First Telephoto Lens Recom.

[fairlady350z]

I have a canon digital rebel and currently only have the lens that came with it. I am looking to get a telephoto lens and am looking for any suggestions.
The canon EF 70-300mm IS USM lens caught my eye but at 550-600 it seems a little pricey. Or is this a standard price?

Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Sideburns]

That's actually REALLY cheap in the world of quality lenses. It's not the best lens in the world, but it should be fine if you are doing mostly outdoor type photography.
Most high quality camera lenses are 1000 dollars and up. Be lucky you have not caught the L bug, yet.

 

[JIP]

As the previous poster said this is a relatively cheap lens but it is decent quality. You can find this kind of lens for around $200 but it will be of a much lesser quality and slower. This is pretty much the middle to lower range as far as lenses go.

 

[fairlady350z]

Thanks for the responses.

Yes, I found the same lens but without IS for roughly 200. But if the lens doesnt have IS then essentially every shot I take with it will have to be on a tripod correct?

 

[Big Mike]

Yes, I found the same lens but without IS for roughly 200. But if the lens doesn't have IS then essentially every shot I take with it will have to be on a tripod correct?

Not necessarily.
To get sharp shots while holding the camera in your hands...you need a fast shutter speed (or IS...but a fast shutter speed is better).

The rule of thumb is 1/focal length, and some say that the crop factor should be considered as well. So at 300mm, you would want a shutter speed of 1/480 (1/500). You would need plenty of light to get that, with a max aperture of only F5.6. You can turn up the ISO, which does help, but the trade off is digital noise (still better than blur).

One way to get faster shutter speeds is to get/have a lens with a bigger max aperture, like F2.8. However, telephoto lenses with large apertures are big, heavy and really expensive.

Now, that is only a rule of thumb...there are plenty of techniques that you can use to get sharper shots with long lenses. Obviously, putting it on a tripod and using a remote or the self timer, is your best option...but if that's not convenient you can support the lens on something solid. A bean bag makes a good support which can be placed on just about anything. It will also help if you lean on something solid...like a tree or post. It also helps if you have a good wide stance and keep your elbows tight to your body etc.

I've got a 70-300 (non IS), it's not fantastic but it wasn't expensive...and I certainly don't need to use a tripod all the time.

 

[soylentgreen]

With lenses, the price really denotes the quality you are buying. good thing is, all lenses will take a picture, its just the quality of the picture that is in question. So your budget and quality you seek is your only limiting factor.
Canon makes a variety of lenses in the 70-300mm range from $180-$1100. The 70-300 IS is a really good lens in the mid-level prosumer category. Very capable of excellent photos. There is the 75-300 that is the lower-level lens, but the build quality is pretty poor in my opinion. The entire thing is plastic. The 70-300 DO IS is the best in that range, a really superb lens that doesn't get a lot of pub.
If quality is your thing, there is also the 70-200 f/4 L at about $550. What you lose in range is more than made up for in quality. An absolutely gorgeous lens for the money. Constant f/4 aperature at all focal lengths, built like a tank and superb image quality.

 

[fairlady350z]

Thanks for all the input guys.
I decided to go ahead and purchase the canon 75-300 mm USM non IS for $200. I've only taken a few shots so far but so far so good.
Thanks again.