A New Lens...

[Beth.]

Hi!! I know this has probably been done alot, but i've looked and haven't come up with a whole lot - so thought i'd turn to you awesome dolers!!

So i'm looking at getting a new lens. At the moment I have the nifty fifty, (and a kit lens, but I never really use it!), but i'm wanting something mainly to take action type shots, maybe some portrait type shots as well, but mainly action!

In my research i've come across the 70-200 lens - would this type of lens be suitable??

Thanks!!!

[Tay.]

I'd be interested in replies... I have had the same question in my head for a while

[Kirislin]

I think it would be good, it's what Clicking Mad and I used to take the whippet fun day photos. If you have a Canon camera there are 4 different versions of this lens 2 with a maximum aperture of F4 and 2 with a max aperture of F2.8 and then with each you have the choice of IS or not. You wouldn't need IS for sports shots.

Edited April 25, 2011 by Kirislin

[CrazyCresties]

As another option how about a Tamron lens? I have this one; http://www.tamron.com/en/photolens/di_telephoto/a005.html

It can't match up to the quality of a Canon L lens, but for a cheaper alternative I've found this lens to be excellent until I graduate to L glass Also you get a whole extra 100mm at the long end

The VC on it (Tamron's version of IS) is superb and I've found it to be nice and quick on the focusing front. I've used it for action shots and it has performed very well - see my Flickr set for the lens below (includes agility, surfing and flying birds, as well as more static subjects).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/56265770@N02/...57625580712949/

I got mine from B&H in New York, $416 AUD at the moment http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/7283...f_4_5_6_Di.html

A lens sample thread for this lens can be found here

Good luck shopping

[Beth.]

Thanks for all that info, CC!! That's great - and a bit more in my range at the moment - and your photos are great!!! I might look at getting it...

And thanks also Kirislin - the photos you take at the whippit days are amazing!!!

I might keep hunting around are see what I can find!!

[Kirislin]

you might be able to get a good second hand lens too. If properly cared for lenses dont really wear out, well, not as quickly as cameras.

[StarLapyz]

My 70-200 is my most used lens. It is on my camera probably 75% of the time. (Interestingly my 50mm is on there almost all the rest of them time)> So I would definitely recommend one as a second general use lens.

Your first decision you need to make is whether you need f/2.8 or can live with f/4.

If you can make do with f/4 and can afford it, get the Canon 70-200mm f/4 L IS. It is optically one of the best lenses Canon makes. Otherwise the non-IS f/4 is also a good lens.

If you want f/2.8 you need to either pay for or sacrifice some optical quality. If you can afford it the Canon 70-200mm F/2.8 L IS II is the single best lens on the market today (you pay through the nose for it though). The lower canon options are all good.

Sigma also makes a quite good 70-200 in the 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM II (OS or non-OS), just make sure you get the II and not the one (note the Sigma lens is DG which means it is for crop factor cameras only).

The Tamron lens is fairly below average. I would steer clear of it. Buy the Canon f/4 instead.

While optical quality on a lens is important you can make up for a slightly soft lens quite a lot by using a good quality sharpening routine on your photos in post processing. It adds to post time but if you can't afford a top quality lens you can still get the results in software for a fraction of the costs. Something to keep in mind.

Edited April 28, 2011 by agentvee

[CrazyCresties]

The Tamron lens is fairly below average. I would steer clear of it. Buy the Canon f/4 instead.

I feel I have to stick up for the poor old Tamron here For a bit over $400 I think it is a great lens, especially as you get Tamrons equivalent of IS and USM on the lens. Of course it's not an L lens, but if someone is on a tighter budget then it's a viable option. I also have a Tamron macro and the IQ on it is just lovely. I think I've taken some ok photos with my Tamron lenses :D

Another 3rd party option is of course Sigma, but I can't make any personal recommendations as I've not used one before :D

[huga]

Just be aware that the 70-200 is a big, heavy lens - especially after having the 50mm on! I used one for a wedding one day and had very sore wrists by the end.

[StarLapyz]

The Tamron lens is fairly below average. I would steer clear of it. Buy the Canon f/4 instead.

I feel I have to stick up for the poor old Tamron here For a bit over $400 I think it is a great lens, especially as you get Tamrons equivalent of IS and USM on the lens. Of course it's not an L lens, but if someone is on a tighter budget then it's a viable option. I also have a Tamron macro and the IQ on it is just lovely. I think I've taken some ok photos with my Tamron lenses :D

Another 3rd party option is of course Sigma, but I can't make any personal recommendations as I've not used one before :D

Where can you get a Tamron 70-200 for $400??? The cheapest I have seen them is high $700's and that is for an import. For that money you can get the Sigma which is a much better lens.

Though I agree, for $400 a Tamron 70-200 F/2.8 is a damn good buy if you cant afford more.

Note that the optical difference between all the lenses is relatively small. The only massive difference is the Tamron is really slow at focusing compared to the Sigma and the Canon options.

[CrazyCresties]

I was talking about a newer lens, the Tamron SP 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di VC USD, released sept last year.

Due to the new USD I have found the AF to be very quick when focusing on fast moving objects, even to the point where it tracked and focused on a dragonfly darting around my pool

[StarLapyz]

I was talking about a newer lens, the Tamron SP 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di VC USD, released sept last year.

Due to the new USD I have found the AF to be very quick when focusing on fast moving objects, even to the point where it tracked and focused on a dragonfly darting around my pool

Nice photo :p

The 70-300 isn't really in the same class at the 70-200's though.

The 70-300 is a lot slower (especially at 300). Even at 200mm it is at f/5. That is a HUGE drop from f/2.8 (about 1/4 the light is getting through the lens at f/5 taht is getting through at f/2.8).

Also anything with that kind of focal range is going to have issues with optical quality. With the Tamron is especially suffers at the long end.

I am not saying you can't take beautiful photos with a cheaper lens (your photo there is a good example), but you do get what you pay for with glass.

Good glass doesn't make a good photographer. But better equipment is never going to hurt either.