Lens upgrade suggestions please

[WhiteD3]

Time for an upgrade me thinks. I have a Canon 500D with a Sigma 10-20mm f3.5 which I love and a Canon kit lens EF-S 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 IS.

What I want, without spending a bucket load, is a longer lens (say up to 300mm) while keeping zoom capability and stepping up in quality from the kit lens.

Currently considering getting both the following:
Canon EF 70-300 f4.5-5.6 DO IS USM ($1202 at DWI)
Canon - EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM (http://www.canon.com.au/en-AU/For-You/Camera-Lenses/Lenses/EF70-300mm-f45-56-DO-IS-USM-Lens)

with a

Canon EF 24-70mm f2.8 USM ($1324 at DWI)
Canon - EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM (http://www.canon.com.au/en-AU/For-You/Camera-Lenses/Lenses/EF24-70mm-f28L-USM-Lens)

The Canon/Nikon argument aside, I'd welcome any comment and suggestions re these lens, alternatives, and how to select lens' to cover the range of say 20-300mm. ~$2k is about all I can justify right now.

Cheers.

[Chucaro]

Perhaps one of the best lens up to 300mm with IS is the Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM which works fantastic with a 1.4 converter and not to bad with a X2.

I have a friend who is a very good avian photographer and his images with a 30D and the 300 are excellent.
Have a look his page HERE (http://www.amatteroflight.com/about.html)

[mowog]

Move the 18-200 on and have a look at a Tamron 18-270.

Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC Lens Review: 1. Introduction: Digital Photography Review (http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/tamron_18-270_3p5-6p3_vc_n15/)

[KarlB]

Have you thought about the CANON 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM (~$1800) combined with the CANON EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM (~$1100)? Both excellent lenses.

Cheers
KarlB
:)

[blitz]

Have you thought about the CANON 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM (~$1800) combined with the CANON EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM (~$1100)? Both excellent lenses.

Cheers
KarlB
:)


as you already have a 10 - 24mm that would set out your range very well

[WhiteD3]

Have you thought about the CANON 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM (~$1800) combined with the CANON EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM (~$1100)? Both excellent lenses.

Cheers
KarlB
:)

Well over my budget but tempting all the same. My concern with the 100-400mm is its weight attached to the 500D.

Oh...and DWI now have the 100-400 for $1600 and the 24-105 for $950!!

[KarlB]

Well over my budget but tempting all the same. My concern with the 100-400mm is its weight attached to the 500D.

Oh...and DWI now have the 100-400 for $1600 and the 24-105 for $950!!

With the new DWI prices, that is only $24 more than you were originally proposing to pay for the other lens combo. But jibes aside, I more than understand, quality lens are bloody expensive. You wont enjoy them as much as you should if you are feeling guilty.

Cheers
KarlB
:twisted:

[Cap]

Ill second KarlB on this one, spend the little extra as the prices are fantastic!

And then you will have a long lens for birding :D

[C0L0N3L]

What do you want to shoot?

if your just getting the lenses to cover the gap in your range your probably getting them for the wrong reason and will probably end up disapointed... if you find your self using only 1 of those lenses most of the time... or even a particular mm

Like I have my 80-200 2.8.. its awesome i love it.. but I could replace it with a 85 and 200 prime and not miss the range in between. (exclude the fact that 85 and 200mm primes are worth around 6x more than my 80-200..)

I know you said you like the range.. but I think you should see if you really use it and if your prepared to sacrifice convenience for quality.

anyway.. id probably go the 70-200 2.8, 50 1.4 and 24 2.8

[tailslide]

I would recommend trying on each lens before you buy.

I also have the 500D and was looking for a decent lens that I could carry around all day. I tried my mate's 70-200 f2.8L IS USM but found it too heavy (he matched it with a 5D and that was one heavy rig...).

In the end I went for the 70-200 f4L IS USM and the Extender EF 1.4x II and am very happy with it. The 70-200 is a sharper lens than the 100-300 or 100-400, just depends on what you are looking for in a lens.

My other lens is a 17-40 f4 L USM which is a good walk about lens but some times I wish I had purchased the 28-70 f2.8L for a bit more reach. My next lens purchase will be the 50mm f1.4, very cheap for a good quality lens.

[Cap]

In the end I went for the 70-200 f4L IS USM and the Extender EF 1.4x II and am very happy with it.

Intersting that you use a TC with a zoom lens. Most reports seem to follow a pattern that zooms rent good with tc's, only primes. Must be a goodn' lens :cool:

[KarlB]

Intersting that you use a TC with a zoom lens. Most reports seem to follow a pattern that zooms rent good with tc's, only primes. Must be a goodn' lens :cool:

My understanding is that TCs generally should not not be used on zoom lenses of less than 100 mm, ie they are optically designed to enhance or extend the capability of telephoto lenses. I guess, theoretically, a TC could be designed to optimally extend shorter focal length lenses but why would you bother. The only quality TCs that I am aware of for shorter focal lengths, relate to macro lenses.

