My wife would like a zoom lens for her camera for Christmas. I know nothing about cameras. What should I get her? I realize this is a bit vague, but you have to start somewhere.

Thanks, Tim

-- Tim Wheeler (timw@pcconsultantsmaui.com), November 21, 2001

Answers

My choices would run something like this.

If she has a standard zoom lens (probably a 35-80 or 28-80), you could upgrade it to either the Canon 28-105 USM, or the 24-85 USM. Both are good quality standard zooms. Also the 28-135 USM IS is a good zoom but priced some what higher due to it's optical image stabilization feature. Of course you could move on up to Canon's 28- 70 f/2.8L but it's three or four times the money.

I would not buy a non-Canon standard zoom unless it was one of the pro versions from Sigma, Tamron or Tokina.

If she wants a longer zoom for telephoto type pictures Canon makes three different 75-300's and two different 100-300's. More money generally buys more features but the image quality is about the same. The exception is the 100-300 f/5.6L. It's clunky to operate but sharper than the others. For more money you can get Canon's 70- 200 in either the f/2.8 or f/4 aperture. Probably an overkill for the Rebel X.

There are also versions of all these from Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, Vivitar, Phoenix, Quantaray. I'd stick with the Canon's though since they are priced about the same for similar quality. The possible exception being if you were going for the pro models.

If she wants a wide zoom Canon makes a good 20-35 USM and there are several other options. There's half way decent 19-35 lenses from Tokina, Vivitar, Phoenix and Cosina. You do get what you pay for, but they aren't bad lenses.

So, does she want a standard zoom, a long zoom or a wide zoom? And how much are you willing to spend? How much is she worth?

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), November 21, 2001.

I think she'll need to at least tell you what focal length range she wants, such as 28-105mm, 100-300mm, etc. The smaller the focal length number in millimeters, the wider the angle-of-view; the larger the focal length in millimeters, the narrower the angle-of-view, but the greater the degree of magnification. In general, fixed focal length 35mm lenses range from ultra wide angle (~14mm-20mm); to wide angle (~24-35mm); to "normal" (~45-50mm); to "near telephoto (~85mm-135mm); to "medium" telephoto (~200-300mm); to "super" telephoto (~400-600mm). Unlike "fixed" focal length lenses, zoom lenses feature a mechanism that permits their focal length to vary by a certain amount of focal length ("zoom range") by virtue of a twist-type (or else a push-pull) adjustment on the lens barrel. For example, a 28-105mm lens can vary its focal length anywhere between 28mm and 105mm. At the risk of over-simplification, zoom lenses have their advantages and disadvantages, but in general, one zoom lens can obviously cover the focal lengths of several fixed lenses, and this is both economical and convenient. Low-cost zooms may suffer from some degree of lack of optical sharpness, but there are mid-priced zooms that perform pretty well (such as the Canon EOS 28-105/f3.5-4.5), and their are high-cost zooms that perform spectacularly well.

Find out what focal length range she would like, and go from there. Also, if you can afford it, I'd recommend sticking with Canon EOS lenses rather than buying an after-market brand.

-- kurt heintzelman (heintzelman.1@osu.edu), November 21, 2001.

She wants a telephoto zoom lens.

How do I know this? Because its close to Holiday gift giving time (for some of us, its really close since Hanukah starts in about 2 weeks), and around this time snapshot AF SLR users (with entry level cameras and kit zoom lenses 35-80) ask their photo literate friends what lens to buy. We always ask them what they want to do with their new lens, what type of photos they are interested in taking, and the inevitable answer is that they want to get closer to stuff (without walking up to it) or they want to photograph little Jared or Stephanie playing soccer. They want to ZOOM in. When you mention they already have a zoom (you know, the 35-80) the reaction will be that they can’t really ZOOM in with that lens.

I just had this same conversation with a friend this evening. I have been preparing an E-mail with the appropriate links to B&H and Bob Atkins xx-300mm review. I had a substantially identical conversation with another friend last year, around the holidays (I ended up eventually selling her my mint 100-300 USM with hood). The year 2000 “ZOOM” person, spoke to the year 2001 “ZOOM” person (at last Sunday’s U9 soccer game), and then they spoke to me.

-- kenneth katz (socks@bestweb.net), November 21, 2001.

I think the last post hit the nail on the head. She probably already has a zoom lens in the standard range. Most non-technical photographers seem to think the word "zoom" is synonymous with "telephoto", ie. "zooming in" when in reality it means it covers a range of focal lengths (which could be ultra wide angle). Tim, tell us what your wife's current lens(es) are and clarify what she wants: 1. a zoom in the normal ranges (if she currently only has fixed-focal length lenses) 2. a zoom in the telephoto range (if she already has a "normal" zoom) 3. a super-zoom covering normal to telephoto (not great optics but what plenty of people seem to want).

-- Richard Christie (gr.christie@auckland.ac.nz), November 22, 2001.