Become a Site Supporter and Never see Ads again!

Author Topic: Canon Glass. Recommendations Please.  (Read 4548 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline DaveG73

  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Taperssection Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 559
  • Gender: Male
  • Beer and Music.
Canon Glass. Recommendations Please.
« on: March 19, 2010, 11:31:25 AM »
Firstly, I feel that I should point out that I am in no way a photographer, I pretty much just point and shoot. I am trying to get to grips with it a little more, but right now there doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day.

I have a Canon EOS 350D (Rebel XT I Think) with the 18-55 lens which, despite its limitations, is a pretty good all rounder for an occasional shooter such as myself.

I would like to add another "all rounder" with a little more range before I go on holiday to Africa. Not too worried about it being the perfect lens for this application as I have slightly more skill with photoshop than I do with the camera so I know I can make my shots look reasonably good after the fact.

Looking for something that isn't going to break the bank, but have no idea what I should be looking for.

Thanks in Advance.

Dave.
Always Taping Under The Influence.

I was under the assumption that as a taper, we're all geeks?  I just thought it went with the territory?

Offline Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)

  • Trade Count: (11)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 9940
  • Gender: Male
  • I dream in beige.
    • sloppy.art.ink
Re: Canon Glass. Recommendations Please.
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2010, 05:27:48 PM »
What sort of photos are you planning on taking? Is this a Safari? What's your budget?
||| MICS:  Beyer CK930 | DPA 4022 | DPA 4080 | Nevaton MCE400 | Sennheiser Ambeo Headset |||
||| PREAMPS: DPA d:vice | Naiant Tinybox | Naiant IPA |||
||| DECKS: Sound Devices MixPre6 | iPod Touch 32GB |||
|||Concert History || LMA Recordings || Live YouTube |||

Offline DaveG73

  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Taperssection Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 559
  • Gender: Male
  • Beer and Music.
Re: Canon Glass. Recommendations Please.
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2010, 04:07:32 AM »
What sort of photos are you planning on taking? Is this a Safari? What's your budget?

The vacation is a tour of South Africa taking in Cities (Jo'berg and Cape Town), Safari, Wine Country, Coastal, so a pretty all round variety, hence the need for an all round lens.

Budget is a difficult one as there seems to be little correlation between prices between the UK and the US so your any recs might seem good from your perspective but at my end it may prove restrictive.

Ballpark figure, around £300 GBP absoloute top end, but would be happier with paying less.

Had a couple of people tell me to keep an eye on this ebay store and judging by their prices I could pick up a couple of lenses within budget http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/alldigital0869

Thanks.

Dave.
« Last Edit: March 20, 2010, 04:14:53 AM by DaveG73 »
Always Taping Under The Influence.

I was under the assumption that as a taper, we're all geeks?  I just thought it went with the territory?

Offline Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)

  • Trade Count: (11)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 9940
  • Gender: Male
  • I dream in beige.
    • sloppy.art.ink
Re: Canon Glass. Recommendations Please.
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2010, 06:04:25 AM »
I've read some good things about the Tamron 18-250mm lens. It's in your price range and would allow for wide angle to a pretty decent zoom. I'm not sure how close you can get to animals on a safari. 250mm will be good for animals that are about 100m away tops (at least to get some detail).

Obviously it won't be the sharpest glass you've ever seen, but it looks pretty decent for being in your price range.

Here are some reviews:

http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=309&sort=7&cat=43&page=1
||| MICS:  Beyer CK930 | DPA 4022 | DPA 4080 | Nevaton MCE400 | Sennheiser Ambeo Headset |||
||| PREAMPS: DPA d:vice | Naiant Tinybox | Naiant IPA |||
||| DECKS: Sound Devices MixPre6 | iPod Touch 32GB |||
|||Concert History || LMA Recordings || Live YouTube |||

Offline DaveG73

  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Taperssection Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 559
  • Gender: Male
  • Beer and Music.
Re: Canon Glass. Recommendations Please.
« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2010, 10:28:27 AM »
Nice link, thanks. Been doing a bit of reading around.

