replace my 300mm Canon lens

lynnma · January 11, 2005

I'm thinking of selling and replacing my Canon 300 mm lens. I'ts not IS.. I get a fair amount of Chromatic Aberthingy and all in all my shots look terrible with it.. now I LOVE my 50 mm 1.4 and would like something of that nature that ZOOMS.. suggestions please?? I've only used the 300 about 4 times..:scratch

ginger_55 · January 11, 2005

lynnma wrote:

I'm thinking of selling and replacing my Canon 300 mm lens. I'ts not IS.. I get a fair amount of Chromatic Aberthingy and all in all my shots look terrible with it.. now I LOVE my 50 mm 1.4 and would like something of that nature that ZOOMS.. suggestions please?? I've only used the 300 about 4 times..

Mine is the Canon 70-300 IS, and I would NOT recommend that. I, too, need something I can count on. And in that range, as see my bird triptych.

I have used mine a lot, can't say it has never been used, I have used it a lot. It is soft at the long end, difficult to get if focused exactly, and that is with ...................

well, the dpreview people warned me last year, but I got it anyway because I could afford it.

Any suggestions, people?? No glass here..........

g

Andy · January 11, 2005

lynnma wrote:

I'm thinking of selling and replacing my Canon 300 mm lens. I'ts not IS.. I get a fair amount of Chromatic Aberthingy and all in all my shots look terrible with it.. now I LOVE my 50 mm 1.4 and would like something of that nature that ZOOMS.. suggestions please?? I've only used the 300 about 4 times..

how much of your money can i spend?

mercphoto · January 11, 2005

lynnma wrote:

I'm thinking of selling and replacing my Canon 300 mm lens. I'ts not IS.. I get a fair amount of Chromatic Aberthingy and all in all my shots look terrible with it.. now I LOVE my 50 mm 1.4 and would like something of that nature that ZOOMS.. suggestions please?? I've only used the 300 about 4 times..

Is it a 300mm prime, or the 75-300 zoom? And what is your price budget?

You could get a 70-200/4L and a 1.4TC. Together under a grand and a great image. You could get a 100-400/4.5-5.6L. Not the sharpest of lenses but not bad from reviews. Options for primes are the 300/4L and the 400/5.6L.

DoctorIt · January 11, 2005

Lynn, if I had any money at all, I'd do what Merc suggested. That 70-200 is probably the best deal on glass that Canon offers. Cheapest L glass I believe. Great quality, if you don't need the speed of the 2.8, its just as good, and half the price.

lynnma · January 11, 2005

mercphoto wrote:

Is it a 300mm prime, or the 75-300 zoom? And what is your price budget?

You could get a 70-200/4L and a 1.4TC. Together under a grand and a great image. You could get a 100-400/4.5-5.6L. Not the sharpest of lenses but not bad from reviews. Options for primes are the 300/4L and the 400/5.6L.

it's the 75-300 zoom.. I'm really really stupid when it comes to lenses.. I don't know one from the other.. I bought my 50mm 1.4 on a dear friends advice and love it. (thanks Andy) and am open to advice all round. Money wise.. I'm always horribly shocked at the cost of a lens.. I want to spend as little as possible for the best I need at this time.. remember I'm new at this and still working my way up..If I'd have known I would have bought the 75-300 IS but Ginger does not like hers so who knows.. I want a crisp longer range zoom lens to shoot birds and things far away (not too far) that does'nt look soft and does'nt have chromatic thingys round it..

DEFINITELY under a thousend, more like 5 or 600 or 8 maybe (I could sell my earings I spose and get a really good one....) hmmmm who cares about diamonds anyway...maybe I should just stay with the 300 and practice more..

is it this one???

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=183198&is=USA

no image stabilizer????

