Lens suggestions?

[majorpayne66]

Personally i would go with a 70-200F4L non is brilliant for horses i use this and a 300F2.8L
This is what it can do on an old 10D

The OP is asking what she can get for $300-$400 range. I dont think a $1000 lens is in her budget right now. Buy what you can afford and upgrade in a couple years if you want.

 

[Overread]

L lenses can go for a bit less second hand and generally are not bad to pick up that way. As with all second hand lenses I would try before your buy - since there is always an element of risk, but L generally are decent 2nd hand buys. The only exception to that is the 100-400mm which can suffer from being a soft copy - this is something that happens to all the superzooms (pretty much) and its because of their complexity of construction

 

[tsaraleksi]

The OP is asking what she can get for $300-$400 range. I dont think a $1000 lens is in her budget right now. Buy what you can afford and upgrade in a couple years if you want.

The 70-200/4 is a lens that you can pick up for $500 used in great shape, and it would be head and shoulders above the 50-250 or the 70-300.

 

[RauschPhotography]

Don't spend $270 on the EF75-300mm. I got that yesterday for $200 in my neck of the woods. Pays to bargain shop See if any places will price match you, as well. When looking at that lens, I checked out B&Hphoto.com, and found out they were asking more than stores in my area were charging. If you're hellbent on getting this lens, you can even get it at Target or target.com for $200+tax.

OK, so I've narrowed it down to these two lenses. A Telephoto zoom and a standard to telephoto zoom. Both in my price range.

Canon EF 75-300mm F/4-5.6 III USM -$269.99
Canon EF-S 55-250mm F/4-5.6 IS -$349.99

which would be best for my type of shots? I really don't mind spending and extra $80 on IS, but only if it's what I need.

 

[deb0.friday]

for sub 400 dollars, I can' recommend a good lens that would suit your needs.

 

[Kegger]

I vote for the 70-200 f/4L. It's a fantastic piece of glass. And second hand can be found for $500.

 

[jazzitupphotography]

I can't really comment on either lens - I would expect both to be softer at the long end though - since they are cheaper lenses, however in the right conditions both should be able to give decent results. Of the two if you decide to go for the 75-300mm then make sure you get a tripod (even a cheap one) to provide some stability when shooting at the longer end, I have found that with such lenses a support (beanbag, fence, tripod) really does help get sharper results than freehand shooting. IS is often not needed with shorter focal length lenses, but with longer telephotos being handheld it really becomes very desirable.

however some general tips I have picked up from others and my own shooting;

I have read that some people have found that with shorter lenses - like a 50mm - when you get close to a horse the distances make the horse look a lot fatter in the photo than it actually is (I think this is because the belly of the horse is a lot closer to the lens than the back and head are). Thus longer telephotos (like the ranges you are looking at) are prefered to that when you take a shot the reletive distances are far less and the horse comes out with better proportions.
Aside from that a lot of the requirements for wildlife and animals are going to be similar - though you will probably not be pushed for the super long lenses, but something like a 300mm f4 prime would be a good investment further down the road - since it offers you good quality, good focal length and also a good wide aperture (Idealy a 300mm f2.8 for even more light - but that lens really does cost a heck of a lot!)

Thank you so much, very informative post!

Between those two, the EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS is the better choice. The EF 75-300mm lenses tend to have lots of CA (chromatic aberration) at the long end. I have one and rarely ever use it and only at the short end, never zoomed out. A friend has one and tried using it at a football game and the CA in the pictures was horrible. They are also pretty slow at locking focus.

A lot of people on other forums have said pretty good things about the performance and picture quality of the EF-S 55-250mm F/4-5.6 IS.

Thanks! I definitely prefer that one out of the two.

Personally i would go with a 70-200F4L non is brilliant for horses i use this and a 300F2.8L
This is what it can do on an old 10D

Def out of my price range new. I'd be interested in knowing where I could get second hand lenses? I'm definitely interested in your POV, since we both photograph horses.

I think you would be very happy with 55-250. It has received very good reviews and and you cant beat the price. I love mine. Im not sure where you are shopping but $350 is very high. $240 at Adorama and B+H

Very good to know, last thing I was is to get ripped off :x But keep in mind that I'm in Canada. So my prices may be a bit higher than everyone else's.

Not a lens i would consider for action shots because i shoot in manual and as soon as you zoom your expose has gone, AV and TV would be ok

So on Av and Tv modes, that lens would be OK?

The OP is asking what she can get for $300-$400 range. I dont think a $1000 lens is in her budget right now. Buy what you can afford and upgrade in a couple years if you want.

That's what I was planning, once I'm done with University I'll have more money to spend on better glass. Right now I'm only experimenting.

L lenses can go for a bit less second hand and generally are not bad to pick up that way. As with all second hand lenses I would try before your buy - since there is always an element of risk, but L generally are decent 2nd hand buys. The only exception to that is the 100-400mm which can suffer from being a soft copy - this is something that happens to all the superzooms (pretty much) and its because of their complexity of construction

What are L lenses? Sorry I'm a little confused. I really wasn't aware that buying second hand lenses was an option. I'm definitely open to it, I just don't really know where to get some? I can't shop in the US, shipping and handling are killer. I'm not all that confident about ebay either.

The 70-200/4 is a lens that you can pick up for $500 used in great shape, and it would be head and shoulders above the 50-250 or the 70-300.

