? from a newbie...

[Nancy]

I have had a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT since Christmas and have thoroughly enjoyed it.....at this time I am looking for a new lens.....a shop in my community is going out of Sigma lenses and has a 55-200 f4 - 5.6 on sale for 139.99 - CDN...is this a fair price???? Would you recommend this as a next step up from my kit lens (EF-S 18-55) or can anyone suggest something better? Please advise.
Nancy

[Freff]

Hi Nancy and Welcome to POTN. I'm not familiar with this lens, but I'm sure others will help out.

[Dorman]

Nancy, firstly, welcome to the forum! Secondly, here's a link to a lens review site:
http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/

I think $139.99 Cdn is a fair price for almost any lens, Sigma make some great alternatives to Canon's offerings. I have 3 Canon lenses, and one Sigma lens (the 70-300 APO Macro). The 55-200 wouldn't be a step-up or upgrade from your kit lens as it is a totally different focal range. From what I've read the 55-200 is a rather soft lens.

Are you looking to upgrade the kit lens to something in a similar range w/ better quality or are you looking to add a new focal length to your setup? If possible it'd be helpful if you told us how/what you like to shoot, and a rough budget in mind.

To replace your kit lens I'd recommend the Sigma 17-70 DC macro - it has a nice range from wide to mid-telephoto, close-up ability, good sharpness/color/contrast, and is fairly fast. It's around $450 Cdn, it can be had cheaper if you order from the USA (www.bhphoto.com)

If you're looking to add a longer lens I'd recommend the Sigma lens I have, 70-300 APO (has a red ring around the end). For a "cheap" telephoto it is pretty sharp and well built. It's around $300 Cdn (again less at B&H).

So.... Nancy, all my recommendations may be WAY off depending on your needs and budget, so chime back in! :)

[steved110]

Hi and welcome. It's a nice enough lens that will complement the range with the kit lens very well. It's a perfectly Ok lens for ordinary shooting and you would need to pixel peep hard to find any real faults. The main criticism is that it is a fairly slow lens ie the maximum aperture is not very wide so it lets in less light - much the same applies to the kit lens.
But you will have a lot of fun with the extra lens, and it seems a reasonable price, so I would be inclined to say go for it!

But before you commit, have a look at this review site, it will give you a lot of information about canon lenses and some third party lenses.:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/

[Nancy]

Dorman,
Thanks for your quick reply.....as I mentioned earlier I am REALLY new to this.....I guess what I'm looking for is sharper images....price range around $3-400.
I do have quite a few lenses from someone who was very generous..the list is as follows:
Canon - 28-70mm
Canon 28-80mm
Canon 50mm
Canon 70-210mm
Canon Kit lens 18-55mm
I know nothing about any of them...maybe you could suggest a beginners book that may help me understand the lingo of photography.....I am really interested in broadening my knowledge in this field.
Thanks again for your help....Nancy

[Dorman]

Nancy, that's quite a haul of lenses, I'd say they were very generous!
I don't have any specific books in mind but perhaps there is some good info here for you:
http://www.photoworkshop.com/canon/index.html

A quick note about lenses:
Ex:55-200 f4 - 5.6 - The F number stands for aperture. Aperture is the size of the opening, how much light the lens is letting in. The smaller the number the larger the opening, the larger the opening the faster your shutter speeds can be. Your 50mm lens is a "fast" lens. It's maximum aperture is probably 1.8 or 1.4, this is a "fast" lens, you can use it in low-light. When you use apertures like 1.8 or 2.8 you get a more shallow depth of field (your subject is sharp, background is blurred).

WideAngle, your 18-55 is a wide angle (18 being wide), telephotos are just long zooms, your 70-210 is a telephoto. A Prime lens doesn't zoom at all, your 50mm is one of those.

There are several things you can do to get sharper images from the lenses you already have: First thing is to stop them down, use smaller apertures like F8, F9, F11 because lenses aren't their sharpest when used at the largest aperture.

Secondly, use a tripod or monopod to avoid camera shake. If you're already using these perhaps a remote control would help.

Lastly - better technique for handholding, the way you hold the camera to avoid camera shake, I'll often even hold my breath.haha

Anyways, I hope none of this comes off as condescending...;)

[steved110]

Nancy, with the lenses you already have, I don't see that the sigma 55-200 has much to offer you, you already have that range covered.

[dontblink]

Wow, with the lenses you have I wouldn't use the kit lens very much at all!

The 28-70, is an older but VERY good lens. As is the 70-200 (I am guessing that the the 210 part was a typo). Those 2 lenses make for a decent kit.

[coolopticks]

As is the 70-200 (I am guessing that the the 210 part was a typo). Those 2 lenses make for a decent kit.

Probably not. The 70-210 is an ancestor of the 100-300, similar in design and quality.

[steved110]

Also there was a non-L 28-70 EF lens in the dim distant past....

[theJingster]

Wow, with the lenses you have I wouldn't use the kit lens very much at all!

i disagree, it's your widest lens and i'm sure you'll find use in it. it's not as horrific a lens as many people would have you believe. you just have to discover its limitations and work with its capabilities.

also, i wouldn't jump on that 55-200mm since it's slower and offers lower image quality than your current lenses. why not tell us what you like to shoot and we can suggest lenses for you to upgrade to. you can already sell on of your 28 zooms since they cover the same range.

my suggestion now, would be to upgrade your lenses since you have a rather large range covered.

oh and you expressed interest in reading up on the terminology (http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Glossary/)...

[Big Hands]

I agree with those that say this lens isn't going to give you something that you don't already have.

I think it's time to either go in a different direction or truly upgrade what you already have instead of merely duplicating what you already have.

The new direction would be something like a fast prime and maybe even Macro.

But before going into too much depth, you could help steer us in a particular direction by telling us more about what you like to shoot and what you think you'd like to shoot. Otherwise we'd just just be telling you what we would like to have you get ;)

Regards,
Jeff

[mrfourcows]

As is the 70-200 (I am guessing that the the 210 part was a typo).

i don't think so. they is a ef 70-210mm in case you didn't know. well, actually two. the ef 70-210mm f/4.0 and the ef 70-210mm f/3.5-4.5 USM - both are discontinued lenses.

and frankly, if you have the ef 70-210mm f/3.5-4.5 USM already, then the sigma 55-200mm ain't worth it - it's slower both in aperture and focsuing speed.

go for a prime - sure to deliver sharper images. and you will find many that will fall in your budget of $300-400.

[Nancy]

Thanks to all of you for your comments....the type of pics I enjoy is of children, flowers (macro) and some landscapes.
The lens in question is EF 70-210mm 1:4 --> approx. 18 y/o
Thanks again, I appreciate your help.
Nancy

[CRE@TE]

If it is this lens.... it will work... EF70-210mm f/4

http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/lens/ef/data/ef_70~210_4.html