Steve Cavigliano · January 11, 2005

lynnma wrote:

it's the 75-300 zoom.. I'm really really stupid when it comes to lenses.. I don't know one from the other.. I bought my 50mm 1.4 on a dear friends advice and love it. (thanks Andy) and am open to advice all round. Money wise.. I'm always horribly shocked at the cost of a lens.. I want to spend as little as possible for the best I need at this time.. remember I'm new at this and still working my way up..If I'd have known I would have bought the 75-300 IS but Ginger does not like hers so who knows.. I want a crisp longer range zoom lens to shoot birds and things far away (not too far) that does'nt look soft and does'nt have chromatic thingys round it.. DEFINITELY under a thousend, more like 5 or 600 or 8 maybe (I could sell my earings I spose and get a really good one....) hmmmm who cares about diamonds anyway...maybe I should just stay with the 300 and practice more..

Lynn,
First you are not stupid. We all make mistakes and you can be thankful that yours didn't cost you much. If your mistake caused you to ask for advice and do some checking around, this time, it was worth it. Look at it as a learning experience

If you want a zoom that's sharp and has decent reach, as others have mentioned it's hard to beat the 70-200's. Either of the F2.8's from Canon ($1150 or $1650), the F2.8 from Sigma ($700), or the F4 Canon L (mid $600's

) I'd recommend the F4 70-200 Canon. It's much lighter than the other 3, gets rave reviews and I doubt if you'd miss the extra stop, or IS. Or, maybe even the Sigma 100-300 F4 ($825). Another raved about lens. It's only negative is that it weights about 3.25 pounds. But it will give you sharp images at 300mm's :-)

Good luck and keep us informed (we are very nosey :lol )

Steve

lynnma · January 11, 2005

Steve Cavigliano wrote:

Lynn,
First you are not stupid. We all make mistakes and you can be thankful that yours didn't cost you much. If your mistake caused you to ask for advice and do some checking around, this time, it was worth it. Look at it as a learning experience

If you want a zoom that's sharp and has decent reach, as others have mentioned it's hard to beat the 70-200's. Either of the F2.8's from Canon ($1150 or $1650), the F2.8 from Sigma ($700), or the F4 Canon L (mid $600's ) I'd recommend the F4 70-200 Canon. It's much lighter than the other 3, gets rave reviews and I doubt if you'd miss the extra stop, or IS. Or, maybe even the Sigma 100-300 F4 ($825). Another raved about lens. It's only negative is that it weights about 3.25 pounds. But it will give you sharp images at 300mm's :-)

Good luck and keep us informed (we are very nosey :lol )

Steve

Thanks Steve and everyone.. I'm getting there now.. I'm concerned about the IS factor... how do you all feel about image stabilization.. would you buy one that was'nt IS??? and from a technical standpoint.. what is the difference between my 75-300 and the 70-200 F4 ...AND ... how do we feel about buying a used one...

(I'm always buying preowned stuff...)

Andy · January 11, 2005

lynnma wrote:

it's the 75-300 zoom.. I'm really really stupid when it comes to lenses.. I don't know one from the other.. I bought my 50mm 1.4 on a dear friends advice and love it. (thanks Andy) and am open to advice all round. Money wise.. I'm always horribly shocked at the cost of a lens.. I want to spend as little as possible for the best I need at this time.. remember I'm new at this and still working my way up..If I'd have known I would have bought the 75-300 IS but Ginger does not like hers so who knows.. I want a crisp longer range zoom lens to shoot birds and things far away (not too far) that does'nt look soft and does'nt have chromatic thingys round it.. DEFINITELY under a thousend, more like 5 or 600 or 8 maybe (I could sell my earings I spose and get a really good one....) hmmmm who cares about diamonds anyway...maybe I should just stay with the 300 and practice more..

is it this one???

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=183198&is=USA

no image stabilizer????

lynnie, with your budget, yes, go for the 70-200L f/4, and buy the 1.4x tc as well.

lynnma · January 11, 2005

andy wrote:

lynnie, with your budget, yes, go for the 70-200L f/4, and buy the 1.4x tc as well.

Andrew... 1.4x tc ???? what is ???? I've only just figured out th 70-200 f/4

dumb and dummer...

