First Camera Dilema

Ukkor

Ukkor

Messages
333
Name
David
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi

I am going to be buying my first SLR next week, and i am in a bit of a pickle as what to get. I know that I would like the 40D, but its the lens combinations that i get stuck on. Here are my two options:

40D + Kit lens (17-85 IS) + Canon 70 - 300 IS. Looking at at least £1200 for this

or

40D + Canon 70 - 300 IS. Can get for under £1000

Now here is my question. Is the kit lens that good that i should pay the extra £200ish. The reason why i am having this problem, is mainly due to the fact that I shoot alot of sport, so debating whether I can get away without the kit lens for the moment, and buy a decent lens later on. I can also borrow my dad's 17 - 55 for the moment as well.

So can i please ask for advice on:

Is the kit lens worth the extra £200?

If not, can you recommend me a lens in a similar range, to purchase in the future.

And i am stupid to go without the kit lens

Thanks for any help

Cheers
David
 
Erm I'm not a huge fan of the 17-85 TBH.

I found AF speed to be poor, barrel distortion at the wide end and pin cushion at the zoom end. Chromatic aberations were plentiful as well :(

On the other hand, you could get the 40D plus two lenses and sell the 17-85 on as "as new" for a profit...

Obviously the 300 is of more benefit for sport than the 85, so the only reason I'd get the kit lens is to make a profit on it ;)
 
markta said:
Erm I'm not a huge fan of the 17-85 TBH.

I found AF speed to be poor, barrel distortion at the wide end and pin cushion at the zoom end. Chromatic aberations were plentiful as well :(

On the other hand, you could get the 40D plus two lenses and sell the 17-85 on as "as new" for a profit...

Obviously the 300 is of more benefit for sport than the 85, so the only reason I'd get the kit lens is to make a profit on it ;)
Click to expand...

Hmmm i like your thinking! Might be worth a go. Cheers
 
Just another quick question. Which is better? The 17-85 IS or the 18 - 55 IS? As i have heard some good things about the 18-55, and some bad things about the 17-85. And considering the price difference. I have also heard some good things about the 50mm, or the nifty fifty i think it is refered to. Advice on lens to get please?
 
17-85 for £200 is a snip. You'd be mad to pass it up.

I had one and swapped it for a 17-55 2.8, and often wish I hadn't. It was a really nice lens to use, smallish and light, with a great range for walkabout. It has its shortcomings, but CA, vignetting and distortion are all fixed with a mouse click in DPP (the free Raw processing software that comes with all Canon DSLRs). It's very effective - one of Canon's best kept secrets it seems. There's a good review of the 17-85 here; check the Test Results page 3 for a demo of DPP in action. http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/canon_17-85_4-5p6_is_usm_c16/

The 18-55 IS kit lens is also very good for bargain money, but the 17-85 is better built and has USM, plus the extra range.

What have you got to lose? You cannot seriously expect to go five minutes without some kind of walkabout zoom and if this lens ultimately doesn't suit you, sell it on for a profit.

Nifty-50 is an acquired taste IMHO; traded mine some time ago. Sure it's cheap, but also rather cheap n nasty built. It is only worth considering if you want to play shallow depth of field tricks on a tight budget.
 
I would look at buying the 2 lens kit as you will save money, price up the body and 2 lenses seperately and see how much your saving. If you don't like the 17-85 IS, you can always sell on - as has been mentioned already. :thumbs:

It's great to be able to borrow your dad's 17-55 at the moment, what happens when you need a lens of this range and you aren't able to use it :shrug:

Good luck with your purchase :thumbs:
 
The only thing i would say about buying 17-85 to sell on is, be prepared to have it advertised for a while. they dont sell that well on these forums as a lot of people are upgrading from them. Not sure what they sell like on fleabay but by the time you have your fee's taken off . i reckon you would get your money back and maybe make a small profit but not much.

Lens wise i quite liked mine when i had it, it was way better than the Sigma walkabout i had image wise.
 
For sports, especially during the summer months outside - the Canon 70-200L F/4 lens is fantastic. The non IS model is pretty cheap for a lens of this calibre.

You will need more lenses, but ultimately I would say it's better to have one cracking lens than two you become dissatisfied with and have to sell.

I would not hesitate to buy the 40d second hand, but if I was buying new, I would give Kerso (Ian Kerr) an email and see how much he is selling the 50d for at the moment. He's away at the moment, but I think his sister will send out the price list. Depending on where you were getting the 40d new, the 50d from Ian is not a whole lot more ;)

Good luck.
Graham
 
blue max said:
For sports, especially during the summer months outside - the Canon 70-200L F/4 lens is fantastic. The non IS model is pretty cheap for a lens of this calibre.

You will need more lenses, but ultimately I would say it's better to have one cracking lens than two you become dissatisfied with and have to sell.

I would not hesitate to buy the 40d second hand, but if I was buying new, I would give Kerso (Ian Kerr) an email and see how much he is selling the 50d for at the moment. He's away at the moment, but I think his sister will send out the price list. Depending on where you were getting the 40d new, the 50d from Ian is not a whole lot more ;)

Good luck.
Graham
Click to expand...

Kerso is never far away. From a computer ;)
 
Any idea what you want to take pictures of?

this would help in deciding which lenses it will be worth getting first.
 
I took the plunge today, and bought the 40D with the 17 - 85...... and already i can see the difference between both the lens and body, compared to my dad's 400d.I am very glad i bought it, after grabbing the last one for a very good £779 from currys!
 
sounds good, enjoy it Ukkor. just avoid the temptation of the red L
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top