 BetterPhoto Member |
Help with buying a new lens for Canon Rebel G I would like to take a photo of an eagle for a contest I will be entering and the lenses that I have do not get a close enough shot from far away. I am looking to buy a lens for my Canon Rebel G. I need it for getting far away shots of Eagles. I have a lens that goes to 300mm and I just got a doubler, do you have any suggestions? I don't even know where to start. Obviously I would like to get the most quality for my money, I am expecting to pay between $500-$1000.00 for the lens. What are the things I should look out for? Are there lenses within these price ranges that are far superior than others? Is there a reprutable place or places that might carry what I am looking for online you would suggest shopping with over the others? Thank you, Dawn
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Jon Close |
70-300 f/4-5.6 zooms tend to be a bit "soft" in resolution when zoomed to 300. Adding a 2x teleconverter exacerbates it, plus losing 2 stops of light (effectively f/11 at the long end) which can make autofocus impossible. 500mm or 600mm f/4 are the preferred lens for "birding" but are frightfully expensive. "Economy" solutions include: EF 300 f/4L IS USM (new ~$1100. The older non-IS version is as good or sharper if you can find it used). Image stabilization is a big plus with long teles. Very sharp optics. With 1.4x TC (most will degrade image far less than will a 2x) becomes 420 f/5.6, with 2x TC 600 f/8. EF 400 f/5.6L USM (new ~$1050) No IS, but greater reach and very sharp (sharper than 300 f/4 + 1.4x combo). Add 1.4x TC for 560 f/8, 2x = 800 f/11. Sigma 50-500 f/4-6.3 EX HSM (new ~$1000) AKA "Bigma", it's pretty good at the long end, despite being a 10x zoom. Has a better reputation for sharpness than the Sigma 170-500 f/5-6.3 (~$650) or Sigma 135-400 f/4.5-5.6 APO (~$550) Tamron 200-500 f/5-6.3 Di LD (~$900) was recently introduced. I've only seen this review so far. Price/performance puts it between typical 70-300 and 500 f/4.5L. Don't know if it's better or worse than Sigma 50-500. Otherwise the most economical way to get 500mm is with a mirror (aka Reflex) lens. Ranging from ~$110 (Vivitar 500 f/8 Mirror) to $400 (Sigma 600 f/8 Reflex). Very compact and light, these can be very sharp (though assembly/alignment quality varies). Drawbacks are: manual focus only, non-adjustable f/8 aperture (can only use in Av or M modes), and out-of-focus highlights are rendered as doughnut shapes instead of flat disks. Personal favorites for internet shopping are B&H Photo (new and used) and KEH (used), but others are good too. Check http://www.resellerratings.com, especially when the price is "too good to be true" (you'll find you're right).
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