I just bought this Panasonic S5II because everyone said the autofocus was finally good but now I'm just staring at the hole in the front of the camera and I feel so stupid. I spent almost all my savings on the body - about $2000 - and I completely blanked on the fact that I actually need glass to make it work. I've been looking at the lens options online and there are just way too many numbers and I'm honestly getting a massive headache. F4? F2.8? Does it really matter that much?
I just want to take pictures of my kids playing and some nice landscape shots when we go to the Grand Canyon next month. I dont want to carry five different lenses because I know I'll just lose them or get dust inside the camera which sounds like a total nightmare. So I was thinking maybe that 20-60mm one that comes in the kit? But then I saw people saying it isn't fast enough and I have no idea what that even means. Like is it slow at taking the picture?
My budget is pretty tight now, maybe $800 max since the camera was so much. I saw a Sigma 24-70 thing but its huge and looks like a literal brick and I dont want to break my neck carrying it around all day. My logic was that a zoom is better so I dont have to keep swapping things out but I'm just so lost with all these brands. What is the one lens I should get that just works for everything?...
I remember being terrified of getting dust in my first camera, so I didnt take my lens off for a year. I would suggest looking at these:
- The Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 DG DN Contemporary is lighter than that 24-70 brick and wont hurt your neck.
- Be careful with the Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f3.5-5.6 kit; its good for the canyon but might be too slow indoors.
Building on the earlier suggestion, you might actually want to check out a superzoom since you are heading to the Grand Canyon! Honestly, when I first started, I thought fast meant how quick the lens could focus... I felt so silly when I realized it just means how much light it lets in. A fast lens like an f2.8 is amazing for indoor shots of the kids, but for big landscapes, you will be stopping down to f8 or f11 anyway! I used to be obsessed with having the perfect lens for every tiny thing, but I ended up missing so many candid family moments because I was busy swapping glass in the dirt. Total nightmare. I finally switched to a one-lens setup for trips and it has honestly been life-changing. You just point and shoot without the headache. If you want to keep things simple and light, these are fantastic options:
- Panasonic Lumix S 28-200mm f4-7.1 Macro OIS is totally mind-blowing because of how small it is. It covers everything from wide views to long-distance zoom and weighs almost nothing.
- Panasonic Lumix S 24-105mm f4 Macro OIS is a bit beefier but that constant f4 is lovely for keeping your settings consistent while you zoom in and out. Definitely look for these used or as open box deals to stay under that $800 budget. That 28-200 is relatively new and people love it because it is so portable. It is perfect for not breaking your neck while hiking around the canyon with the kids!
