Lens advice

JUGGY said:
Hmm, how about the 55-250? They've come down in price to just under 3K.
Click to expand...
That's also a f/5.6 at the long end.

A fast 50mm f/1.8 is inexpensive and pretty handy if you're shooting indoors.
 
I'm contemplating buying the 18-200 lens.. International reviews are not that good, but real life photos, both local and intl forums are quite good :confused:

How is this possible?
 
Last edited:
I don't use Canon - so I cannot comment on the lens in question. But bad lenses are not horrible in all aspects. So if the lens is used with knowledge of its shortcomings you can get good results. (ie. if a lens has a lot of diffraction above a specific aperture, avoid using it there). The reviews will also look at ergonomics and speed of AF for instance - things that will not reflect in the photos you see online.

The best thing when buying glass is to go to your local photography shop and try the lens out. Take some shots on your own body at different apertures and focal lengths and look at the results on a PC later. Don't judge it on the camera's LCD. If you are happy with the results and the lens would suit your intended use - go for it. Reselling a globally unpopular lens could be difficult and should also be a consideration.
 
JUGGY said:
Hmm, how about the 55-250? They've come down in price to just under 3K.
Click to expand...

is that the EFS 55-250?
one thing to consider is that the lens is ultimately more important than the camera. good lenses will last a lifetime and should work with any camera you buy in the future too. in a sense, the camera is ultimately disposable as it becomes technoligally obsolete. this happens to the lens too but generally not as fast (the efs lenses wil not work on canons top of the range dslr's). my point is, invest in quality lenses.. not necessarily the best but the best you can afford because you will appreciate them for a long time rather than buying a lame lens now and buying the step up in two years. with that said, you are better off using two lenses to split the focal range instead of one lens like a 18-200 for example - these lenses sacrifice image quality for broad focal range. i would say keep the kit lens and get one of the 70 - 300 varieties.. however consider that at 300mm you will generally need a shutter speed of around 1/480 to avoid camera shake. then you need to consider the conditions you will use it in: if it is always bright daylight when you use the lens, an f4-5.6 will be fine. (remember the 5.6 will be the minimum val at full zoom). but if you want to use it in the shade, indoors or in the evenings without a tripod you will need something more.. either something like the ef 70 - 200 f4 L, or a zoom with image stabilising that will allow you use a shutter speed more like 1/300 to avoid camera shake. I was faced with this exact dillemma just a few weeks ago. started off looking at the sigma 70 - 300 f4-5.6 dg macro apo and ended up saving a bit more cash and getting the canon ef 70 - 300 f4-5.6 IS USM. I am very happy with the decision because the image stabilisation and the ultra sonic autofocus on the canon makes a world of difference.

bwana said:
That's also a f/5.6 at the long end.

A fast 50mm f/1.8 is inexpensive and pretty handy if you're shooting indoors.
Click to expand...

100% agreed. the 50mm f1.8 is canons cheapest lens but image quality functionality in low light are incredible. the only thing you dont get is build quality. a while ago though i dropped by lens on the floor and it kind of opened up revealing electronics and stuff. i crunched it back together and it still works perfectly. it just goes to show that this lens is imbued with magic.

remus786 said:
I'm contemplating buying the 18-200 lens.. International reviews are not that good, but real life photos, both local and intl forums are quite good :confused:

How is this possible?
Click to expand...

perhaps its only possible untill you see the kind of photos you can get from the better lenses :P
 
Whats more important that good glass, is good light. You can get good images with an 18-200 if you know the sweet spot to use the lens at aperture wise and have good light. Amazing photos can be had. Its also a testament to the photographer using what is considered an inferior lens. Its all the other elements such as composition and knowing where to place the subject relative to the light. I've seen bad photos on pixel-peeper with R12k lenses and awesome photos with R900 lenses. So its entirely possible!

Technical reviews look at MTF resolution figures. While these are indicative of sharpness, or rather resolving power of the lens, they're not as relevant in real world shooting. Other things that is considered is build, AF speed, chromatic abberation etc. This might be very important to the PRO who needs quick fast AF, lenses built to withstand the elements and the widest aperture with the least amount of abberations, but for the hobbyist, these are things that could sometimes be overlooked in terms of versatility. So always consider the perspective that technical reviews are made from.
 
vash87 said:
I was faced with this exact dillemma just a few weeks ago. started off looking at the sigma 70 - 300 f4-5.6 dg macro apo and ended up saving a bit more cash and getting the canon ef 70 - 300 f4-5.6 IS USM. I am very happy with the decision because the image stabilisation and the ultra sonic autofocus on the canon makes a world of difference. :P
Click to expand...

was this your recent purchase? http://www.canon.co.uk/for_home/pro...n_lenses/ef_70-300mm_f4-5.6_is_usm/index.aspx

Reviews look great but i guess carrying 2 lenses defeats the purpose of convenience. Though this does seem to be the best compromise between convenience and IQ.

vash87 said:
perhaps its only possible untill you see the kind of photos you can get from the better lenses :P
Click to expand...

Unfortunately Durbans quite limited with regards to testing lenses with no lens rental places or retailers who stock lenses so i rely on reviews and fellow forumites first hand advice.
 
Last edited:
yes, that is exactly the lens i bought. you can get it at quite a good price first hand from http://orms.co.za/product.php?a=view&product=126. it is a little inconvenient having to use more than one lens on a regular basis because everynow and again you'll miss the shot you wanted by the time you have changed lenses, but i still think its worth it. before i go shooting i normally have a good idea about what kind of focal range i need, and i always take my other lenses with just in case.
 
Juggy, I think a 24mm wide angle is just not wide enough on an APS-C DSLR like the 450D - unless you're planning to buy a super-wide zoom like a 10-20 as well. Remember, 24mm on a 450D is equivalent to 38mm on a full-frame camera - and that's not wide enough for scenics, in my experience.
Rather look at the old Canon 17-85 - should be able to find a used one out there.
 
See, this is my problem. I have the 18-55 and a 70-300 which is fine but I want a lens with lower fstop so that's why I'm considering the 24-70 F2.8. I'm also considering the fixed 50 F1.4 but money is the problem so I'm trying to get a prime that will do the most for me.

Best option would the following but obviously money is the problem.

17-40 - New
24-70 - New
70-300 - I have already

Also, anyone know where I can get a decently priced circular polarizing filter for my 18-55?
 
Last edited:
@juggy - yes, that's the right one. I've just sent mine to cpt for a service (I'm kind of rough with my gear :o) and I'm suffering from withdrawal symptoms because it has quickly become my every occasion glass. Right now I'm stuck with my 16-35 on my camera and its just too short for my liking.

The 50mm f/1.4 is also a great lens as is the much cheaper f/1.8.
 
So better judgement has pushed me to get a 17-85 rather for my first purchase. I picked up a good condition 2nd hand one for 2500 which I thought was a good buy. I figured I'd rather start off small and get used to this photography thing before I go spending large ammounts of cash on a hobby I might find I don't enjoy.
 
Why canon hasn't filled that 200-400mm gap with something like that is beyond my comprehension.
 
I have a Lens question, I am getting a Canon 28mm-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM , but to do that I am selling my old camera but I dont know if I should increase the sales price and include my old 18-55mm lens?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X