70-300mm with macro lens?

AstroTurf

AstroTurf

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Hi,

Looking for the above lens, a battery grip and a couple of 16GB class 10 SD cards for my Eos 550D.

Would prefer all original Canon but will consider other brands.

Any suggestions for places to go for good pricing new?

Thank you
 
Ive got a 70 - 300mm Sigma lens which i have on Bidorbuy atm going for R950. (it is second hand however)

two places I have found to have good prices are fotodigitalworld and sacamera.

you're welcome :D
 
The Sigma 70-300mm APO has reasonable macro abilities. Don't get the older non-APO model, it's pretty poor.

For SD cards, the Sandisk Extreme Pro 95Mb/s edition is meant to be the fastest cards around at the moment, according to Rob Galbraith's site. He doesn't test them en consumer bodies, but they come out tops for the 5D mark III, and on the D800/D800E (the fastest SD card support in any camera right now).
 
sorry to hijack but wondering whats the difference between the Sigma 75-300mm lens compared to OEM Canon?
im told the Canon comes with image stabilization and sigma doesnt ? true ?
 
Sigma doesn't have a 75-300mm lens. Check http://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/lenses/

If you're referring to the 70-300mm models, then yes and no.

Sigma has three models:

70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro (not good - avoid)
70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro (reasonably good for the money)
70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro OS (current model, ok, stabilised)

Canon has three, all are stabilised:

70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM (the standard consumer grade one - good value for money)
70-300mm f/4-5.6 DO IS USM (similar to the above, much more compact, at the cost of some IQ and weight)
70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS USM (pro version, excellent, expensive)

The Sigma models, in the case of 70-300mm, is really only for people who can't afford the Canon. Even the new model is rather poor on the long end.
 
Last edited:
koffiejunkie said:
Sigma doesn't have a 75-300mm lens. Check http://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/lenses/

If you're referring to the 70-300mm models, then yes and no.

Sigma has three models:

70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro (not good - avoid)
70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro (reasonably good for the money)
70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro OS (current model, ok, stabilised)

Canon has three, all are stabilised:

70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM (the standard consumer grade one - good value for money)
70-300mm f/4-5.6 DO IS USM (similar to the above, much more compact, at the cost of some IQ and weight)
70-300mm f/4-5.6 L IS USM (pro version, excellent, expensive)

The Sigma models, in the case of 70-300mm, is really only for people who can't afford the Canon. Even the new model is rather poor on the long end.
Click to expand...


thanks for the info
ill save up and get the canon lens.
 
It's worth noting that the reproduction ratio on those Sigma 'macro' lenses peaks at, as far as I'm aware, 0.5x (1:2).
The working distance you end up getting is also, as far as I've been able to tell, actually pretty short when compared to the Canon 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro, as an example.
Unless what you're looking for out of the lens is primarily its telephoto capacity with a 0.5x max magnification as an added benefit, you're not necessarily going to get much more (or better) out of the purchase than you could by getting the Canon 500D Close-Up Filter for the 18-55mm kit lens. There are other sizes for different filter sizes available, too.
Hoya also has an apparently decent set of close-up lenses that roughly half of what the lone Canon one does - they also come in a small case that holds all three (or four if you get the +3-including kit instead).

Vivitar has an even cheaper set that costs just $10 or so before shipping which also comes in a case, but to my knowledge it introduces buttloads of CA and is consequently not desirable for use. Then again, for the Vivitar set I'm going by user reviews, and it could be the people concerned had gotten knock-offs, poor samples or something - who knows.
 
nanonyous said:
Hoya also has an apparently decent set of close-up lenses that roughly half of what the lone Canon one does - they also come in a small case that holds all three (or four if you get the +3-including kit instead).
Click to expand...

I have the kenko set (=hoya). It works well on a 18-55 mm kit lens, but it is not really usable on the nikon 55-200 mm. Hard to say if the lens or the filter is at fault, but I would recommend you try the combo first. (if I had to guess, I would blame the kenko filter. You would be better off with a
cemented filter, like the marumi, or the Canon)
 
fvdbergh said:
I have the kenko set (=hoya). It works well on a 18-55 mm kit lens, but it is not really usable on the nikon 55-200 mm. Hard to say if the lens or the filter is at fault, but I would recommend you try the combo first. (if I had to guess, I would blame the kenko filter. You would be better off with a
cemented filter, like the marumi, or the Canon)
Click to expand...

That diopter-like screw-in filter I made, I found it works better when 'reversed' for 70mm than it does when the other way around, where the inverse is true on the 18-55mm. Perhaps it's a similar issue for the 55-200mm?
What I do know is that when one tries to use too great a focal length with the lens I have, it causes insane coma that renders photos unusable by default.

But yeah, trying out the filters somewhere first would be a good idea. If I'm not mistaken, cameraworld in Bellville sometimes have stock of the Canon filter as well as off-brand ones, though don't quote me on that.
 
I'm also in the market for a 70 - 300 lens but I haven't found any f1.2 lenses for my 600D
 
mmmig said:
What do you think of this 50mm lens for under R1000 http://www.studio22online.co.za/shop/canon-50mm-f1-8/
Click to expand...

I had one for nearly four years. Good optically - very sharp. Poor build quality (it's not called the "Plastic Fantastic" for nothing).

The only reason I sold mine is because I got a 2nd hand 50mm f/1.4 for a really good price. I like it better - the bokeh is nicer, build quality is better. Both are excellent value for money though.
 
lOlympus OM-mount 50mm f/1.8 (or f/1.4) with a programmable (can change focal length the camera thinks the lens is and use the wheel on your camera to dial in the aperture you've set on the lens so it chooses the appropriate shutter speed and ISO, as well as program in exposure compensations for given apertures since these lenses don't offer linear, accurate metering) AF-confirmation adapter.

If you go the f/1.8 route you end up spending half or less than you'd do on the Canon 50mm f/1.8. All you lose is autofocus and being able to stop down as far as it; the adapters can only practically stop down to somewhere between f/8 and f/11 since the pin for the lever is in a position that accommodates as many lenses as possible. It has 6 partially-rounded aperture blades, which allows it to offer greater björkeh than the Canon f/1.8 will do. The f/1.4 will run you about a third the total cost (lens+adapter) that the Canon f/1.4 would do and offers an 8 (or was it 9, I forget) bladed round aperture, the Canon one offering a rounded 8-blade aperture. The performance of any given pair is comparable on crop. On full-frame you're going to notice a reasonable amount more vignetting on either of the Olympus lenses than their Canon counterparts, but unless you're using full-frame that's not much of an issue anyway.

In both Olympus lenses' cases you're offered a fully metal construction and no electrical parts that can break minus the adapter's chip, which is a very cheap, very user-servicable part to replace in the event it does break.

In both Olympus lenses' cases you're also offered a far smoother, FAR longer throw on the focus ring than you're going to get out of the front-element ring on the Canon lens. Additionally, the lenses have a 49mm metal filter thread, so your filters are less expensive, especially if you already have larger ones since you can then just use a step up/down adapter.

The f/1.8 has a stiff'ish, clicky aperture ring. The f/1.4's is far smoother and can easily be turned with one finger.

Apart from AF on the Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM and the automatic aperture control speeding things up, given the option (again) I'd gladly take either of the aforementioned Olympus lenses before their Canon EF counterparts.

Did I mention the on-lens aperture control is useful for video, and that if you remove the little ball bearing used as the notch mechanism for the aperture rings, you have a smooth aperture in addition to the incredibly smooth focus ring?
 
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