[toni-a]

Yep I am getting 5D the good old one.

perfect condition, have been using it for months,after a friend lended it to, great but slow, it is doing its job fine.

Now I need a wide lens: my lineup I am actually using : Canon  EFS 17-55 f2.8 (on 30D), 28mm f2.8 , 50mm f1.4, 100mm macro, plus some dust collecting lenses I don't even carry in my bag.

I always carry 2 cameras, I usually swap cameras instead of changing lenses.

100 macro is almost always on 5D it makes great portraits.

Now i am considering either getting Canon EFS 11-18 IS or a full frame ultrawide (an affordable one not the 11-24) what would you recommend ?

I also considering getting a  decent portraits lens  Canon EF 85mm f1.8 comes to my mind,  will it be of any addition especially I already have the 100 mm macro  and I am extremely happpy with it ?

With the years I learnt that I don't need to have a full coverage for every focal length so I am getting only what I need and don't want any new dust collecting items

[popo]

The EF-S 10-18 I've found to be a great little lens and the image quality doesn't disappoint even at its low price.

 

Overall the 85/1.8 can get you more shallow depth of field but if you're happy with the 100 macro already, I think you could skip it.

[Rainer]

I second 'popo' on the 10-18 ... for the money you will

not find a better UWA.

 

With the 5D all your existing primes do now serve a dual purpose ...

with the 28 + 50 + 100 and the two sensorformats you now

have the FF-equivalent of 28+45 + 50+85 + 100+160.

 

Certainly, the imagequality of a 85/1.8 on the 5D will

be a little better than that of the 50/1.4 on the 30D

but the resulting images will be quite comparable ... on top,

you already said, you are quite satisfied with what you

get from the 5D+100mm combo.

[Guest]

The 10-18 won't mount on your 5d. -- you can use eg on apse but not efs on full frame.


The 16-35f4 is a lovely full frame ultra wide.

[Rover]

5D - but it's, uh, like 10 years old by now? Surely a used 6D would've been a better option?

[popo]

If you want the full frame fast prime look, I don't think there are many cheaper ways to do it than the 5D. Going to film is possibly the only other option. Local to me, a used 6D is over 3x the cost of a 5D so it is no small difference. Of course, the 5D does have its limits, but especially as it isn't an only camera, you can spread the load between bodies as needs arise.

[Rover]

Well, everyone has his/her own tastes... Personally I would've never gone that route, especially now. A used 1D Mark II N seems a much more sensible choice in the same price bracket, and 1D Mark III even more so (no idea how much it costs though).

[popo]

Neither of those have a full frame sensor.

[Rover]

Yes, but they have APS-H which is a best of both worlds methinks...  It still has the larger pixel pitch while the worst corners are lost and you gain some more effective reach for the time when you need it. Though, of course, there's a downside of not being able to use either APS-C or FF wideangles to the full extent of their power (if that's important for the OP).

[Brightcolours]

The big plus for FF is the ability to get more shallow DOF. You can get wide angle just fine on APS-H, with for instance a Tokina 12-24mm f4 DX.

 

The 5D has a particularly nice colour in its files, a richness and contrast that is attractive. Similar to the 1D mk III.