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Telephoto lens: |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090  View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 09 Apr 2007 Hi All, Some may have seen me ask about this already but I'm looking for a new lens (thought I best start a new thread for a change rather han hijacking another). I have an EF-S 60mm macro which is fab when I can get close-up. I also have an EF-S 18-55mm which came with the camera and is OK sometimes but I haven't really found much use for it with taking piccies of herps. What I am missing is a lens for when I can't get close-up and also specifically for action such as adder combat. I'm having a look at what is available and came across this one - EF 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6 II USM Anyone got one of these and does it fit the description of what I need? Any other lenses people can suggest? I can budget a little over the price of the lens above if I'm just short of something much better. Ta
Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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armata Forum Specialist Joined: 05 Apr 2006 No. of posts: 928  View other posts by armata |
Posted: 09 Apr 2007 I have always favoured prime lenses, although I know there are now some cracking zooms to be had. I'm not a Canon man so someone like WW would be helpful; you may also want to consider sigma or tamron, especially the latter. 'I get my kicks on Route 62' |
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Davew Senior Member Joined: 12 Jan 2004 No. of posts: 99 View other posts by Davew |
Posted: 09 Apr 2007 Hi - I'm a Canon guy and I've tried quite a few lenses and do always find primes to be much better quality. Trouble is there's quite a size difference between say a baby Common Lizard and a large Grass Snake so finding the right prime may be a problem. I'm currently using a 150mm macro (Sigma) which is great for what I need it for (snakes are generally slightly more distant for me as I have no sites with tins and it's perfect for close Lizards and other wildlife such as Butterflies, Dragonflies etc) but if you're tin lifting and come accross a large Snake you may need to back off which isn't practical. As a suggestion look at the Canon macro 100 or 105mm can't remember which. |
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Peter Vaughan Senior Member Joined: 21 Mar 2005 No. of posts: 170 View other posts by Peter Vaughan |
Posted: 09 Apr 2007 I've recently switched from a Minolta compact camera (Dimage Z5) to a Nikon D80 fitted with a 105mm Sigma Macro. One thing I've noticed is that I need a fast shutter speed to get an unblurred shot - I used to get away with 1/60s with the Minolta but seem to need to be at least four times faster - i.e. to have bright sunshine and/or a low f number to get a decent shot of a reptile at 1.5 to 2m away. I suppose its the simple rule that the bigger the magnification the more hand shake is magnified too - especially if the object of interest doesn't fill the shot and needs to be blown-up, e.g. when I'm trying to photograph the scale pattern on an Adder's head from a distance. Peter Vaughan |
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Davew Senior Member Joined: 12 Jan 2004 No. of posts: 99 View other posts by Davew |
Posted: 09 Apr 2007 A useful rule of thumb is ensure the shutter speed is minimum twice the focal length to mostly rule out any blurring. If you're on aperture priority which seems to be the norm for wildlife you'll have to change the f stop. I generally use f6 ish which isn't always enough to ensure evythings in focus but any more takes the shutter speed right down. I use a monopod too which also helps. |
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Deano Senior Member Joined: 23 Aug 2005 No. of posts: 133  View other posts by Deano |
Posted: 09 Apr 2007 Can I suggest the 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM. I am sure this will cost more than your original idea, but you would have a really super lens that although being light in weight isn't a lightweight performer plus it has an image stabiliser - very useful for hand held shots. http://photo.net/equipment/canon/70-300do/ Don't forget if your lens doesn't focus close enough you can always add a 12mm or 25mm extension tube. I have found that using Canon tubes with Canon lenses allows the autofocus to work as original. Others will no doubt claim to have used unbranded tubes with off brand lenses - and if it works for them, fine. How do you feel about second hand kit? I can ask around at the next LVNP meeting (19 April) and see if anyone has something like the 55-200 for sale. Deano Better to be lucky than good looking. |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 09 Apr 2007 Ta for the link Deano, very helpful to see some results of the lens. I think I'll have to go new and lose it on the expense account to be honest Deano, but thanks for the offer. Thanks to all for the help, I see why people end up with a bag full of lenses looks like I would not go far wrong with adding a prime of 105mm macro to the bag as well from what you guys are saying? Then I would have a fairly all round collection of lenses. Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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DrDom Member Joined: 13 Jul 2005 No. of posts: 14 View other posts by DrDom |
Posted: 11 Apr 2007 Good to meet you at Lightwater. Can I make a few more suggestions? Unfortunately they're all more expensive. Canon make some excellent lenses but don't have a good reputation for their budget zooms. The EF 55-200mm @ ú125 is unlikely to be great. It all depends what image quality you're after and how much you're prepared to spend... The EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM @ ú340 has had some quite good reviews but only focusses to 1.5m. You won't go wrong with a Tamron Macro (90 or 180), Sigma macro (105, 150 or 180) or Canon 100m macro. Alternatively you could consider the following: Sigma 50-150mm APO F2.8 EX DC close focus 1m ú460 (reduced size sensor only) 770g Canon 70-200 L USM F4 close focus 1.2m ú445 EF70-200mm L IS USM F4.0 close focus 1.2m ú665 Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 EX DG Macro ú675 All the prices are guides from a good online retailer and include VAT. You could consider buying secondhand from a dealer which will bet you a warranty and an invoice - I'm not sure you can claim back VAT though! Dominic Tantram - Guildford Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group (SARG) |
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