the joy and the pain of this photography obsession.
It never ends.

 

[kenny]

Better yet, buy those two lenses and just spring for the full frame EOS 6D today, it's only $6,700.

Correction ... that body is $1,700 not $6,700.

 

[Karl_K]

Better yet, buy those two lenses and just spring for the full frame EOS 6D today, it's only $6,700.

Correction ... that body is $1,700 not $6,700.

Now if you have a 6d you need this lens for landscapes.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/655184-REG/Zeiss_1762_848_Distagon_T_21mm_f_2_8.html

 

[hathalove]

NewShiny, Karl, Kenny!

No worries at all and thank you so much for all the insight. I appreciate it. I knew it was a complicated world much like diamonds and I knew that the passion runs deep. It is a creative art form! That is exactly why I didn't go to a camera forum. Lol. That being said I agree with NewShiny in that we want to buy a camera and start and learn. I just don't want to waste money. Like buy a zales no name cert diamond in an effort to learn about beautiful diamonds. I doubt the first lens will be the only one. I have a budget of about $1500. Of course I could do more but that would cut into my diamond and setting desires. All our larger purchases are joint decisions but this is a Father's Day and Anniversary gift combo. I know he wants that Canon body for sure which leaves me with $500 for today. In a couple months he can get whatever lens he wants.

Any final thoughts?

 

[kenny]

Lemme see if I understand.
Sounds like you're gonna buy the 70D body now, but have no lens for two months.

Why are you not buying a $500 lens now?
Are you waiting to save up for a lens over $500?

Or are you just holding off of on the lens to do more research? (actually, a good idea)
But another good argument is just pick a lens today and get out there and start using it and learning photography now instead of having analysis paralysis.

Personally, instead of having a camera body I can't use for 2 months I'd wait and buy the body and lens together, because the body price may fall in two months.

Lens technology does not advance as fast as camera body technology.
Bodies have a life cycle of a few years, sometimes shorter.
As a body approaches the end of its cycle the price often drops.
I saved $300 because I intentionally waited to buy my camera body.
The Canon EOS 70D is almost one year old so I doubt the price will fall within two months, but stranger things have happened.
There's also some small chance another body may be released that is better for the same price or less.

 

[kenny]

Lens choice ...

So far your stated requirements are, " ... far photos at concerts, festivals etc. Capture intimate moments happening within the larger crowds. As well as larger groups and far away crisp focused shots. Both for performer perspective and audience perspective.
...
DH wants to also be able to take portraits and close up video as a priority not the distant shots

To best meet these needs on a budget of $500 I'd go for one third-party zoom with the widest zoom range possible, hopefully with a nice fast speed of f2.8 that stays f2.8 throughout the zoom range, if you can't find an f2.8, then f4 is next best.

Close up, aka macro, capability is where you may have difficulty when if you hope for for a $500 lens that can do it all.
One lens, even with unlimited budget, do everything well.

Here is how to recognize better macro performance ...
The spec to look at is Reproduction Ratio.
1:1 is true macro, which means the size of the image of a penny projected onto the sensor is the size of the penny itself.
1:2 means the image of the penny on the sensor is half the size of the penny ... this is not as good as 1:1.
Even some dedicated $1,000 'true' macro lenses do not reach true 1:1.
In summary, when shopping not that a lens with a maximum Reproduction Ratio of 1:4 is better for close ups than one of 1:6.

This forum at dpreview dedicated to lens choice for Canon DSLRs:

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/1029?utm_campaign=internal-link&utm_source=mainmenu&utm_medium=text&ref=mainmenu

I recommend you join and post a new thread that reads something like this:

We've decided to buy an EOS 70D and have a $500 budget for a lens.
We want the lens to do X, Y and Z.
We are willing to consider third-party brands but want a new lens (if true).
Which lenses give us the best bang for 500 bucks?