Dave.
Always Taping Under The Influence.

I was under the assumption that as a taper, we're all geeks?  I just thought it went with the territory?

Offline heikki

  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Taperssection Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 880
  • Gender: Male
  • ...and i'm as honest as a jersey man can be
    • OutDated List
Re: Canon Glass. Recommendations Please.
« Reply #5 on: March 27, 2010, 08:40:23 AM »

i'm with mike b.

in that price range i would also look at this, another all-arounder:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/485226-REG/Sigma_888_101_18_200mm_f_3_5_6_3_DC_OS.html

there is also a non-OS (vibration reduction) version, about $100 cheaper.  however, the VR would be really nice to have at the long end of a lens like this.
i was slated to be in south africa two years ago (which ultimately fell through, boo) and my plan was to get an 18-200 with VR and leave everything else at home.  i think it's a great vacation lens.

if it doesn't need to be a complete all-arounder, and you plan to also carry your 18-55 there are quite a few budget 55/70 - 200/300 range lenses available.  not too terribly fast, but they won't break the bank and plenty fast for most outdoor shooting.


one more important suggestion ... leave room in your budget for a circular polarizer for the new lens if you don't already have one that fits it!  in bright dry conditions, like you might encounter in africa, you can do so much with it to increase the quality of your photos, things you cannot do in post production!
C 480 B + CK61/63
          Edirol R-4 (Oade T-Mod x 4)

Masters on LMA: http://www.archive.org/bookmarks/heikki

Offline Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)

  • Trade Count: (11)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 9940
  • Gender: Male
  • I dream in beige.
    • sloppy.art.ink
Re: Canon Glass. Recommendations Please.
« Reply #6 on: March 27, 2010, 09:06:49 AM »
Second on the polarizer. That is mandatory IMO for outside pictures (especially for things out in the open).

Sounds like a fun trip. I would love to go there someday. I need to work on my wildlife photography. I suck at that.
||| MICS:  Beyer CK930 | DPA 4022 | DPA 4080 | Nevaton MCE400 | Sennheiser Ambeo Headset |||
||| PREAMPS: DPA d:vice | Naiant Tinybox | Naiant IPA |||
||| DECKS: Sound Devices MixPre6 | iPod Touch 32GB |||
|||Concert History || LMA Recordings || Live YouTube |||

Offline j5brock

  • Trade Count: (23)
  • Taperssection Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 276
  • Gender: Male
Re: Canon Glass. Recommendations Please.
« Reply #7 on: April 03, 2010, 10:09:43 PM »
You will not need anything longer than 200mm. We spent 3 weeks there last summer and unlike the central and northern plains Safari's.. You will be close enough to the animals in Kruger and surrounding parks that 100mm will be too long sometimes. However, the best viewing was early in the morning and at dusk - so forego length for speed - get the fastest glass you can afford. The tamron 70-200 2.8 can be had used on ebay close to what you are looking to spend.

DPA4023/DPA4028/MK22/MK41 > KC5 > CMC6xt > Kindkable > Opti V3/ACM V3/ > Kindkable interconnect / Hi-Ho Silvers > 744t

Canon 5D3 / 7D / 50D / 24-70L II / 16-35L II/ 17-55 2.8 IS / 70-200 2.8 IS II/ 100-400L / 85 1.2L / 50 1.4 / 300 2.8 IS / 11-16 wide / Zeiss 2.8/21

Playback - foobar > m audio transit / denon 1930ci underwood transport mod > Grace M902 >  ATH W 5000

Offline Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)

  • Trade Count: (11)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 9940
  • Gender: Male
  • I dream in beige.
    • sloppy.art.ink
Re: Canon Glass. Recommendations Please.
« Reply #8 on: April 03, 2010, 10:52:57 PM »
^ Also agreed.

