Lense recommendations

northalberta

TPF Noob!
Joined
Oct 24, 2011
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Location
Grande Prairie
Can others edit my Photos
Photos OK to edit
Hi all,

New to DSLR's and just recently purchased a rebel T3, after using the standard 18-55mm lense want to upgrade to a higher magnification lense, enjoy taking outdoor and wildlife photos. Been looking online at different lenses and was looking for some info on how the cheaper lenses like the tamrons and sigma's perform compared to the canon lenses? Prefer to spend around $300 and under for a lense as just starting out with this. Also is it preferred to have a fixed aperture on a lense like a 75-300mm or is it nicer to have the variable aperture? Any info on this would be greatly appreciated, thank you.
 
Welcome to the forum. How's life up in GP?

Concerning Sigma & Tamron etc. They have some good lenses and some that aren't so good...just like Canon or Nikon or any other company. But you can usually get more value for your money with them, because you're not paying for the Canon name.

Concerning the aperture, it's almost always preferable to buy a zoom lens with a fixed maximum aperture. Those tend to be the best quality lenses, but they are also more expensive. Keep in mind that all these lenses have a variable aperture...only the maximum is listed in the lens's name. And if it shows a range, that means the maximum varies with the zoom of the lens. For example, on your 18-55mm lens, the maximum is F3.5 at 18mm, but only F5.6 at 55mm. (smaller F number means a larger aperture).
Same thing with any of the 75-300mm lenses. The maximum aperture at 70mm is F4, and the maximum at 300mm is F5.6.
But with either lens, you can adjust the aperture down to F22 or smaller.

There are many options in the 70(75)-300mm category. Canon has four or five different models, plus the ones from Sigma & Tamron.
And truth be told, the only 'good' ones start at around $600. For example, Canon has the 70-300mm with IS, and they have a new 70-300mm L IS...which is is $1500. (L is Canon's designation for their top of the line lenses).

So there are still a few options in your budget range.
THIS ONE is the basic base model. It's cheap, I'll give it that.
THIS ONE is basically the same lens, but it has 'USM'...which is an upgraded focus motor. It costs $40 more. I have this one, although I don't use it much. This is about as good as it gets until you spend $550 on
THIS ONE.

Now that I look, Sigma & Tamron do have a few options as well. If it will fit your budget, look for a Sigma with OS, or a Tamron with VC. (those are their versions of Canon's IS).
 
If you were happy to sacrifice a little on the narrow end the Canon ef-s 55-250 IS is smallish money and quite good also
 
Big Mike has nailed it. I would only add that you need to understand how you will be shooting, especially with regard to whether you will use a tripod. If you do, then you may not miss IS and could save quite a bit. I have the 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS and it is a good solid lens that works for me because I walk around the city with gear in a backpack and can't usually set up a tripod, so the IS has helped me quite a bit. If you are going out to shoot nature with a tripod, IS may not be worth it to you.
 
Also, IS (or VC, OS etc.) will only help to combat blur from camera movement (camera in your hands). It won't do anything to freeze moving subjects, only a faster shutter speed will do that.
So for that reason, any of these lenses will be OK when using in bright conditions, but will struggle when in lower light situations.
 
I have heard so many people say they got the cheap 70-300 or 75-300 and it's just poor quality at best. I know your budget is tight right now, but could you possibly wait or ask for the rest in gift cards for Christmas?
It's sill to put money into something that won't give you the best results with the thought to upgrading later on. you never recoup that money and you just dump more into it.
The 55-250 is a much better lens or if you can wait and bide your time the Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 runs about $799 I think and that would be in the professional grade lines. I know it's a huge jump, but I'd rather wait and save my pennies than get something that just isn't going to be any good. I'll compromise quality a LITTLE if I have to, but not that much.

My best trick for saving up the money for a lens or camera equipment? buy adorama or B&H gift cards with each little increment you have... Or put it on a prepaid visa. You can't spend it elsewhere if it is already gone to Adorama or B&H and you can get the lens you WANT that way.
 
Thanks for all the info guys, this has been a huge help! Went to stores and was looking at lenses today and for me im trying to consider in price, quality and size all into consideration. I was looking at some Tamron lenses and one lady recomended the Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 you mentioned but I feel like that might be to bulky of a lense for me to lug around on hiking trips and such. I likely won\t be using a tri-pod all that much for the same reason, but I do currently own one. Also we're just getting into photography so I would rather not drop $8-900 on a lense quite yet until I know for sure we will be getting the use out of it, later on if we are still really enjoying then I'll probly look into upgrading body lense and the whole thing. Right now I think I'm contemplating between the canon 55-250 f/4-5.6 IS or the Sigma 70-300 f/4-5.6 OS, both around the same price. We're thinking we should get a lense with image stabilizing but just contemplating just how much it really helps when zoomed to the max range. Tanks again for all the help guys, its great to get some good info, little more to this stuff then just point and shoot, thats why we're enjoying it so much so far!
 
When zoomed to the max the OS is the best help you can get from it. Your shutter speed should be faster than the length of the lens. Some teachers even teach it as TWICE the length of the lens. So that's either higher than 1/200 or 1/400 which ever teacher you are listening to.
with an OS lens you can push down from those speeds a bit and be safe hand held from shake.
 

Most reactions

New Topics

Back
Top