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Hi I am new to photography with DSLR and trying to find my footing with various lenses.

The subjects that interest me are

  1. night sky
  2. cityscape (day and night)
  3. buildings
  4. portraits (including full body sometimes)
  5. children in action
  6. family portraits

I recently bought Canon EOS Rebel T5i with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens. However, I have gathered that to really learn photography, I should use prime lenses. For this purpose I have shortlisted the following lenses

  1. Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Autofocus Lens
  2. Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM Wide Angle Lens

I am looking for any feedback on these lenses in context to what I am looking to use them for. I am also torn between the 28mm and the 24mm f/2.8.

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    \$\begingroup\$ "to really learn photography, I should use prime lenses". You can learn photography perfectly well with zoom lenses. Don't buy anything until you understand why you're going to need it and what it's going to offer you. \$\endgroup\$
    – Philip Kendall ♦
    Sep 11, 2015 at 15:08
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    \$\begingroup\$ Frankly, if you don't know why you need a specific lens, you don't need it. (Which isn't to say you can't get it just 'cuz you want it!) \$\endgroup\$
    – Dan Wolfgang
    Sep 11, 2015 at 15:53
  • \$\begingroup\$ Thanks all for your words of wisdom. I will stick with the kit lens as @Max suggested below and decide as I evolve further. \$\endgroup\$
    – earthlink
    Sep 11, 2015 at 17:12

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I suggest you keep using your 18-55 lens for now.

Learn all you can learn by using it in different context and at different focal lengths.

After a while, you will see that you prefer shooting at specific focal lengths, then go look for a lens that closely fit that focal length.

Software like Adobe Lightroom (and probably others) will let you display focal length for each image and filter photos according to focal lengths.

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