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what Telephoto lens? ($1,200 budget)
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:07 pm    Post subject: what Telephoto lens? ($1,200 budget) Reply with quote
A friend of mine wants a telephoto lens for her Canon 5D MkII.

She is planning to use it mostly for nature / artistic shots as she is planning to visit a few countries in the EU.

I recomend her the Canon 200mm f/2.8L (it's super sharp, super light, and will fit her budget @ $780).... I know, it's not a MF lens Wink

Well, she feels that 200mm is too short Confused (she has a real nice camera, but with a real cheap lens.. something along the lines of 28-300mm Tamron maybe? I wouldn't be surprise if it's 6.3 at 300mm Rolling Eyes )

Anyway, what do you guys recomend? she will not mind being MF... thanks!


PostPosted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
What does she want most? Speed? Sharpness? Versatility? The most MM's for her money? And, most important: what does she want to photograph with it?


PostPosted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Spotmatic wrote:
most important: what does she want to photograph with it?


error404 wrote:
She is planning to use it mostly for nature / artistic shots as she is planning to visit a few countries in the EU.


No sport shots (manual focus is fine), macro would be good, I would imagine weight as she is planning to travel/vacation with it.

I don't think she has ever had a good lens... So, I'm sure she will not mind good sharpness and speed Very Happy

edit-
wait, now I remember.... she wants more telephoto +300mm (without breaking the bank....) I was putting "my" priorities before hers Laughing

Last edited by error404 on Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:32 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Tamron SP 350/5.6 is a nice light mirror lens.

For that budget though, the reality is though, newer professional long lenses will likely yield a better performance due to modern advances which stop problems like purple fringing.

I'd suggest a 70-200/4 IS with a 1.4x TC Smile


PostPosted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
ManualFocus-G wrote:
Tamron SP 350/5.6 is a nice light mirror lens.

For that budget though, the reality is though, newer professional long lenses will likely yield a better performance due to modern advances which stop problems like purple fringing.

I'd suggest a 70-200/4 IS with a 1.4x TC Smile


You know... I never though about using a TC... the IS would also help with the added mm Very Happy

TC also affect the apperture.... right?


PostPosted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yep. That would make it a 100-280/5.6 (roughly Laughing )

There's some great MF lenses out there, but unless you really prefer the vintage stuff, then it's probably more sensible to buy new for that budget.

Watch as I get shot down in flames now Laughing


PostPosted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
ManualFocus-G wrote:
Watch as I get shot down in flames now Laughing
Laughing

I have been looking in B&H and found that canon makes a EF 400mm f/5.6L for $1,250. It seems to fit the bill Laughing

I personally would rather have a 2.8 apperture and be more concervative (200mm) than the other way around... but again, it's not for me Laughing


PostPosted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 3:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
error404 wrote:
A friend of mine wants a telephoto lens for her Canon 5D MkII.
She is planning to use it mostly for nature / artistic shots as she is planning to visit a few countries in the EU


A fixed 400 for travel through several countries? Even a 280 or fast 200 is cumbersome when you're dragging along 2 or 3 others. How long a lens do you really need to travel with? I've taken a Nikkor 24-70, CV 125 and maybe a CV 180 (if longer nature shots are in the plan) for a similar journey. Carrying excess gear will negate the joy of the trip itself.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 7:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
What is the longest focal lenght your friend has used?

Some options:
The Sigma 100-300/4 is good but probably too heavy.
The Canon 70-300/4-5.6 IS is not bad and sometimes called a "hidden" L lens, and it's affordable. Not too great at the 300mm end though.
The new 70-300L should be a lot better, but exceeds the budget I guess.

My advice: a 200mm prime is nice for good IQ and portability, but can be quite restricting. I carry a heavy 200/2.8 with me but I definitely get into situations where I wish I could zoom out a bit.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 7:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Canon EF 4/300mmL (and TC 1.4 x)

Wink


PostPosted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 8:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
How tough would it be for her to scrape up another $400?

If possible, then the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L is a great lens at about $1600.

If too much, then there are these possibilities:

Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM APO: $1070.

Sigma 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM APO: $1000.

Tamron Zoom Telephoto SP AF 200-500mm f/5-6.3 Di LD IF: $950.

And if 300mm is sufficient, the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM is a great lens: $550.