FAU4U · January 11, 2005

Budget and Present Lens Inventory info
It would be helpful to know what other lenses you have, so that an informed recommendation be given. Sounds like +/- $700 is your target budget. Remember, the light goes through the glass, get the best lens you can afford, and native Canon lenses are where to be with a Digital Rebel. Also recall that the Digital Rebel has that IMF of 160% which means that a 100mm lens on a 35m film camera will give you 160mm apparent focul length when used on your digital camera, and likewise a stated 200mm lens will give an apparent focul length of 320mm on your camera.... IS, image stabilization is a tremendous tool for available light hand-held shooting, pretty much a must for my candid photography, unless you're using a very wide angle lens. I always pick the IS lens if there is a choice in the focul lenght I desire.

JimWilson

lynnma · January 11, 2005

FAU4U wrote:

It would be helpful to know what other lenses you have, so that an informed recommendation be given. Sounds like +/- $700 is your target budget. Remember, the light goes through the glass, get the best lens you can afford, and native Canon lenses are where to be with a Digital Rebel. Also recall that the Digital Rebel has that IMF of 160% which means that a 100mm lens on a 35m film camera will give you 160mm apparent focul length when used on your digital camera, and likewise a stated 200mm lens will give an apparent focul length of 320mm on your camera.... IS, image stabilization is a tremendous tool for available light hand-held shooting, pretty much a must for my candid photography, unless you're using a very wide angle lens. I always pick the IS lens if there is a choice in the focul lenght I desire.

JimWilson

thnks Jim.. I was hoping to hand hold this lens some of the time.. sounds like I need IS. I only have a kit lens 18-55.. my new 50mm 1.4 and the 75-300mm which I'm looking to change for a better one.

fish · January 11, 2005

You need the 300/2.8L IS.

heh...the hood for that lens costs $500

lynnma · January 11, 2005

fish wrote:

You need the 300/2.8L IS.

heh...the hood for that lens costs $500

AAAAAAhhhhhhhhhggggggg:cry :whip

:hang

:gun2 :thwak

this one.. this one

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=154&modelid=7319

fish · January 11, 2005

lynnma wrote:

AAAAAAhhhhhhhhhggggggg:cry :whip :hang :gun2 :thwak

You're thinking too small. Go big...really big:
http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=154&modelid=7320

(yes, I know there's a 1200mm, but it's not IS)

DoctorIt · January 11, 2005

lynnma wrote:

thnks Jim.. I was hoping to hand hold this lens some of the time.. sounds like I need IS. I only have a kit lens 18-55.. my new 50mm 1.4 and the 75-300mm which I'm looking to change for a better one.

Lynn, IS is not a must. The times when you will hand hold at the long end hopefully will be very well lit. If not, well, tough

. Just decide what you really want. Do you want a bird lens or a replacement for that 75-300. Bird lenses are expensive, as you'd be surprised how small those buggers are, even through really big glass. I'd say 300mm would be the absolute minimum to get birds. However, as most of us have recommended, a great upgrade and general purpose replacement to that lens of yours would be the 70-200 f/4.

And a TC is a teleconverter. It makes the 70-200 a 140-400mm but at the price of speed. So your f4 would become an f8, if I'm not mistaken. Which is fine for birds in bright daylight anyway.

FAU4U · January 11, 2005

Take a look at Canons 28mm-135mm IS Lens
A great and relatively inexpensive lens is Canon's 28-135mm IS lens with a street price of $395 with present Canon rebates See B&H photo. On your Digital Rebel the apparent focul lenght would be 45mm-215mm with Image Stabilization. One can take clear images right down to 1/30 of a second hand held. Its a great all around lens, and the Rebel's kit lens is an acceptable lens for the wide angle shots, however the build quality on the 28-135mm lens is superior.