 

[hathalove]

Lemme see if I understand.
Sounds like you're gonna buy the 70D body now, but have no lens for two months.

Why are you not buying a $500 lens now?
Are you waiting to save up for a lens over $500?

Or are you just holding off of on the lens to do more research? (actually, a good idea)
But another good argument is just pick a lens today and get out there and start using it and learning photography now instead of having analysis paralysis.

Personally, instead of having a camera body I can't use for 2 months I'd wait and buy the body and lens together, because the body price may fall in two months.

Lens technology does not advance as fast as camera body technology.
Bodies have a life cycle of a few years, sometimes shorter.
As a body approaches the end of its cycle the price often drops.
I saved $300 because I intentionally waited to buy my camera body.
The Canon EOS 70D is almost one year old so I doubt the price will fall within two months, but stranger things have happened.
There's also some small chance another body may be released that is better for the same price or less.

No no...lol. I want a body and lens. I just mean with $500 left after the body purchase what lens do I get as a good starter lens to start taking pictures. I mean there are so many buttons and dials etc.. we have to start somewhere

 

[hathalove]

Lens choice ...

So far your stated requirements are, " ... far photos at concerts, festivals etc. Capture intimate moments happening within the larger crowds. As well as larger groups and far away crisp focused shots. Both for performer perspective and audience perspective.
...
DH wants to also be able to take portraits and close up video as a priority not the distant shots

To best meet these needs on a budget of $500 I'd go for one third-party zoom with the widest zoom range possible, hopefully with a nice fast speed of f2.8 that stays f2.8 throughout the zoom range, if you can't find an f2.8, then f4 is next best.

Close up, aka macro, capability is where you may have difficulty when if you hope for for a $500 lens that can do it all.
One lens, even with unlimited budget, do everything well.

Here is how to recognize better macro performance ...
The spec to look at is Reproduction Ratio.
1:1 is true macro, which means the size of the image of a penny projected onto the sensor is the size of the penny itself.
1:2 means the image of the penny on the sensor is half the size of the penny ... this is not as good as 1:1.
Even some dedicated $1,000 'true' macro lenses do not reach true 1:1.
In summary, when shopping not that a lens with a maximum Reproduction Ratio of 1:4 is better for close ups than one of 1:6.

This forum at dpreview dedicated to lens choice for Canon DSLRs:

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/1029?utm_campaign=internal-link&utm_source=mainmenu&utm_medium=text&ref=mainmenu

I recommend you join and post a new thread that reads something like this:

We've decided to buy an EOS 70D and have a $500 budget for a lens.
We want the lens to do X, Y and Z.
We are willing to consider third-party brands but want a new lens (if true).
Which lenses give us the best bang for 500 bucks?

Kenny! Okay...I will go on over there. I was wanting this to be a wham bam thank you type but I see I have gotten myself into something

 

[kenny]

Kenny! Okay...I will go on over there. I was wanting this to be a wham bam thank you type but I see I have gotten myself into something

We could pick a lens for you, but your requirements and budget make it a challenge and I want you to make the best lens selection.
The wham bam quick selection approach may get you up and taking pics faster, but may lead to lens disappointment if you later find out another lens was a better fit.
This is a smarter way to optimize your budget by getting a lens you are more likely to be happy with longer.

This is not a no-brainer point and shoot.
The better results DSLRs can produce merits more learning and, frankly, work.
Again, we have the pain and joy.

We are very lucky there is such a specialized Canon DSLR Lens forum.
People in that forum are Canon geeks who are likely to be very familiar with which lens or lenses from several makers may besty fit your needs and budget.
I think after 2 or 3 days of responses there you'll have your lens.
If you want to bring back a few candidates here we'd be glad to give feedback.

You could spend zillions of hours doing a complex search there to compare lenses that have already been discussed.
I would not be put off if some posters there are annoyed that you asked a question that has been answered before.
But I'm pretty sure other posters will just make helpful suggestions.