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Help a Camera n00b pick out a lens.
- Thread starter alfa147x
- Start date
I'd personally save up a few hundred extra bucks and look at a Sigma 70-200 f2.8 or the Canon 70-200 f4L.
Good lenses hold their value very well and will last you many cameras over if you treat them well. Don't skimp if you can avoid. "Not skimping" doesn't mean you have to go out and buy a $2000 70-200 f2.8L IS.
yllus
Elite Member & Lifer
I'd rather the Sigma Zoom Telephoto 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro.
I owned this lens for a little while (paired with my Canon EOS 350D) and thought it was an excellent lens for the money. Autofocus is on the slow side and at 300mm it's not especially sharp, but otherwise featured good picture quality and solid construction. Up here in Canada it also carried a 5 year warranty. 🙂
I owned this lens for a little while (paired with my Canon EOS 350D) and thought it was an excellent lens for the money. Autofocus is on the slow side and at 300mm it's not especially sharp, but otherwise featured good picture quality and solid construction. Up here in Canada it also carried a 5 year warranty. 🙂
Yreka
Diamond Member
Great advice..
Is renting one for the occasion a possibility ? The two lenses Vi posted are (IMO of course) a good measure better than the two you are looking at for not much more money.
Edit.. Also, might want to check used.. People sell the 70-200 F4 all the time as they move up to the 2.8/IS. Might save a few bucks if you can find a deal.
Mrvile
Lifer
If you absolutely need to buy one of the 70-300 variations, the Sigma 70-300mm APO one is the best. It costs a little more, but still much cheaper than the next level (70-200's) and will get the job done. But of course, their optics will never come close to that of the 70-200's or even the Canon 70-300IS.
that's the regular one, 91TTZ has the IS model, which is ~1000 EDIT: bah you edited
OP: for your sister's dance program rent the canon 70-200f/2.8L USM IS. those other lenses are too slow for the low light indoor setting you'll be taking pictures in.
actually, you should probably just rent the 85f/1.4, which is two stops faster, and then use your feet to zoom. on a crop body like the digital rebel series it ends up being 136 mm, which is a medium telephoto and will be ok for indoors. also, you should get the 50 f/1.8. and then the 24 f/1.4 for some wide angle shots.
lens 'speed' is the maximum aperture divided by the focal length, and is commonly expressed as f/x.x. the lower the number x.x is, the more light comes into the camera. the more light coming into the camera due to the lens, the faster the shutter speed can be. because x.x is based on the diameter of the lens aperture, and the amount of light is based on area, the amount of light taken in by the lens doubles with each square root of 2 decrease in x.x. in other words f/2 lets in twice as much light, and can use half the shutter speed, of f/2.8. as you're capturing moving subjects, your shutter speed is limited before you get subject blur due to subject motion. what you can change is increasing the ISO sensitivity and using a faster f/x.x (of f-stop).
in other words, those 1.4 lenses are 3 times faster than that canon 75 to 300, and about 3.3 times faster than the 55 to 200.
indoor stage shows are about EV7. with a f/4.0 lens you need 1/60 of a second and ISO 800, and you'll get a blurry, grainy shot. with an f/1.4 lens you need 1/250 and ISO 400, and you'll get a much more clear, smooth shot.
Ok, I feel compelled to answer this question. I would recommend for an average joe, the Canon 70-300 IS/USM , or the Canon 70-200 f/4 (non IS version). They are both in the $500 something range, but both can be depended on to deliver solid results. The 70-200 f/4 is a bit better optically and delivers better bokeh, but lacks IS and range compared to the 70-300 IS.
Good lenses last a very, very long time........bodies come and go so don't be afraid to spend on lenses. Most consumers spend the majority on their budget on a body and put the cheapest lens they can get on it. Do the opposite, it makes more sense. The body is the least important part of the equation.....composition, lighting, and lenses are all more important.
If you need a lens for just one day, you might try renting as suggested. For indoor dance you may actually need a prime like an 85 f/1.8.......but then again Canon bodies do well at high ISO so you can probably use a f/2.8 lens and just go up to ISO 1600 if needed.
Good lenses last a very, very long time........bodies come and go so don't be afraid to spend on lenses. Most consumers spend the majority on their budget on a body and put the cheapest lens they can get on it. Do the opposite, it makes more sense. The body is the least important part of the equation.....composition, lighting, and lenses are all more important.
If you need a lens for just one day, you might try renting as suggested. For indoor dance you may actually need a prime like an 85 f/1.8.......but then again Canon bodies do well at high ISO so you can probably use a f/2.8 lens and just go up to ISO 1600 if needed.
Zenmervolt
Elite member
I've yet to see anything that would suggest the Sigma 70-300 APO is any better at all than the Tamron 70-300 Di. I've been exceptionally happy with the Tamron on my camera. The Sigma is, of course, a decent lens as well.
If it were my choice, I'd go for the Tamron in the OP's case, there's no point in spending the extra for Canon's 75-300 since there's not going to be any real difference in performance (meaning optical quality, not going into advantages of IS/USM).
That said, a 70-200 f/4 or 70-200 f/2.8 would be a nicer lens overall unless one absolutely needed the extra reach of the 300mm. Of course, those options would cost more as well.
ZV
Zenmervolt
Elite member
You're not going to find a fast zoom for $200 or less.
At the $375-$400 mark I would recommend Tamron's 28-75 f/2.8, it simply cannot be beat in its price range and is quite sharp even wide open.
Otherwise, you're limited pretty much to the 50mm f/1.8 prime that has been mentioned in this thread already.
ZV
jamesbond007
Diamond Member
I'd recommend the Canon 50 f/1.8 for about $80 or so. If you can afford it, the Canon 85 f/1.8 is going for a little over $300 at most places. Either lens should be fast enough for an indoor dance program.
I would personally swing for the 85mm myself as it has Canon's USM or Ultrasonic Motor mechanism so you will get quiet and VERY fast focusing capabilites. The image will simply snap into focus!
I just ordered the 70-200 f/2.8L IS yesterday, but it's a little out of the price range you have posted. Do you have a renting facility in your area? I also have the Canon 135L, which would be VERY nice for your indoor dance program. The reach is quite nice and the ability to go down to f/2 is superb.
I would personally swing for the 85mm myself as it has Canon's USM or Ultrasonic Motor mechanism so you will get quiet and VERY fast focusing capabilites. The image will simply snap into focus!
I just ordered the 70-200 f/2.8L IS yesterday, but it's a little out of the price range you have posted. Do you have a renting facility in your area? I also have the Canon 135L, which would be VERY nice for your indoor dance program. The reach is quite nice and the ability to go down to f/2 is superb.
you're going to have to rent to get a fast lens that cheaply, other than the 50 f/1.8 (~$100 locally). on a canon crop body it works out to 80 mm, which is a short telephoto.
and i recommended two other lenses.
zooms are not particularly fast. the only super fast zoom in existence is the olympus 35-100 f/2, and it's $2500.
so, rent some primes.