Lens advice

J

Juggy

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Would this be a decent buy? I know nothing about lenses or what's good and what's not but I need something zoom.

Sigma 70-300mm APO DG Macro
 
Ummm... maybe you should first figure out what type of lens is suitable for your needs. Being stuck with an expensive and wrong lens is a pain in the butt. Not to mention the wallet.

Unless you have more money than brains, in which case it doesn't matter. :)

I bought a Sigma lens today and I'm as happy as the proverbial pig in Palestine. But I researched it carefully before parting with my hard-earned money.
 
I don't know very much about photography but really want to get into it. I'm a firm believer in having the right tools so you learn properly.

I bought a 2nd hand 450D with 6000 actuations in brand new condition for 4 grand the other day and am very happy with it. Really want a decent zoom for distant shots and sport photo's, will need to be able to do outdoors photography as well.

Brains and spare cash I do have;)
 
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Sigma's are nice, some of them really nice. One of my favourite lenses though is the Canon 70-200 f/4 L. Sharp, lightweight and, for an L grade lens, affordable.

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Just make sure that you do get the APO version. From what I've seen, there is a huge difference in image quality between the APO and non-APO versions of the lens.
 
Out of interest :

Is it better to get (for example) 3x lens covering a distance (ie 30-100, 100-200 and 200-300) rather than a single 30-300?
 
Just another Q, if I want to get a picture of something 100 meters away with very good clarity and sharpness will this lens do? I'm not concerned about focus speed and would shoot at 400 or 800 ISO
 
Juggy, two pieces of advice:

1. Buy the biggest mofo lens you can afford. Give all the other photographers penis envy, and never wish you had bought the next bigger one.

2. Take your camera to the lens shop. Put on the lens you want to buy. Test it. Its expensive and they should allow you to do this. Then you won't need to ask questions here any more. I'm kinda waiting for you to ask about the colour of the lens, its weight, if it fits in your hand, fits in your camera bag, if your car's fuel consumption will go up if you transport the lens, ... see?

Just go try it out.

:)
 
Wow, didn't expect that response, just wanted a bit of advice because I know diddley squat about photography and would like advice on a lens that I can take decent pictures with from a distance.

Anyone else care to give me proper advice?

I'd like to buy 2nd hand so I get more for my money as well. I'm going to Mozambique on honeymoon and want to take the best possible pictures.

And so even the monkeys can respond, what's the best colour to get:p
 
JUGGY said:
Just another Q, if I want to get a picture of something 100 meters away with very good clarity and sharpness will this lens do? I'm not concerned about focus speed and would shoot at 400 or 800 ISO
Click to expand...

JUGGY said:
Just another Q, if I want to get a picture of something 100 meters away with very good clarity and sharpness will this lens do? I'm not concerned about focus speed and would shoot at 400 or 800 ISO
Click to expand...

Depends how big want the object ur focusing on to be. If you want to fill the frame with a close up of a lions head then ur going to need 500 to 600mm lens ($$$$$$$$$$$$). If you want to see the whole lions body and some bush the the 300mm end will be fine.

I.m.o most great wildlife pics are shot from not more than 15m away!

If you have a bit of extra cash go for the OS (Image stabilised version) or have a look at the Canon 70-200 f4 with the 1.4x teleconverter.
 
JUGGY said:
I'd like to buy 2nd hand so I get more for my money as well. I'm going to Mozambique on honeymoon and want to take the best possible pictures.
Click to expand...

I hope you also have a shorter lens, such as the kit lens, in your camera bag. You aren't going to be able to take too many pics of your missus (or is that hubby?) with those beachy backgrounds, if you only have a 70-300 lens...

I personally reckon a really wide lens, such as the Sigma 10-20, would be of more use than the 70-300 on this trip.
 
I have the standard lens that came with the 450D 18-55 I think it is. Wide angle, sounds like quite a nice idea, I'll look into it
 
JUGGY said:
I have the standard lens that came with the 450D 18-55 I think it is. Wide angle, sounds like quite a nice idea, I'll look into it
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18 is fairly wide and may be more than adequate for your honeymoon. I would suggest getting an inexpensive lens hood to help control the flaring that lens is prone to.
 
Aha, that's good advice.

A pro photographer mate of mine has given me a Canon 75-300 for gratis after I asked him for lens advice as well.

Turns out he thinks I've done him a lot of favours and wants to repay me:D

Just waiting for the exact model details so I can check it out
 
A 50mm (either the f/1.8 or f/1.4) is a great addition to any camera bag.
 
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