Cheers
KarlB
:)

[tailslide]

Intersting that you use a TC with a zoom lens. Most reports seem to follow a pattern that zooms rent good with tc's, only primes. Must be a goodn' lens :cool:

The two Canon Extenders 1.4x and 2x are only compatible with the four 70-200mm L series telephoto zooms and the 100-400L. i.e. they are not compatible with the 70-300L lens etc. They are also compatible with their L series primes starting at 135mm and up.

Yes, a prime plus TC will be better than a zoom plus TC, but I can only afford and carry so many lenses... (And a prime at the correct length will be better than a smaller prime plus TC; who wants to buy me a prime?:D)

In my case the TC lives at the bottom of my bag and I have only really used it at airshows. Best of all they are cheap. Currently $395 for the series II extenders as the III are out.

The other consideration with the 500D is that the auto focus is limited to a lens of f5.6. Hence a f4 lens with a 1.4x TC is ok, but with a 2x TC auto focus will not work. To use the 2x you will need to get:


a better camera
a better lens f2.8
or focus manually

[Chucaro]

The Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 works very well with the 1.4 converter as well.

[WhiteD3]

Waiting on DWI pricing for this

Canon U.S.A. : Consumer & Home Office : EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM (http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/ef_lens_lineup/ef_70_300mm_f_4_5_6l_is_usm#Specifications)

List is US$1600.

Looks to me to be a good comprise on size, weight and flexibility.

[tailslide]

Looks good, here is a review of the lens: Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS USM Lens Review (http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-70-300mm-f-4-5.6-IS-L-USM-Lens-Review.aspx)

The reviews of the lenses that I own on this site are fairly well on the mark. Enjoy.

This thread has had me looking seriously at the 24-70 f2.8 L again:eek:, am travelling to Europe in Dec and may be able to stretch the budget to buy it and claim the Tourist Rebate Scheme as well.

[Chucaro]

Did you have a look at the Sigma APO 120-400mm f4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM ?
DWI is asking less than $ 800 for it
Is a report HERE (http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/1184/cat/all)

[WhiteD3]

Did you have a look at the Sigma APO 120-400mm f4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM ?
DWI is asking less than $ 800 for it
Is a report HERE (http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/1184/cat/all)

Thanks Arthur. I did, but the weight puts me off. Not just that I have to lug it around, but that it'll be mounted on a 500D for some time until I can justify a body upgrade.

[300+]

You already have a 200 mm lens. 300mm is 50% longer, but modern cameras have mega pixels to spare, so I don't know that I'd spend much money or carry much extra weight for 50% more when I could probably do a decent job by cropping the frame on a 200mm image.

As discussed on another thread 300mm isn't really long enough for a decent wildlife shot.

Unless the image quality of the 18-200 is poor. I'd be looking some a more dramatic increase in focal length for the money. When I was in the same situation I kept my kit 70-300 and upgraded the standard zoom to a f/2.8 one. This made a bigger difference to more of my photos.

For my money and back I'd get something sufficiently different to justify it and only take it on trips when it was worth the weight/space.

The two obvious ones are the sigma 120-400 mentioned, which I've nearly bought on a couple of occasions, and the Canon 100-400.

In my quick search the canon is slightly more expensive than the Sigma, but it is half way in weight between the canon 70-300 and the sigma 120-400.

Cheers, Steve

[WhiteD3]

Unless the image quality of the 18-200 is poor.

The one I have is the kit lens and while I wouldn't say it's poor but it's no longer good enough..........if that makes sense.

I had decided on an L series 70-200 (with an extender where required) until I saw the 70-300 released. It'll come down to price vs portability for me in the end.

[Chucaro]

You already have a 200 mm lens. 300mm is 50% longer, but modern cameras have mega pixels to spare, so I don't know that I'd spend much money or carry much extra weight for 50% more when I could probably do a decent job by cropping the frame on a 200mm image.

As discussed on another thread 300mm isn't really long enough for a decent wildlife shot................
Cheers, Steve

Steve, going from 200 to 300mm is a big step. I have the chance to have heaps more captures just going from 240 to 300mm
Crop is not good at all if the glass is not good. You loose the sharpness in the image with big crops.
Also a 300 mm lens that allows a TC 1.4 will bring the lens to 420mm which it is not to bad.
If I have a Canon I would go for the 300mm IS f/4 lens with a TC 1.4 It is an very good combo.

[WhiteD3]

Waiting on DWI pricing for this

Canon U.S.A. : Consumer & Home Office : EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM (http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/ef_lens_lineup/ef_70_300mm_f_4_5_6l_is_usm#Specifications)

List is US$1600.

Looks to me to be a good comprise on size, weight and flexibility.

$1676 at DWI........................now to justify it!