BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: Best Photographic Equipment to Buy

Photography Question 

Michael
 

Ins and Outs of Metal Vs. Plastic


I am considering buying a Canon Elan 7NE. Is it worth it to get the "better" metal mount lens rather than the plastic mount lens the Elan comes with? I've been told the metal mount 28-90 is faster, quieter, and sharper, and it costs a hundred dollars more. Does it really make a huge difference? Or should I just find a longer used lens?


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April 02, 2004

 

Terry L. Long
  By all means, the metal mount is much better ... espically if you're going to hang onto the camera for a long time. The plastic mounts wear out much faster than the metal mounts. "Faster" lenses usually cost more than "slower" lenses. I prefer faster lenses because I have a wider control with depth of field, which effects shutter speed too. The 28-90 is a good start, but you'll want a longer lens in the future. Which one you get now is totally up to your preference.


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April 02, 2004

 

Jon Close
  A metal mount is better, but it's really only a concern if you have more than one lens and change lenses often. The standard kit zooms are fine, especially if you rarely enlarge beyond the 4x6 prints. With the better mid-level zooms, you usually get sharpter optics and a "faster" (i.e., wider) maximum aperture of f/3.5-4.5 instead of f/4-5.6. And the lens front does not rotate with focus or zoom, so that it is much more convenient to use with a polarizer and certain other filters, faster/quieter ring-USM that has nicely damped full-time manual focus, focus distance scale, and overall nicer quality. Professional-level zooms will have all of those features, plus even better optics utilizing expensive low dispersion lens elements, a larger constant maximum aperture of f/2.8, and a heavy/rugged build.


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April 02, 2004

 
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