New telephoto lens - beginner

maramessi10

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Hi there, I'm new to photography and currently have the Canon EOS 1300D DSLR camera with similar entry level lens, ES-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 DC III

I learned quite quickly it wasn't a good enough lense to catch good images of moving wildlife (birds mainly) and I would need a telephoto lens.

I've got my eyes on a basic affordable number but I just wanted advice from those who know best, rather than depend on online reviews.

This is what I am looking to buy ....

EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III - Jessops - Lenses

I do have a very basic understanding of what I am talking about and really couldn't argue why I want this other than it has a zoom lens of 75-300.

It just seems to be the only affordable Canon lens which has a zoom of 300.

Thoughts?
 
I have owned the 75-300 on a crop body sensor camera for many, many years. Although it reaches substantially far it leaves much to be desired. I think your money would be better spent on a 55-250 STM refurbished from canon. That is a lens that i'm WAY more happy with than the 75-300. If you want, i can try and get some test shots with each. You won't miss the extra 50mm, trust me.
 
Will be taking some photos soon, I'll add them to this post within the hour.
 
What is your budget?

Unfortunatley good quality lenses cost quite a bit, and there isn't really a way round it. The good news is they also tend to retain their value well and could last you for years so can be considered as more of an investment.

That lens you have linked to isn't great at all I'm afraid, it's soft, slow and suffers from quite a bit of CA. I have a copy and mostly it stays in my drawer. If you are dead set on a consumer grade 70-300mm then the best Canon one is the 70-300mm IS
Canon EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM Lens Best UK Price - Compare Prices Here - UK Stock. but it's a bit more costly. There are a few good deals to be had on a used copy though.

For birds 300mm is at the short end too, unless you know you can get very close indeed. I think most people now are using something in the 400-800mm range and the recent 150-600mm superzooms are quite popular for this. They to are quite expensive brand new, however recent releases of updated 150-600mm lenses have had a knock on effect bringing the price down on second hand versions.

The Sigma 150-500mm f5-6.3 was the first of the large superzooms and is a decent lens though it's now been superceeded but used copies have come down a lot in price and are availible for between ÂŁ300-450. If you are looking for a budget bird and wildlife lens then IMO it would be hard to beat.
 
Both of these photo's were shot at f8, ISO 200. The 55-250 was shot at 1/400 and the 75-300 was shot at 1/320. Both single shot, JPEG, both hand held. I didn't have any birds to shoot so i shot this angel... from the same distance. Both at their telephoto end. There isn't any CA in this photo, but I had big issues shooting wildlife in the water with CA with the 75-300 and the 55-250 is definitely an improvement and i can usually remove any CA if there it appears. It's also much sharper and the IQ is better. It also has an STM motor and image stabilization. As you can see, the difference in focal length isn't worth the loss of overall quality and features.

31272752982_d218ca9c58_k.jpg

(75-300)

31272754122_6a62e7efb8_k.jpg

(55-250)
 
My honest opinion is if you really want to shoot birds in flight and have clear pics. The lowest priced lens (Bonus that it's great value as well) is the Canon 400mm f5.6.
Is it more expensive than the other two? Yes.
Will it blow them both out of the water. Yes.

The only real downside is that it's a prime and you'll have to adjust with your feet instead of a zoom ring. Some people say that not having IS is a down as well but if you're shooting birds in flight, IS won't really help much.
 
Hi guys thanks all for your feedback.

To be perfectly honest I am quite overwhelmed with some of the minute information but that is my fault for not learning quick enough what it all means.

I do not plan on photographing only birds or other wildlife in motion, but when I can it will be my first choice. I should be making the efforts to work on landscapes too, even if it is just learn more about the camera and its workings - I am guessing my 18-55 will be more than suffice for this.

My budget for a telephoto lens is probably between ÂŁ200-ÂŁ400 - maybe a little more.
 
I have the kit 55-250 that I bought with my Canon XSi/450D in 2009-ish. Some examples of the far end of 250mm are below. The photos are good enough for me considering the price of the lens. Some of these may also be somewhat cropped. With great lighting, the pictures can be pretty darn sharp.

Example 1:
Bluebird House Warm by Wade, on Flickr

Example 2:
WashingtonDC-7 by Wade, on Flickr

Example 3:
FDR by Wade, on Flickr

Example 4:
Maryland Zoo 20150613-28 by Wade, on Flickr

Example 5:
Wildwood-30 by Wade, on Flickr
 
Hi AT Venture. Those are amazing photos, maybe one day I'll get something close to that.

When you said you went with the 55-250, what one exactly? Presumably with those photos it wasn't a budget lens? Or was it ....
 

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