Lens Comments:

A compact, lightweight standard zoom lens with superior optical performance plus a built-in Image Stabilizer. The IS system reduces the possibility of blurred photographs caused by camera shake, enabling handheld photography in comparatively dim light without a flash or tripod. The IS system is composed of a pair of gyro sensors to detect vertical and horizontal motion and a microprocessor that compensates for it by shifting special lens elements in parallel with the perceived movement. At the wideangle end of the zoom range, the equivalent shutter speed gain is approximately 1.5 stops while at the telephoto end, it is approximately 2 stops. In addition, the lens has a USM drive mechanism for optimum AF performance, and the pulse control diaphragm (EMD) ensures precise aperture control.
Specs:

Filter Size 72mm f/Stop Range 3.5-22 (5.6-36) Minimum Focus Distance 1.64' Magnification 1:5.26 Zoom/Focus Control Two-touch (twist) Angle of View 76 to 18 Degrees Groups/Elements 12/16 Length 3.8" Maximum Diameter 3.1" Weight 1.1 lb

lynnma wrote:

thnks Jim.. I was hoping to hand hold this lens some of the time.. sounds like I need IS. I only have a kit lens 18-55.. my new 50mm 1.4 and the 75-300mm which I'm looking to change for a better one.

mercphoto · January 11, 2005

Image stabilization is not a necessity. Remember, it can keep the lens steady, but it cannot keep the subject steady. Lynn, how still will these birds that you want to photograph be? It makes little difference if you can shoot at 1/30th of a second if your subject won't stay very still. However, being able to shoot at 300mm at 1/125 second might be worthwhile. Also remember that "normal" imagae stabilization cannot be used with the camera moving (i.e. if you are following a bird in-flight). Only lenses with a "mode 2" image stabilizer can be used while panning.

The 70-200/4 with the 1.4 teleconverter might be exactly what you want. You will see a big improvement in picture quality.

gus · January 11, 2005

Do you glass veterans in here remember that feeling of sheer hopelessness that overcomes you when the realization of just how serious the sickness thats creeping into your bones is ?

Its starting to hit me with the 3rd phase. Pray for me.

I read there are 5289 phases of glass desire.

FAU4U · January 11, 2005

If you can find $1400 take a look at Canon 100-400mm zoom
Another choice would be the 100-400mm Canon IS "L" lens is one my favorite lenses for animal/birds and sports shots. Its costly however, its the best alternative for a very high quality zoom and on your camera the zoom range is 160mm-640mm. Its worth every dollar of its cost.. below is a test image I took with a similar Canon IS lens last weeekend at a Boca Raton beach in FLorida. To see more test images go to my site @: http://www.faudigital.com/gallery/347830/2/13829508
JimWilson

lynnma · January 11, 2005

mercphoto wrote:

Image stabilization is not a necessity. Remember, it can keep the lens steady, but it cannot keep the subject steady. Lynn, how still will these birds that you want to photograph be? It makes little difference if you can shoot at 1/30th of a second if your subject won't stay very still. However, being able to shoot at 300mm at 1/125 second might be worthwhile. Also remember that "normal" imagae stabilization cannot be used with the camera moving (i.e. if you are following a bird in-flight). Only lenses with a "mode 2" image stabilizer can be used while panning.

The 70-200/4 with the 1.4 teleconverter might be exactly what you want. You will see a big improvement in picture quality.

Very good point indeed Mercphoto... hmmm back to the 70-200/4 I would be backpacking as well and it would be lighter than the faster lens...thanks so much for than.

Also thanks Jim, very helpful comments from you too.. sigh.. great site, great help.

I'm gittin there..

DavidTO · January 11, 2005

I bought my 70-200 f4L from lynnesite when she moved up to the 2.8 IS. She needs it for her work, especially because she gets paid for it, and needs to make sure she can get the shot.

Granted, I don't have a huge amount of experience with lenses, but I love that lens. It's a great lens.

Used you can get them for around $500, maybe even get close to that for a new one.

It is much lighter than the 2.8, which would be too heavy for me.

On Fred Miranda it gets 4.9 out of 5 stars, recommended by 99.9%.

lynnma · January 11, 2005

DavidTO wrote:

I bought my 70-200 f4L from lynnesite when she moved up to the 2.8 IS. She needs it for her work, especially because she gets paid for it, and needs to make sure she can get the shot.

