Which lens next?

[Becky]

I'm using a Canon 350D at the minute, I have a standard 18-55mm lens and a 75-300mm lens.

I'm very interested in getting a telephoto and a macro lens at some point in the (hopefully not too distant) future and I wont be able to afford both at once, nor do I know which are the best to go for in each range. I do want to stick with Canon lenses I know this much.

I'm interested in a telephoto as I'd like to explore aviation photography and I'm limited in doing so with my current lenses.... I know they are extremely pricey so its not a top of the range one I'm looking for. About £650 will probably be an absolute maximum here.

Also I'd like to develop my close up skills with the help of a macro lens... I don't know which lens I'd benefit more from getting first but I'll work that out later!

Any suggestions for now as to which lenses to look at in each category? :blushing:

 

[Big Mike]

You have a pretty good range covered there...do you really need to get a longer lens? At 300mm on a 350D...you have the same field of view as a 480mm lens on a 35mm SLR camera...that's really long. Yes, that lens does not have a very big maximum aperture...but to get much better at that length, you will have to spend 5 or 10 times your budget. :shock:

I would suggest that you consider some other name brand lenses besides just Canon. Sigma & Tamron both have some great lenses that may be much cheaper than an equivalent Canon lens.

For Macro photography, there a few ways to go...try a search of the forum...it's been talked about many times. Basically there are Macro lenses....great quality but expensive. Macro screw-on adapters...they are less expensive but will cost some image quality. You can also get extension tubes...which go between the lens & the camera...and allow the lenses to focus much closer to the subject.

I have a set of close-up filters...they are OK...not great, but good for when I need them.

You can also, reverse mount one lens onto another. This will give you quite a bit of magnification. Actually, I think that your kit lens will actually focus quite close...I was surprised at how close it does. It's not true macro...but it's a start.

I always suggest a 50mm F1.8 lens. It's probably the least expensive Canon EF lens and it's not very sturdy...but it's optically very sharp and having a maximum aperture of F1.8 is really a great thing to have in your bag.

 

[Becky]

Ouch, I didn't realise it would cost me that much, the thing is I've tried some pretty close range aviation shots with the 75-300mm, right to 300, and the results were nothing spectacular to be honest, I couldn't get that close and I was hoping for frame filling type shots really. So for this type of shot I'll be spending thousands? Bugger

Thanks for your reply I appreciate it!

 

[Big Mike]

There are a few 500mm 'mirror' lenses out there, that are not too expensive. I don't think the quality it that great though. They are actually quite short but reflect the light within themselves to get the 500mm focal length.

There are a few people on this site who are great with aviation photography...check around and ask them for some tips.

I would think that a good way to get great 'frame filling' shots would be to maximize the sharpness and clarity of your shots...and then crop after the fact. Shoot in RAW to maintain the maximum quality.

The do make things called tele-converters. They go between the lens & the camera and multiply the effective focal length. Canon makes a 1.4x and a 2x...but I'm fairly sure that they only work with the high end lenses that cost thousands anyway.

There are a few 100-400 zoom lenses out there....even a new one from Tamron (I think)...that are supposed to be fairly good. Probably better than your 75-300 but also expensive.

 

[Becky]

Hmm ok this is all stuff to think about, thankyou again for another informative reply!

Maybe I'll go for a macro to begin with and work on saving for a worthwhile telephoto in the meantime, I'd rather wait for a good one than get a not so good substitute. Off I go thread searching...

Thanks Mike