Difference between f/4-5.6 IS and f/4-5.6 III lenses

[Vic Vinegar]

Other than about $400, what's the big difference between these 2?

I want to take some wide angle shots of the night sky and I'm trying to find a telephoto lens that can do it but I don't have $600 to spend on the IS model.

edit: I typed this on my phone. I meant a telephoto lens or a wide angle lens.

 

[Overread]

Well IS only affects blur created by handshake and motion of the camera/lens. It will have no effect upon the motion of the subject. Furthermore if you're doing night shots chances are you'll be using a long exposure and thus a tripod would be ideal. You can use IS and get slower shutter speeds whilst doing night shots - however its my experience that IS tends to not work well with slower shutter speeds.

So a good tripod/support and the non-IS version should work fine. That said I'm only speaking in terms of IS otherwise I've no idea as to the relative performance of these lenses against each other nor against other lenses.

 

[Vic Vinegar]

Somebody recommended getting a lens under f/2.8. I'm currently looking for a wide angle lens like that but I need to keep it under around $180

 

[Lucryster]

Yeah your not going to find a wide angle 2.8 lens anywhere near that price range....

 

[Vic Vinegar]

Yeah your not going to find a wide angle 2.8 lens anywhere near that price range....

What about this? EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM

 

[ruifo]

Somebody recommended getting a lens under f/2.8. I'm currently looking for a wide angle lens like that but I need to keep it under around $180

The least expensive (and sharpest) ones are:

• Bower 14mm f/2.8 ED AS IF UMC ultra-wide angle manual focus lens [$259]
  
• Samyang 14mm f/2.8 ED AS IF UMC ultra-wide angle manual focus lens [$319]
  
• Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 ED AS IF UMC ultra-wide angle manual focus lens [$349]

They are essentially the same lens, with different brands. Sometimes one brand's price tag is lower than the other, but they are the same lens. They are very sharp, manual focus, very wide, no coma, and ideal for astrophotography and wide shots in general.

 

[weepete]

A telephoto lens by definition is not wide angle. A wide angle on a crop sensor would be around 10-17mm. Telephoto are 50mm plus.

 

[Vic Vinegar]

A telephoto lens by definition is not wide angle. A wide angle on a crop sensor would be around 10-17mm. Telephoto are 50mm plus.

I know. I actually meant either one but it must not have come across like that. I meant I'm looking for either a telephoto lens or wide angle lens and I'm going to compare which one takes the best sky photos.

 

[weepete]

Ah ok. Personally I'd go wide then. Sky photos with a bit of foreground interest can be excellent. Plus a fast wide lens can be cheaper than a fast telephoto and lighter to carry around.