 BetterPhoto Member |
lenses I need to know the best kind of zoom lense to get and where to get it. I have a cannon rebel II slr camra. I love it but I need some zoom. I will be taking pictures of my children in sports from a distance. and my daughter in dance from a distance. What do you suggest?
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
without regarding price, a 2.8 70-200 zoom. I do prefer canon, although sigma now makes a f/2.8 70-300 I believe. It might be 250mm. But you'll need a 2.8 if it's going to be one lens for both, because the dance isn't going to have much light. If price needs to be lower, there's the regular f/5.6 75-300, the 100-400 might be lower the 2.8 zoom, but there's still the f/stop issue. Look at some web sites like adorama or B&H and look at prices, as well as brands
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Jon Close |
Don't bother with any zooms that have a maximum aperture smaller than f/5.6 (ie. steer clear of f/xx-6.3 or -6.7 zooms). Your Rebel's AF gets iffy if the maximum aperture is smaller than f/5.6. From least expensive up - prices per B&H Photo, these are my favorites: $150 Tamron 70-300 f/4-5.6 LD: Good performance, most economical, and macro focusing range to just 37.5" v. ~60" for others. Downside is rotating front element, convential geared AF motor, and less common 62mm filter instead of 58mm. $209 Sigma 70-300 f/4-5.6 APO: Good performance, economical, common 58mm filter, and macro focusing range to just 37.4" v. ~60" for others. Downside is rotating front element and convential geared AF motor. $280 EF 100-300 f/4.5-5.6 USM: Only xx-300 zoom under $500 with non-rotating front element, and fast-silent ring-USM with full time manual focus. My favorite compromise between the $150 cheapies and +$500 good stuff. Doesn't have the macro focusing range of the Sigma or Tamron. $415 EF 75-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM: Image Stabilization feature more than offsets downsides of rotating front element and conventional geared micro-USM. $580 EF 70-200 f/4L USM: Sharpest optics you'll find in a zoom. None better. Rugged build, non-rotating front, ring-USM, 1 lb lighter than f/2.8L. Only downside is the less common 67mm filter size. $800 Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 EX HSM: economic alternative to Canon's f/2.8L. $1140 EF 70-200 f/2.8L USM: 1st choice of pros, L build & optics, non-rotating front, ring-USM w/FTM. 77mm filters are expensive, but commonly shared on other lenses such as ultra-wide angle zooms or 300 f/4. Heavy (2.8 lb). $1300 EF 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM: Wow. DO lens elements give near "L" lens sharpness in a very compact zoom (shortest/smallest in this list, same weight as the 70-200 f/4L). Non-rotating front element, IS, ring-USM w/FTM, common/inexpensive 58mm filter. Downside - very expensive for f/4.6-5.6 and consumer build. $1650 EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM: Same as 70-200 f/2.8L, but with addition of image stabilization. Downside - even heavier (3.2 lb).
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