[Banded Drake]

There are so many lenses out there , and i dont know where to start . I know about the nifty 50 , but i would really like to get a decent 200mm or somthing close . What about IS , do i really need it? i know it would be nice but WOW the price is so much more .I guess what i would like is a nice lens that i can use for " almost " everything .
I know there is no substitute for a great lens , this is why i dont wnat to spend money on somethinf that might be a waste . here is one that i like but whats yalls thoughts .


http://www.adorama.com/CA20028AFU.html


Thanks ...... Shawn

[Petographer]

Outstanding lens Shawn. Though personally I'm more for the 70-200mm f2.8.

[Toad]

Looks like a nice lens (not that I know much about Canon lenses)...

IS is a really nice feature - it allows you to gain back 2+ stops with still subjects - but is of limited value with moving subjects... I love my VR (Nikon equivalent) lens, and use it all the time. If you have a bit of a rest for the camera, you can do without a tripod in all but *night* situations.

I am a big fan of zoom lenses - I realize that prime lenses may be optically superior - but I really hate changing lenses - it cramps my style artistically - and I find myself spending more time changing lenses than composing shots. My 18-200 VR is hardly ever off my camera - it is just too versatile to resist - and I am willing to accept the fact that it is not *quite* as optically splendid as my 80-200 for that versatility.

Just my $.02

[Paul.R.Lindqvist]

Shawn i think its all comes down to the fl, its a great lens, even though not rated as one of Canons finest primes.

I would personally opt for IS, but thats because im small and very easy to tip over..

Will you be comfortable with a fixed 200mm ? will you use it alot, and for what ?

These are questions you need to answer.

Personally i would save the money and opt for a 70-200/2,8 zoom with IS.

As for zooms VS Primes, It wouldnt go so far to say that im the opposite of Rob POV,But I do very rarely use a lens that i dont think would do the job best (out of the my arsenal offcourse) This probebly have to do more about the diffrence in our photography then anything else.


I love both zooms and primes, and many times my zooms suprise me with the quality they produce compared to primes.

But i always buy a lens with a intended usage in mind.

Primes
30mm/1,4 great allround lens, its becoming my "normal" on the d2x

50mm/1,8 a lens that dont get much usage these days, but its still a top performer.

85mm/1,4 my favourite portrait lens, i just love this lens for people shots.

105/2,8 VR dedicated macro lens.

105/2 a portraits lens, for outdoor usage and when you have a little more distance to your subject



My nikkor zooms
17-35/2,8 landscape and events (tight quarters)

28-70/2,8 studio workhorse and great people lens aswell at bigger events.

70-200/2,8 VR mostly used outdoors, used for portraits, sport events.

Surely im using them for other purposes then stated above, but to have an idea what im gonna use it for and how much, helps alot when im adding glass to my bag.

Hope my rambling made any sense :-)

Happy Holidays everyone.

[matthew]

BD, you are looking for a lens that you can use for "almost anything'; I would have to say that this isn't it. A 200mm lens on an APS-C sensor is 320mm, which is an awkward focal length to be stuck at. It's too long for most shooting, and too short for serious wildlife photography. (My longest lens is a 80-300mm-e and I hardly ever use it.) It really comes down to what you'll be using it for, as there are very few do-everything lenses, and there are always compromises.

IS is a really nice feature - it allows you to gain back 2+ stops with still subjects - but is of limited value with moving subjects...

I was just thinking about this -- it seems like the longer the lens gets, the less subject movement matters. To be able to safely hand-hold a 320mm-e lens, I'd opt for a 1/400 or 1/500 shutter speed. Two stops improvement reduces that to 1/125, which is still fast enough to freeze normal movement. If you're at a hockey game or motocross race, you're out of luck, but for wildlife and people you'll be fine.


I'm about evenly split between zooms and primes for my photography, owning three zooms and two primes, and routinely using only one of each.

[Banded Drake]

Thanks Yall ,

I am still looking around , I really dont have all the money that i need to have for a lens yet ( wont be too long i hope ) , so there is still a lot of research that i need to do . I have never shot a prime lens so i really dont know if its what i am looking for LOL .
I do know a guy that rents lenses and he said that he has all the lenses that i am looking at and if i want to " play " around with a few that i am welcome to do so . So maybe thats where i need to start .
This is sooooooo hard LOL , but fun at the same time . I think the problem is i just dont know what i really need versus what i really want . LOL

Thanks for all the input ....... Shawn

[soholinda]

Here are some user reviews that should help you make the right decision both for your budget and your style of shooting. http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/index.php?cat=45

I would start out building a lens collection with zooms and add primes later. Check out the 70-200mm F/4L IS USM. This lens might be Canon's best zoom. It is very sharp, has the latest IS, fast auto focus and it is light weight. Canon also has a non IS version for several hundred dollars less.

Happy researching and let us know what you decide.

[Banded Drake]

Thanks for the link soholinda , i talked to the man at the lens rental place . He told me that i can borrow ( not rent ) any lens that iwant to try for the day. He has so many different ones that i know i will find the lens that i am looking for.
If yall dont mind i will put a link up to the lense that he has . I dont want to spam so i wont put his sit on here , inless Shuttertalk doesnt mind.
So no that i have accsess to almost all the lenses out there what would yall try out ?
He also mentioned the 135mm ( i dont know all the specs . but i know its a L and im pretty sure its a zoom not a prime ) .

........ Shawn