New zoom
Antonio Correia
Registered Users Posts: 6,241 Major grins
A friend of mines, who just started shooting, wants to get a zoom to photograph his grand-sons at the distance playing tennis, ridding a horse, whatever.
He owns a 400 D with the standard zoom.
He asked me advice which zoom he should buy and I want to give him a sound advice.
I think that it's not his wish to spend much money on a 70-200 f/2.8 IS L USM.
The Canon 70-200 f/4 L USM non IS looks like a good choice.
I think the Sigma APO 100-300mm F4 EX DG HSM could also be a good choice.
Rather heavy however with 1440g/51 oz.
The MTF chart looks fine as far as I can read it.
What do you think, please ?
He owns a 400 D with the standard zoom.
He asked me advice which zoom he should buy and I want to give him a sound advice.
I think that it's not his wish to spend much money on a 70-200 f/2.8 IS L USM.
The Canon 70-200 f/4 L USM non IS looks like a good choice.
I think the Sigma APO 100-300mm F4 EX DG HSM could also be a good choice.
Rather heavy however with 1440g/51 oz.
The MTF chart looks fine as far as I can read it.
What do you think, please ?
All the best ! ... António Correia - Facebook
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Comments
I have one and I love it. Not too heavy and great optics. Excellent value for the price, IMO.
Cheers,
Thank you Richard !
However, stay a way from the EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 USM. Back when I didn't know any better I bought an earlier incarnation of that lens and I never liked it. When I first started shooting digital, I was talking to a friend who has a 70-300 IS and he told me he was quite happy with it. My first thought was ???? as I was thinking my 75-300 IS was the same lens. We brought the two lenses together and did some comparison testing and there is a world of difference between them. The 70-300 IS is a vastly better lens and in reviews I have seen it called both the "hidden L" (because it has a UD element) and one of the best deals in Canon optics.
Thank you.
The anounced price in Portugal is (very expensive as usual, here) today, the 11th Nov 2007 :
1.365 Euros = 2.006 US$ !!!
while
1.224 Euros = 1.799 US$ !!!
767 Euros = 1.127 US$ !!!
The only thing I personaly don't like that much in this lens is that the aperture varies with the zoom.
But, considering that it's future user is an amateur with not so big ambition as myself, it will be a good option.
Even in terms of size, it looks compact with 14.3 cms=5.62 inches and it's only 630 grams/1.39 pound.
I must ask if the lens-hood is included and add the price if it's not.
Thank you Kenn. Have a nice week of work.
My favorite of the three is the 70-200 F/4 IS lens without question. That said, I would recommend all three without reservation. The things I like MORE with the 70-200 lenses (over the 70-300) are the focus speed, fixed-aperture, and build quality. The 70-200 F4/IS seems the sharpest to me but all are very very sharp (close enough that it's not a deciding factor). The 70-300 is smaller (when not extended) and more discrete if that is a priority. The two 70-200 lenses certainly stand out.
If money is an issue, I'd get the 70-300 F/4-5.6 IS zoom lens in a heartbeat - even over the 70-200 F/4 (non-IS). The IS is VERY valuable in this focal length and that extra 100mm is nice to have vs the 70-200. I would probably find it difficulty to tell which of my images came from my 70-200 F/4 (non-IS) and which came from the 70-300. That said, If money isn't an issue, you can't beat the 70-200 F/4 IS.
Cameron
Well, here we have another important opinion.:D
Thank you Cameron.
Myself I can't make such a comparaison because I have only the 70-200 f/2.8 IS L USM and this one is out of question for my friend !:D
The price for the 70-300 is rediculously high! You can get it for 500€ or
less in the rest of europe try looking for other european dealers that
ship eu wide!
― Edward Weston
Thank you. I share your opinion and that's what I am going to do.
Even for my 5D I want to get soon !
Is your friend willing to consider non-Canon lenses?
Sigma makes a pretty nice 50-150mm f2.8 lens - not quite as long, but a real f2.8 also
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
Jim, He has a link to this page.
I e-mailed him yerterday evening, saying I will borought ( or lend ? ) my 70-200 to evaluation and to feel what this kind of lens is in one's hand.
He will judge about the range, the quality, etc.
Then, he can decide if it is Canon or Sigma. My/our "mission" is to give clues and options
Thank you Jim.
http://www.chrislaudermilkphoto.com/
Thank Chris.
Now it's time to decide. His turn now.
You mention the 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM but there is another one within the same range but DO which is more expensive, about the double.
Here it is one beside the other at top right.
Next week-end I am going to borought him my 70-200 and, if he likes it in terms of range, I think I will advise the purchase of the 70-200 f/4.0 L IS USM.
This looks like a good option to me.
I actually have the DO version. Both versions have about the the same image quality (give or take, they have vastly different optics). However the DO version is considerably smaller and has an L quality build. The real value of the DO is when you want to fit a versatile kit into a small bag. However for most folks either the normal 70-300 or a 70-200 is the likely the right choice.
I had the 70-200mm f/4 (non-IS) lens and was somewhat disappointed because I could not often hand hold the lens effectively in low light levels. Sure I could use a tripod or monopod which is what I planned to do when I bought the lens since at that time the mediocre 75-300mm and the heavy and expensive 70-200mm f/2.8L were my options. I considered the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L also.
When the 70-300mm f/4-5.6L came out; I craved it. What stopped me were the initial reports of sharpness problems with that lens at 200-300mm and in portrait position. At first, Canon denied there were problems and just when I decided to buy the lens, they were pulled off the shelves for an apparently successful fix.
Two other things bothered me regarding this lens, the variable f/stop and the fact that the front element rotates when focusing. I could have lived with these two factors but, by the time Canon had fixed the focus problems, they introduced the 70-200mm f/4L IS lens.
Although it is expensive, that lens is just superb. Its image quality is outstanding, auto-focus is instantaneous and the build quality is great.
In fact, I recently fell on concrete and my lens took the full force of my 220 pounds (100 kilos) weight. I bent the metal screw-in lens hood I was using but, the lens works fine. That is great build quality.
I would choose either the 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS or the 70-200mm f/4L IS lens over the non-IS model of the latter lens - simply because of the IS capability. I use my IS lens 3-4x more often than I ever used my non-IS L lens.
I use the 12-24mm f/4 Tokina, the 24-70mm f/2.8L and the 70-200mm f/4L IS lenses on two or three bodies. These lenses give me a seamless focal range of from 12-200mm with great image quality and IS in the critical range of 70-200mm.
However, if I were going to use two lenses only either on one or two bodies; I would select the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS and the 70-200mm f/4L IS lenses for their focal range and IS. The 17-55mm is also lighter in weight than the 24-70mm f/2.8L.
It was very nice of you to do so.
Yesterday, I asked for the price of the 70-200 f/4 IS and this is the lens I going to recomend.
Tamron just released a new 28-300 with VC and is available for $599. USD. It had production problems and was reworked so it may be an all around lens with good optics and the f3.5 seems fast enough.
Thank you for the comment.
Important info !