I'm interested in that lens. Any ideas where I could find it for second hand? thanks

Don't spend $270 on the EF75-300mm. I got that yesterday for $200 in my neck of the woods. Pays to bargain shop See if any places will price match you, as well. When looking at that lens, I checked out B&Hphoto.com, and found out they were asking more than stores in my area were charging. If you're hellbent on getting this lens, you can even get it at Target or target.com for $200+tax.

thanks for the links! I am in Canada though, so not a lot of options around here (maritime provinces). My prices that I posted are probably higher than the US prices.

for sub 400 dollars, I can' recommend a good lens that would suit your needs.

can, or can't?

 

[gsgary]

The OP is asking what she can get for $300-$400 range. I dont think a $1000 lens is in her budget right now. Buy what you can afford and upgrade in a couple years if you want.

Thats the point don't buy cheap lenses get the best they will last longer than the body

 

[jazzitupphotography]

I think I will get the 55-250. I could not find 70-200/4 for under $600 CAN. I'll keep shopping around for a bit though, looking at the prices.

How are the prices on lenses? Do they change as much as camera bodies? With the new technologies these days, the prices seem to lower rather fast on anything.

 

[Overread]

2nd hand gear is best got at a local photography store - some chain stores also have 2nd hand gear as well so you can order in from another shop. Also I belive you can find local sellers through things like Craigs list.
With 2nd hand I would really recomend getting a look at the lens first - check it works ok. Last thing you want is a duff soft lens. Ebay can be good from some dealers, but if you can't test the lens only get one from a dealer that others recomend - otherwise you really can't tell what you will get

As for gsgary's post I think its a bit hazy - Av, Tv and manual mode will all be fine with the lens - its the focusing mode that he is refering to where you have auto and manual focusing - with animals (and mostly anything that moves) auto focus is far faster than a person can be - though manual is good for predictive shooting (where you know where an animal will be so you foucs at that point and then shoot in bust mode when the animal gets there)

And L lens is basically a classification for Canon's best quality of lens - L lenses are the best they make and well worth very penny spent- though they do cost!

As for the arguments about cheap lenses and expensive its really down to you. A pro lens (canon L and some others) will last you many decades of good use (if not bashed around) and is a good investment. Cheaper lenses you are more likley to grow out of and start wanting better quality - however money and time are the key factors. We could all probably afford a canon 300mm f2.8 L lens, but if you have to wait 5 years before you can get it that's 5 years with no shooting - sometimes a cheaper decent lens is good to fill in that time as you save for a better lens. Yes the shots will be softer, but the skills you learn will certainly not go to waste. If anything poorer lenses force you to learn good lens habits to get the best out of them!

edit - lens prices for top end lenses are fairly stable - the biggest changes have been since the recent economic changes - on the whole they remain fairly stable. Lower end lenses are often upgraded quicker and so can cheapen a bit quicker over time. However in general lenses are not upgraded that often (certainly not as fast as bodies) since the technology is slower to advance (especially glass quality - a lot of new lenses are mostly sporting improved image stabalization features rather than fully improved optics)

 

[tsaraleksi]

Take a look at KEH Camera: Used Cameras, Digital Cameras, Film Cameras, Laptop Computers and More. for some great used options.

 

[gsgary]

2nd hand gear is best got at a local photography store - some chain stores also have 2nd hand gear as well so you can order in from another shop. Also I belive you can find local sellers through things like Craigs list.
With 2nd hand I would really recomend getting a look at the lens first - check it works ok. Last thing you want is a duff soft lens. Ebay can be good from some dealers, but if you can't test the lens only get one from a dealer that others recomend - otherwise you really can't tell what you will get

As for gsgary's post I think its a bit hazy - Av, Tv and manual mode will all be fine with the lens - its the focusing mode that he is refering to where you have auto and manual focusing - with animals (and mostly anything that moves) auto focus is far faster than a person can be - though manual is good for predictive shooting (where you know where an animal will be so you foucs at that point and then shoot in bust mode when the animal gets there)

And L lens is basically a classification for Canon's best quality of lens - L lenses are the best they make and well worth very penny spent- though they do cost!

As for the arguments about cheap lenses and expensive its really down to you. A pro lens (canon L and some others) will last you many decades of good use (if not bashed around) and is a good investment. Cheaper lenses you are more likley to grow out of and start wanting better quality - however money and time are the key factors. We could all probably afford a canon 300mm f2.8 L lens, but if you have to wait 5 years before you can get it that's 5 years with no shooting - sometimes a cheaper decent lens is good to fill in that time as you save for a better lens. Yes the shots will be softer, but the skills you learn will certainly not go to waste. If anything poorer lenses force you to learn good lens habits to get the best out of them!

edit - lens prices for top end lenses are fairly stable - the biggest changes have been since the recent economic changes - on the whole they remain fairly stable. Lower end lenses are often upgraded quicker and so can cheapen a bit quicker over time. However in general lenses are not upgraded that often (certainly not as fast as bodies) since the technology is slower to advance (especially glass quality - a lot of new lenses are mostly sporting improved image stabalization features rather than fully improved optics)

No not the focus mode, if you set up your exposure for 55mm on manual exposure as soon as you zoom you exposure will be wrong because the aperture changes where as the 70-200F4 is a constant aperture so where ever you zoom the aperture will stay the same