PostPosted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 8:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The Sigma 120-400 OS is a great lens at f8, but it's very heavy (1.6KG I think...)


PostPosted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 11:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
james wrote:
error404 wrote:
She is planning to use it mostly for nature / artistic shots as she is planning to visit a few countries in the EU


A fixed 400 for travel through several countries? Even a 280 or fast 200 is cumbersome when you're dragging along 2 or 3 others. How long a lens do you really need to travel with? I've taken a Nikkor 24-70, CV 125 and maybe a CV 180 (if longer nature shots are in the plan) for a similar journey. Carrying excess gear will negate the joy of the trip itself.


Agreed.

If photography is the primary goal of the trip, then by all means take what you need to get the shots. But if photography is NOT the main objective, then taking too much gear can quickly become a burden. Shocked

You also have to consider how quickly things get out of hand... the longer the focal length, the more likely that you will need a sturdy tripod as well. And a big fast modern telephoto AND a sturdy tripod is definitely going to weigh you down.


Personally, I would go with ManualFocus-G's suggestion and look into the Tamron SP mirror lenses. If the 350mm isn't enough reach, then look at the 500mm. Member "mo" (and others) have posted some stunning shots taken with these Tamron mirrors... and when you consider their compact dimensions and light weight, they really are pretty good options for travel photography. Cool


PostPosted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 11:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
and when you consider their compact dimensions and light weight, they really are pretty good options for travel photography

+1 the light weight is a bonus.


PostPosted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 12:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Regarding the mirror lenses, don't forget to explain the visual Out of Focus effects (doughnut bokeh) to your friend if she has never used one before. She may or may not find it visually appealing. For me, that kind of OOF rendering can become quite distracting at times.

Also, I agree with James, a 400 may be a bit long. I second Manual Focus-G's suggestion of a modern IS lens with a TC. Sure you will lose a bit of the aperture when using the TC but I have recently begun using the Nikon AF-S 70-200 VR II and wow, the resolution and performance is unbelievable. The focal length variability however, is indispensable!


PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 2:13 pm    Post subject: How about some used Sigma lenses? Reply with quote
Sigma is usually cheaper than Canon lenses and there are quite a few on the used market. I am a pentax shooter so I can't tell about the lenses for Canon, but there should be some decent lenses available even on the used market.

So one of fast and versatile high-end zooms would be 70-200mm f2.8. Although not having such a high reputation as the Canon counterparts, you can find them for a fraction of the price. Add to that a quality 1.5x or 2x teleconverter and you have a nice kit that covers decent focal range. There are sigmas 70-200 available even with macro.

A budget and lighter to carry version could be Sigma 70-300 f4-5.6 Macro. I have one of these and I am more than satisfied with the results from the lens. It is not the fastest on the market, but the coating seem to be good enough so that the flare is not too pronounced. The macro goes to 1:2 at 300mm which should be good enough for most of the shots. Add that its weight is about a third of 70-200 and it is much easier to carry around.

Here is a handheld photo with rather extreme contrast:
[/url]
Reflected sunset by Stanislav Simic
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanislav_simic/5520739685/

And it's macro capabilities:

Flower detail by Stanislav Simic
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanislav_simic/4443248173/in/set-72157623165000872/

/Stanislav


PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 2:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
justtorchit wrote:
Regarding the mirror lenses, don't forget to explain the visual Out of Focus effects (doughnut bokeh) to your friend if she has never used one before. She may or may not find it visually appealing. For me, that kind of OOF rendering can become quite distracting at times.


The aesthetics of the doughnut bokeh is just one of the weak points. Mirror lenses are also slow (usually f/8 but effectively more like f/11) and can be difficult to focus. Not exactly an alternative to a 100-400/5.6 AF lens (i.e. much less versatile in its application).


PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 7:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks guys... I'll look into all this options Shocked

and I agree 100% with your comments. Once I realize there was no way to convince her into a nice 200mm. I explain her that she wil need at the very least a monopod.

Back when the first DSLR started coming out I spent 4 months in Italy with a backpack carrying (one Nikon D100, one Fuji S2-Pro, one light-weight tripod, and I think 3 or 4 lenses) Man... I wish I would have bough a point and shoot instead back then Laughing Razz

She liked the 400mm L series. I will let her know about the other lenses once I see her again

BTW. As far as I'm aware, the trip will be mostly photography oriented Very Happy
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