Advice: Canon 70-200mm f4

[markgriff]

Many thanks for all your reponses on this thread, it made some interesting reading.

As much as I would like the 70-200mm IS I don't think my budget can stretch to that, as there are one or two other purchases I wish to make as well !

I had a look at the 70-300mm IS but the advantage of the 70-200mm f4 is that the filter thread is the same size as the standard lens I use, so that would save having to purchase and carry around extra filters.

So I think based on my requirements the non IS f4 may be the one to go for...

Thanks again guys

 

[HoppyUK]

The red ring?

Seriously though... take a look at these two pages:
70-200 f/4L IS USM: http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/196-canon-ef-70-200mm-f4-usm-l-is-test-report--review
70-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM: http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/200-canon-ef-70-300mm-f4-56-usm-is-test-report--review

What the L has over the non-L, is a bit of extra sharpness (more at the long end and at f/11) and f/4 throughout the zoom range. The non-L, however, has an extra 100mm and you'll be able to buy another very decent lens with the money you save.

I know people like to buy L quality glass. It makes you feel warm and fuzzy having Canon's best quality glass on your camera. For a non-professional photographer, though, it can sometimes be better in the long-run to pick an excellent quality non-L lens and spend the rest (if you must) on another gem of a (non-L) lens.

I don't own a single L series lens. I'd love to (for the same reasons as Hoppy) but I like to buy non-L lenses which are still competitive with L's in terms of image quality but cost considerably less. Photography is already an expensive hobby

George.

I didn't get the L lens for the red ring, or the rather silly white barrel. I'm not a poseur like that, just a lens snob, and I do like nice stuff, even if the beneifits are not always obvious in every picture you take.

If I was going to be uber-sensible, I would have got the brilliant little EFS 55-250 4-5.6 IS for £200. Actually, I'm thinking of getting one of those for my 'light' kit which lives in the car. That may sound like an extravagance, but I recently sold four primes and some other stuff just to get the 70-200L, so in the overall scheme of things...

What your very pertinent post ignores is the fact that we don't, or at least I don't do this photography thing just to get good photographs. It's a major part of my life in all sorts of other important ways. If it was only about the fional image, then a top end compact would do very well, mostly, and an entry level DSLR with a couple of cheaper lenses would be the absolute max. Thank you and goodbye, and I won't be posting on here again very often.

Canon 450D, 18-55 IS, 55-250 IS is a mega potent outfit, excellent quality and very good value. You could probably get the whole lot used for £500 and I guess that is where the really sensible money goes.

But sensible generally isn't much fun George, I suspect you are a closet L lens fan (Only joking fella!)