Lens Choice

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Marik

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Hello girls and boys,

I currently work full time, I have earned myself a fair bit of money, and I went to college for a interview today, and I was accepted onto a course! So tomorrow (thurs) I am going to hand my notice in, which means I will have no money coming in in month, for the next two years.

So the important bit, I have decided, to buy some camera kit while I have the money, I'm looking for a wildlife lens, something long and something which is quite wide (aperature) so I can get some fast shutter actions. And any other bits that you think I might need while I'm at it, I ain't going to change camera body. That's the story over.. I'm currently using a 350d + Kit lens and 70-200 f.28 Sigma

What do you recommend?
Any tips?

Dan
 
Not much point making any recommendations Dan unless we know what sort of money you can (or want to) spend. :)

The lenses are by far the most important thing for you to be acquiring at this stage and will do far more for your shots than upgrading the body.
 
Ok sorry, right money, hmm I need to keep about 3k for car and stuff, which I hope to have passed befreo twycross! (so watch were you park) Other than that probally about 1k maybe a bit more?

Defo Lens > body
 
I just found one of your old posts and looked at the exif...so now I know you use Canon ;)

How much you thinking of spending?

If you do spend a lot on a lens then later decide you need the cash you could always sell it again. If you buy second hand you will probably get back what you paid for it. I've bought 3 lenses used so far and all are perfect.

CT beat me to it of course ;)
 
Well, no-one wil be surprised to hear me recommend the 100-400L. If you can stretch to it, get yourself a 1.4X converter to go with it. All my shots with the exception of the macro stuff are taken with the 100-400L.. it virtually lives on the camera.

Long fast primes are great, I'd dearly love a 600mm, but it gets mega expensive when you get to that range, also you may find the lens too long sometimes for larger critters, squirrels and the like. The 100-400L gives you the flexibility of being able to vary the focal length. I carted a bag of gear around on my last two zoo visits, yet the 100-400L never came off the camera for the whole day... it's that flexible. You'll be very unfortunate to pick up a bad example, it's a tack sharp lens and the IS is a boon.

Given your interest in wildlife stuff and the fact you're not going to be earning for a couple of years, the 100-400L will be more than enough to keep you going till the golden eagle starts crapping again. ;)
 
Dan,
Maybe you could go for the 2x TC from Sigma to go with that 70-200 although it will knock you down to a f5.6 it will give you a 400mm lens.

Another lens would be the Sigma 100-300mm f4 of which the TC would work with but at f8 might be to slow for what you want plus it wld have to be manual focus.

My final thought would be the Canon 100-400mm I think you'll find some of the guys here have this lens and really give it the thumbs up.

Hope it helps, happy spending :thumbs: :thumbs:
 
Ok, I was hoping someone would recommend this lens, I saw a man today with it, he thought I was a birder and was asking me something, but I couldn't stop staring at his big long.... lens.

Anyway, 100-400L right, it's f4.5-5.6 aint it? Now, Is that wide enough? Do you have to shine a torch on your subject to get those nice fast shutters? and I'f I get a 1.4 TC I'll lose Auto Focus and It would be like f8? which will make things hard for shutter speeds? Comments? :P

Ps, at twycross... can I have a go? ;(
 
The other side of the old 100-400 coin is the 300 f4L IS with a 1.4 converter.

There are those that say the prime is that much better that you can use the converter to get to 420 5.6 and it beats the zoom on quality. I had no reason to doubt the reviews when I got the 300 and I'm really happy with the combination. Coupled with a 70-200 which you already have, the converter will get you from 70 to 280 in zooms and then nice steps up with 300 and 420.

Having seen the results here from 100-400 users, I have to say that all the reveiws that are less than complimentary are just wrong and must be written by prime lens snobs.

If I had to chose again I'd probably buy the same again, just to have a stop wider at f4. There's that little in it.

Must be about time to talk about the nice Sigma's too....... :)


edit... I did start typing this post just after ct's. :lol:
 
Marik said:
Ok, I was hoping someone would recommend this lens, I saw a man today with it, he thought I was a birder and was asking me something, but I couldn't stop staring at his big long.... lens.

Anyway, 100-400L right, it's f4.5-5.6 aint it? Now, Is that wide enough? Do you have to shine a torch on your subject to get those nice fast shutters? and I'f I get a 1.4 TC I'll lose Auto Focus and It would be like f8? which will make things hard for shutter speeds? Comments? :P

Ps, at twycross... can I have a go? ;(
Click to expand...

Course you can have a go. :thumbs:

I don't find it a problem getting the shutter speeds at all, even on fairly dull days I can up the ISO if necessary. Even at 800 ISO I don't find noise a big issue at all. You will lose AF (except for 1 series bodies) though, but that's not always the end of the world compared to having a 560mm effective focal length. Just to put that in perspective it's the equivalent of having an 890mm lens on a 35mm camera (taking the 1.6X crop factor into account)
 
hmm EF300mm f4.0 L IS USM does sounds nice tbh, but I aint sure If I like the idea of having some freedom with my zoom range.

Hmm, CT, That's long. Will I beable to cope with manual focus all the time though? :/
 
LOL I have to say Daz makes a good call too with the 300mm F4 and 2X converter. :shrug:
 
Marik said:
Hmm, CT, That's long. Will I beable to cope with manual focus all the time though? :/
Click to expand...

I dunno.. will you? :D Seriously, the camera should be on a tripod anyway, which solves the problems of your own movement... manual focusing becomes a cinch once you're not struggling to keep that robin in the frame AND keep him in focus at the same time.
 
Marik said:
I mean, with time, I would get used to it?
Click to expand...

About ten minutes I'd think. Obviously it's not as convenient as AF, but look at the range you're getting. I use the 180 macro on manual focus a lot of the time and don't really think about it now.

The 2X converter loses you two complete f stops though, so wouldn't you lose AF with the 300mm f4 and the converter anyway?
 
300 f4 + 1.4 TC = AF
300 f4 + 2 TC = MF

But I mean, I like to have a bit of zoom, sounds weird but I do.

Ten minutes, remember who you're talking to, I'm sure I'd get used to it.
 
LOL :lol:

Well I had to make a choice and I went for the 100-400L as offering the best range, flexibility and bang for your buck. It's the first choice of a lot of people for the same reason. I'd make exactly the same choice if I had to do it again. If I dropped my 100-400L off a cliff, I'd be a bit gutted, but I'd definitely be getting another.
 
Bigma? 50-500mm
 
I can vouch for the IS being pretty spiffing. I tried a 70-300 IS the other day and it's is quite stunning the effect it has!

:)

PS, and I thought I read somewhere there is a tape trick you can do with the 1.4x to fool the camera into ignoring it i.e. it still tries to AF.
 
Excellent stuff lads, I like some zoom, So I think I'll be getting the 100-400L Will have a go with CT's, then decide if I like it :D
 
I have a 1.4 TC for my 70-200 already, but I mean that would only take me to 420mm, is that going to be enough?
 
Pretty much all my pics are with the 100-400 too ! :)

I would love a prime, 500 or 600 but i would still keep the 100-400 for its flexibility ! For twycross i will only have the 100-400 with me ! no point taking anything else ! :)
 
hehe cool mate, Can't wait to see it, I think I'll have a play with one, then I will get one, I mean 400mm is technically double what I am using at the mo, so it has to be zoomy :D
 
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