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Good Lens Choice

jazzmech
 
Posts: 53

Good Lens Choice

Post Sat Aug 21, 2004 8:28 pm


I recently purchased a Camon Rebel Ti and looking for lens recommendations. My interests are in portrait, buidings and flowers.

Thanks
Jazzmech

arachnophilia
 
Posts: 166


Post Mon Aug 23, 2004 10:38 am


well, are you looking for one lens or three?

jazzmech
 
Posts: 53


Post Mon Aug 23, 2004 12:32 pm


Sorry about the vagueness. Let's start with a landscape recomendation. I have focused on buildings and flowers.

Thanks for your reply!

Spencer

ukexpat
 
Posts: 1193


Post Mon Aug 23, 2004 1:31 pm


jazzmech wrote:Sorry about the vagueness. Let's start with a landscape recomendation. I have focused on buildings and flowers.

Thanks for your reply!

Spencer


What is your budget?

jazzmech
 
Posts: 53


Post Tue Aug 24, 2004 7:37 am


Being a beginner, I'm lookig for something in the $150-300 range. I did a lil research and looking at the Canon 80-200m or the 75-300m EOS lenses.

Are there some better options for me? Another vendor who makes similar ones? I can srearch the web but I want user input.

Thanks
Spencer

snappingturtle
 
Posts: 305


Post Thu Aug 26, 2004 7:46 pm


Hi,

For a begginner, I would reccomend that you go for the Canon 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM. It is a great multi purpose lens. It can tackle wide angle as well as subjects that are not too far. The minimum focusing distance is close enough to get flowers and portraits. Its limits are a lack of constant aperture and the zoom is not long enough to fulfill a telephoto requirement. This lens sells for around $200. For more options, try this out.

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/contro ... goryid=149


If you are not afriad to, you can try to look at aftermarket brand lenses designed for Canon. They are less costly and more effecient for non serious photographers. I reccomend Sigma. They offer the most options and at a decent quality.


Hugh

jim_panzee
 
Posts: 296


Post Sat Aug 28, 2004 11:57 am


For landscapes and buildings, I would think you need a wide angle lens of some description, also any decent lens for the Canon will be over your budget of 300, (I suppose this is Dollars). All good Canon primes (USM’s IS’s etc.) even second hand will be over this. An excellent buy at the moment is the new Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG, all the reports I have read for this lens have been very good indeed, price, around 400-450 new, I am thinking of getting one myself for my EOS 5. Definitely worth a try. :lol:

zaneyau
 
Posts: 7


Post Wed Sep 15, 2004 5:39 am


Tamron 28-75 is good for your purposes as well. It also offers large aperture of 2.8 - great value.

zaneyau
 
Posts: 7


Post Wed Sep 15, 2004 5:40 am


Otherwise my Canon 24-85 is great little zoom lens which got me started in photography - definitely better than most consumer zoom lenses at the price range

jazzmech
 
Posts: 53


Post Thu Oct 07, 2004 10:48 am


Thanks for all the replies. I found the lens of choice at Photokina last week end. It is a Tamron AF28-300MM F/3.5-6.3 XR Di. When I attached this lens to my Rebel Ti, immediately I could tell the difference and this was for me. 8)

s9810588
 
Posts: 72


Post Thu Oct 07, 2004 11:02 am


I don't want to rain your parade but any super zoom in general is mediocre. You get really slow maximum aperture (viewfinder gets really dim, AF is unreliable), poor colour rendition, heavy flare and barrel/pincushion distortion too. You will hate distortion when taking architectural photos.

Portrait and flower can be served well by EF100/2.8 Macro. Get the USM version if budget permits because it has internal focusing mechanism plus, well USM AF motor. Otherwise, the older model without USM is just as good optically.

Architectural work is best served by TSE 24/3.5 L but for most mortals, EF28/2.8 or EF24/2.8 will do a good job.

My 2 cents.

jim_panzee
 
Posts: 296


Post Fri Oct 08, 2004 6:22 am


s9810588 wrote:I don't want to rain your parade but any super zoom in general is mediocre. You get really slow maximum aperture (viewfinder gets really dim, AF is unreliable), poor colour rendition, heavy flare and barrel/pincushion distortion too. You will hate distortion when taking architectural photos.


Other than that, the lens is quite good!! :lol:

Joking apart, most super zooms do give pretty poor rendition, accept maybe the ones of the 24-80 USM variety (not the kit type), which is useful if you are going on a trip and don't want the hassle of carrying three or four different lenses.

jazzmech
 
Posts: 53


Post Fri Oct 08, 2004 7:19 pm


Hmmmmvery interesting comments!! I must do some research. Thanks. So I read that I should get a fixed length lens? Please advise :oops:

s9810588
 
Posts: 72


Post Fri Oct 08, 2004 10:02 pm


Jazz,

It's a tough call to choose fix focal length or a zoom and you will have to decide it yourself. But here are some factors to consider.

Fix focal - advantages:
- Relatively cheap when you compare to zoom lenses with similar quality. You can't compare say EF35/2.0 with EF35-70/4-5.6 because the later holds no candle to the prime. You need to compare it to say 28-135 IS USM or 28-70/2.8L.
- Distortion is minimal. Look through the viewfinder and line up straight line with the edge. If you can see the straight line is now curved, forget using that lens for architectural shots.
- Have faster maximum aperture.

Fix focal - disadvantages:
- You need more lenses and need to swap lenses more often

Zoom advantage:
- Convinience. One lens cover more than one focal length. That's all

Zoom disadvantage:
- Slower maximum aperture unless you shell out lots of money for constant aperture 2.8L series.
- Optical performance isn't very desirable. Again, unless you shell out big bucks for L series zoom. Optical performance isn't just about sharpness but also colour rendition, contrast range, bokeh, flare and distortion.

If I were you, I would get second hand EF28/2.8 and EF100/2.8 Macro. I have three lenses only: 35mm, 50mm and 70-200/2.8 zoom and I don't need anything else. I can substitute the zoom with 135mm or 200mm lens and still happy with the setup.

jim_panzee
 
Posts: 296


Post Sat Oct 09, 2004 5:34 am


Jazz. I think that s9810588 is spot on with his review.

Lets put it this way, if you buy an inferior lens you will never be happy with it because you know its inferior. But then again if you are skint like me, you have to watch the pennies.
I have been taking great shots with my EOS 5 and just one Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM lens, for a long while now, I would like another lens sure, but every time I look at what I can afford and then compare it with my 50mm, the money stays in my pocket until I have enough to buy a comparable lens to the 50. It may take a bit longer, but in the end I will be happy.

So if you haven't got a lens yet!! then why not take my route and get a good 50mm (the f/1.4 usm is the best, but the cheaper f/1.8 usm is also very good indeed if you can find one), a 50 will do most of what you want if not all.
So go for it, and zoom with your feet. :lol:
Last edited by jim_panzee on Sat Oct 09, 2004 9:37 am, edited 2 times in total.

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