Question of two lenses

[TarmacFFS]

Hi everyone,

I'm not a professional, or even an amateur photographer. My mother-in-law bought a 5d many years ago and never used (literally never powered it on) it so she gave it to me. I, not knowing its value or the quality of photos it could take, never learned to use it. A colleague of mine found out I had one and when I talked about it just sitting in my closet, he looked at me like an idiot and told me had a "damn fine DSLR that many professional photographers have used for years". This compelled me to take it out and experiment with the main settings and I'm just now barely getting the hang of how to take a decent shot, with the occasional 'good' shot.

I'm an interactive designer and I needed to take some product photos for a website recently. The lens mother-in-law gave me (a Tamron 50-200, or somewhere around there) couldn't get close enough so I checked out Amazon and ordered a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II for $125 and it worked great. I don't know jack about photography, but I absolutely love this lens as a walking around Lens. For a lens I ordered just to take a single set of shots, it seems like a lens I'll get some use out of.

I just went to the Portland Zoo and had the Tamron lens on it so I could get some up close and personal shots. I took a few hundred and then heard an awful crunch in the camera body and found the mirror chipped and detached. A quick search and I found this is a known issue and the body is already on its way back to canon. I really wish I knew what lens I had because I hated it. It produced an awful Vignette, the AF was very slow, and I don't think it was that clear at all.

In any event, I'm looking to get a new zoom lens and have no qualms buying used glass. I'm looking to spend around $300 and I'm looking at the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens, mainly because I can get it fro around $300, it has excellent reviews, and not too long ago it was selling for a grand.

I have seen the Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 SP Di VC USD XLD for around the same price used, but am instantly turned off due to my past experience with Tamron.

I just want a good all-around zoom lens for things like the Zoo or travel pictures and would LOVE the help of you experienced folk.

Thank you so much in advance.

 

[Gavjenks]

Tamron makes fine lenses usually. I am sorry to hear you didn't like your previous one.
The Canon 70-300 4-5.6 is also a very very nice lens, though, and quite affordable. I have used one for years and have no complaints at all (the thing about selling for a grand not too long ago is a stretch... I got mine for like $400 something brand new from Amazon).

Either one would probably fit your needs well for the zoo. As for "all around zoom lens" not so much. 70 is pretty uncomfortably long for just walking around town taking photos of any old thing.

Unfortunately, I'm not aware of any particularly high quality Canon DSLR lenses that would be great for walking around and for extreme zoo closeups at the same time. There are some that do that, but they tend to be the cheaper end of superzooms that have a lot of issues. I'd recommend two lenses instead. E.g. the 70-300 and then something like 20ish to 50ish (on the low end, kit lenses like 18-55. On the expensive end, something like the 24-70 f/2.8)

 

[TarmacFFS]

Thanks so much for the reply.

I'm not opposed to buying a Tamron again. I fully accept that my experience was unique when compared to the general consensus.

On the pricing, I was just going off of what the reviews on Amazon state. It looks like 08-09 people were writing that it was a good lens at the $1k price point. It's currently $650 new from Amazon, BH, Newegg, etc. (although one seller has one listed at $550 for new on Amazon).

In any event, for $300, I thought it seemed like a great lens. I spend a fair amount of time outdoors, so I'll be happy to have to carry around a couple lenses.

What in the 20-70 range would you recommend for the $300-$500 price range? I see a lot of Canon IS lenses in that range, but they're all EF-S (which I understand sits too far back into the 5D and can actually damage the camera?)


EDIT: Something like this? http://www.amazon.com/Canon-28-135m...r_1_18?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1378852361&sr=1-18

 

[Seventen]

If its a lens you want for walking around and with long fairly decent zoom price is little more than you said you wanted to spend maybe a used one would be more in your range but am unsure as i live in finland and everything is over priced here.
[h=3]Amazon.com: Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical IF Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras: Camera & Photo[/h]

 

[Gavjenks]

Oh damn right you have a 5D. So yeah 18-55s and such won't work. Also that Tamron 18-270 he linked above won't work.

The 28-135 full frame lens you just posted is probably an excellent choice.

 

[TarmacFFS]

Bummer. I was watching a couple videos and starting to love the idea of having a single lens to go from 20 to 300.

 

[table1349]

Keep in mind that every zoom lens is a compromise. The larger the zoom range the greater the compromise. This is especially true of consumer grade lenses.
The EF 28-135 is a well thought of lens that would give you wide angle to medium telephoto. Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Image Stabilizer USM 2562A002 B&H
If you could find a used EF 100-300 it would give you nice reach at a decent price. Amazon.com: Canon EF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras: Camera & Photo
Or the venerable 70-200 f4 would be an outstanding lens, however it is as about as expensive as the above two lenses. Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Lens 2578A002 B&H Photo Video

 

[TarmacFFS]

Alright, so I think I've got the two that I'll buy now to get going:

[h=1]Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM[/h]
and

[h=1]Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM [/h]

Total, it'll run me ~$500 used, which (again, not knowing much) seems like a fair price to pay for a couple lenses to cover the gammut.

My question then becomes, what good is my Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens now? Throw it on a reverse ring for Macro? Use it in situations where f/3.5 isn't enough light? I see this as a lens a lot of people have, and I bought it for a very specific purpose (cheap way to take product photos I needed taken), but I'm not sure in what cases it would be the best lens to shoot with.

Thank you all for the help. I really appreciate it.

 

[iolair]

The 50mm f/1.8 is worth hanging on to
- lightweight when you want to travel light
- very sharp in mid apertures; I've not tried your two planned purchases but I'll bet it will beat them on your 5D
- good for shooting indoors with available light because of the f/1.8 (though I normally stop down to f/2.0 or f/2.5 as I find f/1.8 a little soft). f/1.8 lets in roughly four times as much light as f/3.5.
- produce blurred backgrounds on portraits (with a 50mm on full-frame, this would be for full-body portraits) by shooting f/1.8 or f/2.0 with the background a reasonable distance from the subject. However on the 50mm 1.8 those blurred backgrounds can sometimes be a bit busy and unattractive compared to more expensive options - they probably won't be any worse than the other lenses you're considering though).

As you say, getting a reversing male to male filter ring and fitting it backwards onto your 70-300 would be a macro set up worth trying (although the viewfinder will be extremely dark).

 

[TarmacFFS]

Thanks so much iolair, and thanks so much to everyone else.

It's nice to find a place where professionals are so willing to share their knowledge with newcomers. As an interactive designer of nearly two decades, I love to share my experience with people new to my industry. It's refreshing to find like-minded individuals in a different profession.

It's a bit addicting though, right? Last week I had no desire for photography and here I find myself internally justifying purchases for glass and accessories I'm only just now learning exist.

 

[grafxman]

Your 5D is what's known as a full frame camera and many lenses won't work with it. I recently bought a 6D which is also a full frame camera. You might check out Tamron's 28-300mm macro lens. Here's a link to one retailer although many others sell it:

Tamron 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC LD Aspherical IF AF020C-700

I have that lens and it works OK as long as there is a lot of light. It doesn't like to focus in dark areas.

 

[Mach0]

I don't know how or what exactly with canon but im pretty sure that tamron is a crop sensor lens and maybe ( again I can be wrong) that broke the mirror and heavy vignetting