lens for elan 7e

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Camera Equipment : One Thread

Hello all, I am fairly new to photography and the professional equipment. I am in the process of buying a new EOS elan 7e and canot decide which lens to buy. I thought of 28-200 lenses for the zoom.. but the reviews were mixed. soem say they are great some say they are crappy. But i do have a budget i cannot pay more than 250 for a lens at this time. can you give me ideas and reviews of your own for the lenses listed bellow. Sigma 28-200 dl macro sigma 28-135 tamron 28-200 super tamron 28-135 Tokina 24-200

or any lense you can think that will provide good results and be easier for travel... your comments are appreciated thanks

-- osman (ocekic@indiana.edu), February 10, 2002

Answers

For $250, just order the Canon 28-105 USM from B&H.

-- kenneth katz (socks@bestweb.net), February 10, 2002.

For the primary lens for a Canon EOS Elan 7e, I'd get a real Canon lens. The 28-105 USM is a good lens. Has fast, silent & reliable AF and is relatively sharp and distortion free compared to other lenses in it's price class. I'd recommend it.

In my opinion, wide ranging zooms like a 28-200 have too many optical compromises to make a really good primary lens. They're fine for snapshots & light weight travel, where you can only justify taking one lens and you really need the extra zoom range.

Of the lenses you list, the Tamron 28-135 get's the best reviews that I'v seen, but I did read a quite favorable report on the Tokina 24- 200 recently too.

Keep in mind that any non-Canon made lens may prove to be incompatiable with any yet-to-be-released Canon camera bodies. That makes the Tokina and Sigma lenses a future risk, but Tamron has had a better record with this issue.

-- Jim Strutz (j.strutz@gci.net), February 11, 2002.


Dear All, Thank you for your comments and advice about the lenses. Now I am thinking of buying a canon lens. But, one more question: If i push my limits and buy a canon 135 IS would it really worth the extra $200? I really appreciate the comments. Thanks..

-- osman ceckic (ocekic@indiana.edu), February 11, 2002.

I use the 28-135 IS lens and it really is a great lens. That said I recommend that you buy the 28-105 lens and use it, use it, use it. Buy film with the difference and take pictures and enjoy your new camera. Good luck.

-- Don (wgpinc@yahoo.com), February 12, 2002.

Hi Osman,

When I started out in photography some years back I, too, wanted a zoom lens. It wasn't about 2 or 3 years down the road when, upon the advice of a friend, I used a 50mm prime lens. The results between using a zoom at 50mm and a 50mm prime was quite different. Ever since then I've used and own primes from 20mm to 200mm. That's not to say that zooms are lousy because the technology now allows zooms of good quality to be produced. But personally I feel that starting out with a prime lens is really a good way to learn about photography. Sure there will be times when you need that extra wide angle or that extra close-up to get your shot but you could also think of framing your shot within the confines of a 50mm perspective. Give the shots a little thought, you'll surprise yourself and have the satisfaction of realising your creative potential. After all, the camera system is a camera system but the real supercomputer and lens system are our brains and eyes.

Concerning prices, it's tough working around a budget, so don't be afraid to try third party lens that are generally well-reviewed. Of course, if possible, get an original manufacturers' product. I would recommend the Sigma 50mm f/2.8 EX Macro, though a Canon 50mm f/2.5 Macro or 50mm f/1.4 is even better but their respective prices are almost double that of Sigma and if you want Canon's L-series lens the cost is even higher.

Hope that helps.

-- Andrew Tham (kh_drew@hotmail.com), March 21, 2002.



Moderation questions? read the FAQ