what lens next

jamiedolittle

jamiedolittle

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Name
james
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canon 450, got the kit 18-55 and 55-250 plus one of kerso nifty fiftys...but
i want to be able to get closer than my 55-250 alows me,i.e. wildlife/sport etc etc.
i am still learning at the mo and im currently doing a 10 week part time course,

so im not that much "in the know" at the min, but i know in the not to distant future i will want to upgrage my camera and would like to be able to use the lenses on the next camera.

i have a budget of around £1000 and would obviously like the best possible.

but then, is this the next thing i should be looking for or is there something more appropriate i should be looking at?

basicly what im saying is that im a bit of a thicko at the min and dont know what all the numbers mean!...lol
well i know focal length and know a bit about f stops(i think) lower the number the less the dof? but why is there such a price difference?

SORRY TO SOUND SO THICK AND STUPID!
 
because some are constant apertures eg. f2.8 which means you can keep it like that throughout the focal range. basically giving you more flexibility.

for a grand you can get some nice bit of kit, from what i can remember a tamron 70-200mm f2.8 is around £600 at jessops.
 
the lower the f number, the faster shutter speed you can use ie: @ same ISO settings f4 may =(for exapmple) 1/320 whereas f/2.8 may allow 1/400.

if you can afford it go 2.8, however from the needs you say, it sounds like you want 300mm ATLEAST (for circuit racing 30mm is a basic essential) especially for the wildlife.

The canon 300mm f/4 IS USM is a stunning lens but not greatly versatile being a fixed focal length lens. other alternatives would be something like canon's 100-400 although the extra versatility of a big zoom will result is slightly worse off image quality and a few f numbers lost.

google the sigma 120-300, canon 100-400 and canon 300mm f/4, all great lenses around the £1000 mark, although the sigma would be second hand for about £1200

hope that helps a bit
 
I would say go for the Canon 70-200mm f2.8 L IS, second hand you should get one for about £1000, add a canon EX 2x Extender II (dont bother with the MkI) (about £200), this combination will give you 400mm at f5.6 and incredible quality.

This combination will be a life long keeper. You could then justify selling your 55-250mm and work your way towards something to fill the gap (24-70mm range)
 
mini_mad216 said:
this combination will give you 400mm at f5.6 and incredible quality.
Click to expand...

However, the results you'll get from this combo are likely to be less good than those from a Canon EF 100 - 400 IS USM L. This is because all extenders degrade image quality, but the 2X more so than the 1.4X.

There is a comparison of both options on Luminous Landscape:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/lenses/400v400.shtml

If your primary goal is to get more reach with maximum image quality at the tele end, I'd say go for the Canon EF 100 - 400 IS USM L.

On the other hand if you only need to shoot longer than 200mm occasionally and are primarily interested in upgrading your 55 250, the Canon EF 70 200 f/2.8 IS USM L together with the 2X extender is a sensible option.
 
i was thinking of the Canon EF 100 - 400 IS USM L as it had cropped up a few times in searches, but was wondering if it would be compatible with my camera? also what does the usm bit mean?
 
jamiedolittle said:
i was thinking of the Canon EF 100 - 400 IS USM L as it had cropped up a few times in searches, but was wondering if it would be compatible with my camera? also what does the usm bit mean?
Click to expand...

yes it will be fine on your camera - USM is ultrasonic motor, which is Canon's fast AF system. I think that the 100-400 is an excellent alround wildlife lens, good AF, excellent image quality and the IS makes it hand holdable even at 400mm.
 
god you lot are a helpfull bunch...thank you all!

i shall be on the look out for one very soon.
 
How about the Canon 70mm-300mm DO lens - that's a bit unique - 300mm worth of lens but quite short on physical length to say the least. Comes complete with IS - and can be used on what you have now, and on any future upgrade. They are available for just under a £1000 - and on your current body would give a cropped sensor equivalent of around 100mm-400mm - could be worth a look! It's certainly less of a lens to lug around!!
 
If you want more reach than at present, there is really only one lens to go for, the 100-400L that you have already spotted. Nothing else comes near for your budget, in fact nothing else comes near full stop.

Fortunately, it is also exceptionally good in every respect. Also holds its value well, for the same reason :)
 
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