Granted, I don't have a huge amount of experience with lenses, but I love that lens. It's a great lens.

Used you can get them for around $500, maybe even get close to that for a new one.

It is much lighter than the 2.8, which would be too heavy for me.

On Fred Miranda it gets 4.9 out of 5 stars, recommended by 99.9%.

Oooooohhhh David.. I love positive feedback re something I want.. where can I get one??? do y ou know.. pm me if you have secret..

NOW I REALLY WANT ONE ... it's my birthday in March.. (here comes the rationalization) ..maybe I can buy myself a pressy....:D

lynnma · January 11, 2005

lynnma wrote:

Oooooohhhh David.. I love positive feedback re something I want.. where can I get one??? do y ou know.. pm me if you have secret.. NOW I REALLY WANT ONE ... it's my birthday in March.. (here comes the rationalization) ..maybe I can buy myself a pressy....:D

Hey!! look at this.. is this legit do you think??? I don't suppose any one would know.. feedback please good or bad.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4687&item=3864752634&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

DavidTO · January 11, 2005

lynnma wrote:

Hey!! look at this.. is this legit do you think??? I don't suppose any one would know.. feedback please good or bad.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4687&item=3864752634&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

You can get pretty much the same price at B&H or Abe's of Maine, or whatever, and yes, there is a rebate going on right now. It's a Canon mail-in rebate.

DavidTO · January 11, 2005

Are you registered at Fred Miranda? Here's a nice looking used lens, $525, shipped.

lynnma · January 11, 2005

DavidTO wrote:

Are you registered at Fred Miranda? Here's a nice looking used lens, $525, shipped.

no I'm not I'll go now and register.. thanks David..

DavidTO · January 11, 2005

lynnma wrote:

no I'm not I'll go now and register.. thanks David..

Of course, like I said, Abe's of Maine you can get it for $528 AFTER rebate, but plus shipping. Not a lot more, and it's brand new. I would see if you can use the current rebates as a bargaining point with that guy, get him down $25, maybe. Lenses don't depreciate all that fast, I guess, though. Anyway, it's not a bad price for the lens either way.

lynnma · January 11, 2005

DavidTO wrote:

Of course, like I said, Abe's of Maine you can get it for $528 AFTER rebate, but plus shipping. Not a lot more, and it's brand new. I would see if you can use the current rebates as a bargaining point with that guy, get him down $25, maybe. Lenses don't depreciate all that fast, I guess, though. Anyway, it's not a bad price for the lens either way.

I feel a little unsure buying from FM.. don't ask me why.. probably cos I live here. I think I'm going to buy new from B&H.. then I can set Andy on them if something goes wrong :lol ... now I just have to run it by husband of Lynnma... now where's the wine....

:feelgood

DavidTO · January 11, 2005

lynnma wrote:

I feel a little unsure buying from FM.. don't ask me why.. probably cos I live here. I think I'm going to buy new from B&H.. then I can set Andy on them if something goes wrong :lol ... now I just have to run it by husband of Lynnma... now where's the wine.... :feelgood

Makes sense, the price isn't all that different, especially with the rebate.

Be sure to let me know how you like it.

Steve Cavigliano · January 11, 2005

lynnma wrote:

I feel a little unsure buying from FM.. don't ask me why.. probably cos I live here. I think I'm going to buy new from B&H.. then I can set Andy on them if something goes wrong :lol ... now I just have to run it by husband of Lynnma... now where's the wine.... :feelgood

Lynn

Stooping to bribery, eh? It's surprising what the desire for good glass will cause an otherwise decent person to do.....lol

Wine him and make his favorite meal (that always works on me

). A candle lit dinner table and wearing a slinky outfit might also rack up some points. Or, if your hubby is an old dud like me, just set up some TV trays and turn on ESPN :lol

Good luck and just be thankful that us guys aren't fond of little blue boxes

Steve