I am not a professional photographer, nor am a I a professional wanna be. I am just a mom and a teacher and a shopper. I like to purchase good quality equipment the first time and not be sorry. Some time ago, I bought a Canon EOS 630 with a 28-70 3.5-4.5. I am satisfied with it. Now I want to add a second zoom lens to take pictures of animals, flowers, children at school sports, etc. My daughter has been very successful in the 4H Wildlife area and is ready to do the nature photography portion of it. (She has not taken photography in 4H.) We are in the process of purchasing 50 acres smack dab in the middle of a conservation district and will have lots of opportunities to capture deer, birds, etc. on film. (We are going to build a crow's nest on our barn for an observatory) I have read the "Beginner's Guide to choosing equipment for nature photography" on this site as well as plenty of forum questions regarding the Canon 100-400 lens. I know it is expensive, but I am willing to invest in the lens if it will take care of our needs. The camera dealer suggested a 75-300 range lens which is substantially less money. I am leaning toward getting the 100-400; is this the way I should go, or is it overkill? Is my camera body sufficient or do I need something newer and more advanced for what I want to do? Thanks.

-- Diana Brumfield (dianalon@ccrtc.com), May 28, 2000

Answers

Diana: Welcome to Photo.net.--> I'm a hobbyist photographer, using Canon EOS gear, and while I don't own the 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS lens, I have heard many positive comments about its optical sharpness. (I currently use the EOS 300/4L IS with/without the 1.4 teleconvertor to cover the 300mm-420mm range). When playing with the 100-400 at my local dealer or Canon sponsored instructional seminar, I have found the 100-400L's "push/pull" zooming mechanism to be rather stiff and "sticky", even with the tension ring fully loosened. In addition, I'm not thrilled about its rather slow speed (f4.5) at the 100mm focal length position. (I LOVE my EOS 70-200/2.8L for covering this particular focal length range, and when this lens is offered in an IS version, I'll upgrade in a flash). That said, the 100-400L IS is otherwise said to be an excellent lens choice, and it is certainly superior to the EOS 75-300 or 100-300 consumer lenses in terms of optical quality and ruggedness. I think that this lens would meet many of YOUR needs, but it may INITIALLY be too much lens (size, weight, complexity, and cost) for your daughter to learn on, especially without adequate supervision by her parent(s). Your 28-80 zoom lens will serve her well as an initial lens to learn the basics (including proper camera/lens care), and she can of course grow into the use of longer lenses if she develops ever-growing interest and aptitude for photography. As you know, there is no single zoom or fixed focal length lens that will cover all photographic objectives, but you could use an extension tube with the 70-200/f2.8 or f4, the 100-400 IS, or the 300/4, to achieve some macro-like shots of flowers, etc. But, you'll probably, eventually want a true macro lens for macro subjects.

With regard to your question concerning camera body upgrades, I suspect that you would enjoy and appreciate an EOS 3, while your daughter learned to master your EOS 630. Once she's done so, she would have your EOS 3 to grow with. Finally, it may be that you'll find it most logical to buy one of the less expensive (and smaller, lighter) 100-300 or 75-300 consumer zooms for your daughter to learn on, and take to 4H, school, etc. (along with your 28-80, and possibly a 50/1.8), while you opt for one of Canon's L series lenses mentioned above. If she really catches the bug and shows aptitude and care with this less expensive gear, she will then be ready to begin using your more expensive and complex gear. IMO, do consider using inexpensive protective front filters on any lenses she'll be starting out on, and early on, introduce her to the use of tripods, good lens/camera care, and so on. Consider taking her to a Nikon School seminar in your area to further introduce her to the basics as well as the creative potentials of photography. Best regards.

-- kurt heintzelman (heintzelman.1@osu.edu), May 28, 2000.

I'd suggest you start with a $200 75-300 zoom before paying $1600 for a 100-400L. Once you've had experience with the cheaper lens you might be in a better position do decide where to do next (300/4, 400/5.6, 100-400L etc.). Lenses are a personal choice and experience is the only real basis for decision.

The 630 is OK, but an Elan II will give you more features and ease of use for under $400.

-- Bob Atkins (bobatkins@hotmail.com), May 28, 2000.

I own the 630 body and an A2, and several L and non-L (in fact, non- Canon) lenses. I definitely agree with many of the above-posted comments. You might find that you are entirely pleased with a 75-300 (a few years ago I picked up a new Sigma EOS 75-300 for $180, and find it a quite-decent general lense). One thing to consider is that you might want more than 100-400 or, if that is the length you prefer, that you need not pay the $$$ for an L-series lense. I am not-anti Canon in any way and own 3 L-series lenses (love the 200 2.8L), but I recently borrowed a friends 135-400 Sigma EOS lense, and thought it very-well made, and if rendered excellent pics; I have other friends who swear by the new Sigma 170-500 lense, which received excellent reviews in the U.S. and in Europe, and is still less than an L lense. As for your 630 body, there is no reason to upgrade - it is a very fine body, and many people still think it one of the best semi-pro bodies ever made.

-- Michael Tolan (mjtolan@kbjrmail.com), August 03, 2000.

Thanks for the input. We went ahead and purchased a new Elan II body (so we could experiment with manual focus, which we cannot on the 630), but have kept the 630. We also bought a Tamron 200-400 and a Tamron 90 Macro. I love this last lens. My daughter took close ups of the flowers in our back yard and after a couple of rolls experimenting, she got some great photos. She won a blue ribbon and the Reserve Championship ribbon in 4-H Wildlife, nature photography. ( A non photographic display on Vet science beat her for the Championship ribbon.) She displayed the pix on a board covered with black moire taffeta instead of an ugly poster board. She also backed the pictures on colored stock paper to pull out the colors of the flowers. This was a fast and furious last minute display, because the first 2 rolls werent that great and she is so busy with softball in the summer. She REALLY likes photography now and wants to take it next year. The macro lens made all the difference in the world. Lots of people oohed and aahed over the display. Diana

-- Diana Brumfield (dianalon@ccrtc.com), August 03, 2000.

Diana:

I'm puzzled by your comment about not being able to use manual focus with your EOS 630. If anything, I find manual focus easier on these bodies than on the newer ones, as the focusing screen is bright, the viewfinder magnification is higher, and you can set the camra to "beep" when focus is achieved (as on the EOS pro models). You can also still buy split-image or microprism focusing screens for the EOS 630.

-- Cliff LeSergent (cliff_l@telusplanet.net), February 01, 2001.