Love the fast glass for critters, and close ups (like flowers).
||| MICS:  Beyer CK930 | DPA 4022 | DPA 4080 | Nevaton MCE400 | Sennheiser Ambeo Headset |||
||| PREAMPS: DPA d:vice | Naiant Tinybox | Naiant IPA |||
||| DECKS: Sound Devices MixPre6 | iPod Touch 32GB |||
|||Concert History || LMA Recordings || Live YouTube |||

stevetoney

  • Guest
  • Trade Count: (0)
Re: Canon Glass. Recommendations Please.
« Reply #9 on: April 04, 2010, 06:02:45 AM »
^ Also agreed.

Love the fast glass for critters, and close ups (like flowers).

You can't go wrong with a fast 70-200.  I mean that's been a standard focal length speed lens for general purpose for what...going on 3 or 4 hundred years?  ;) 

I disagree with the earlier comments about buying a single lens that goes from wide angle out to 200 or 250mm for two reasons.  First, you already said you have a lens that covers the shorter focal lengths.  Some will disagree with me, but the industry still needs to work on their one-size-fits-all lenses because what's out there isn't very good, IMHO.  Second, these lenses are just soft in comparison to the fast 70-200 zoom in the same price range.  Even though you said you aren't totally into this hobby, I'm sure you'll enjoy higher quality images that you do get with a better lens selection and since you're going on the vacation of your life and you'll be seeing some wildlife that you'll probably never see again in your life, why buy a lens that's gonna be a compromise when it's strength is the versatility that you don't need!

One final point is that I think since you're targeting the lens for this trip, I think I'd concentrate more on quality and focal length than speed...and since wildlife is a targeted subject, I do think having focal lengths longer than 200mm will come in handy.  South Africa will have no under-abundance of light, so lens speed will be less of a priority, although from experience you're never sorry if you spend some extra for some extra speed (notwithstanding weight factors on bigger lenses).

I can't tell you how jealous I am of you.  I've been to South Africa on business one time back in 1995 and it was the best place I've ever been...I'd LOVE to go back just for vacation. 
« Last Edit: April 04, 2010, 06:16:42 AM by tonedeaf »

Offline Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)

  • Trade Count: (11)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 9940
  • Gender: Male
  • I dream in beige.
    • sloppy.art.ink
Re: Canon Glass. Recommendations Please.
« Reply #10 on: April 04, 2010, 08:40:29 AM »
I just thought of another idea. You could always RENT a REALLY nice lens. This might be a good for you since you don't seem to be super serious about photography.

The Canon 70-200 2.8L IS costs about $1700 if you were to buy it, but you can rent one for 2 weeks for about $200 including shipping and insurance.

I would suggest getting a lens (by whatever means) a bit before your trip so you can play with it.

No idea where to rent a lens in Britain, sorry.
||| MICS:  Beyer CK930 | DPA 4022 | DPA 4080 | Nevaton MCE400 | Sennheiser Ambeo Headset |||
||| PREAMPS: DPA d:vice | Naiant Tinybox | Naiant IPA |||
||| DECKS: Sound Devices MixPre6 | iPod Touch 32GB |||
|||Concert History || LMA Recordings || Live YouTube |||

Offline bluntforcetrauma

  • Trade Count: (11)
  • Taperssection Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 879
  • Gender: Male
    • http://themovementschool.org
Re: Canon Glass. Recommendations Please.
« Reply #11 on: October 10, 2010, 01:47:31 AM »
lensprotogo.com is a good place to rent lenses.  They are out of Mass.  They deliver all over.  I live in florida and have rented lenses from them. Very nice.  I used the 400mm 2.8 and a couple others.  You might find the 200mm focal length a tad sharper than the 70-200L IS II usm.  Again good to rent to help decide to buy

 

RSS | Mobile
Page created in 0.31 seconds with 36 queries.
© 2002-2024 Taperssection.com
Powered by SMF