This is probably not a walk-around lens?

[Moses]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/images/items/12120.jpg
Canon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 35-350mm f/3.5-5.6L USM Autofocus Lens USA

Super telephoto zoom lens with a 10x zoom ratio! High image quality is maintained. Ideal for sports and documentary photography when you need to change the framing often. The zoom adjustment ring lets you adjust the zoom torque to your liking. At the 135mm focal length, close-ups up to 0.25x magnification are possible.

Key Features

• Internal rear focusing reduces the weight of the lens, so focusing can be faster and more responsive. Furthermore, the front of the lens does not move during focusing  ideal for photographers who use filters.
• Flourite & UD elements eliminate secondary spectrum chromatic aberration
• Full-time manual focus override on the lens
• Fast and quiet AF is provided by Canon's USM motor

Would this be a good lens to pair up with a 10D? Is it sharp at both ends? If I were to get this then something like:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/images/items/239648.jpg
Canon Zoom Super Wide Angle EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens USA

To take care of the wide end? Or would I wind up wishing I had bought something I could use for more general use? These two lenses are nearly 3 grand.

Anyone here using either of these two lenses?

[robertwgross]

Moses, you will get better advice if you can describe what kind of photography you do.

If you shoot photos of African elephants, then that is one thing. If you shoot sports photos at soccer matches, then that might be quite different.

---Bob Gross---

[Morden]

Bob is spot on about identifying your style of photography, but I can say that, if you want a wide-angle zoom, Canon's 16-35 f2.8 is an excellent lens. I would not want to have only that lens, though.

[scottbergerphoto]

The 16-35 f/2.8 is a wonderful wide angle zoom.
http://www.pbase.com/image/19977239.jpg
Scott

[Moses]

Bob: This will be my first digital SLR and coming from a Minolta Maxum many years ago to a G3 more recently.

The type of photography would be landscape, wildlife, and interiors - not necessarily in that order.

Neil: I was asking if both of the lenses I listed above would pretty much cover me as my only two lenses for a new 10D. I think the 16-35 would be a great lens, and I'm hoping it would be wide enough on a 1.6 CCD to shoot architectural subjects indoors. Then is the 35-350 going to be a good lens if all I have is just the two of them. I'm concerned that the 35-350 is going to be too large and heavy that I would feel compelled to get something more mobile. I'm assuming the 35-350 would be sharp and fairly bright at both ends?

[scottbergerphoto]

Bob: This will be my first digital SLR and coming from a Minolta Maxum many years ago to a G3 more recently.

I'm assuming the 35-350 would be sharp and fairly bright at both ends?
I don't think that's a safe assumption. A lens with a 10X zoom most probably will not be sharp and bright at both ends. Usually with these zooms you need to stop down to f/8-f/11 to get sharp pictures at the ends.
Here's a thread on point: http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=4515
Scott

[Moses]

Scott, I tried several ways of doing the search here and can not turn up anything on this lens. I tried Google too, and didn't find any there either.

I thought a lens spread that far might have some issues, but thought being an "L" lens it might pull it off? I'm no expert on these and thought maybe someone here might have personal experience with this lens.

[Morden]

Neil: I was asking if both of the lenses I listed above would pretty much cover me as my only two lenses for a new 10D. I think the 16-35 would be a great lens, and I'm hoping it would be wide enough on a 1.6 CCD to shoot architectural subjects indoors. Then is the 35-350 going to be a good lens if all I have is just the two of them. I'm concerned that the 35-350 is going to be too large and heavy that I would feel compelled to get something more mobile. I'm assuming the 35-350 would be sharp and fairly bright at both ends?

I see. Sorry about that! Well, obviously that pair of lenses would cover a huge focal length range! I have never used the 35-350, but the general consensus appears to be that it is an excellent lens. The only two common negatives ar the weight and the cost.

I use a 70-200 f2.8 a lot. The weight is similar to the 35-350, and I don't like walking too far with the 70-200 attached to my 10D! (having said that, walking isn't one of my strengths)

If you want a "mid range" zoom that is light, good quality and (relatively) inexpensive, you might want to consider Canon's 28-135 f3.5-5.6 IS. It isn't a (L)uxury lens, but it *is* optically good quality, and the build quality is also good for a "consumer" lens. It also has IS! I leave the 28-135 on my 10D most of the time.

To cover a range of focal lengths, I have three zooms: EF 16-35 f2.8L, EF 28-135 f3.5-5.6 IS and EF 70-200 f2.8L. I also have Canon's 2x teleconverter that works well with the 70-200, though I don't use it often.

[Jim_T]

I'm concerned that the 35-350 is going to be too large and heavy that I would feel compelled to get something more mobile. I'm assuming the 35-350 would be sharp and fairly bright at both ends?

I don't think you'll get many comments on the image quality 35-350.. It's pretty new.. There aren't that many in circulation.

The 35-350 lens weighs three pounds.. (About the same as my 100-400).. This is definitely NOT a daily walk around lens. I do a lot of wildlife photography and one aspect I hate is hiking for long periods with the big lens. A rough rule of thumb would be... "Any lens that has it's own tripod mount is probably too big to carry about on a neckstrap for long periods of time" :)

I keep a *much* lighter Canon 100-300 f/4.5-5.6 that I use sometimes rather than lugging around the L lens.. (The sharpness is pretty close, but the non 'L' lens has some purple fringing)..

On the other hand.. The 16-35L is a great lens.. The crop factor of the 10D really hurts the wide end.. (Nets an effective 25mm).. But it's still one of the best solutions.. Definitely go with that one..

[Phil Hall]

Moses

I use the 16-35 and it is an excellent lense. A friend has the 35-350 on a D60 and it is a good lense but not as good as the 70-200 2.8L IS or the 100-400 L IS. You might want to consider the 16-35 plus the 28-135 with either the 70-200 and a 1.4X extender 0r 100-400. This would cover a wide range of focal lengths.

[daaaveman]

If you can live with the 17-40L f/4 on the wide end, that would save you some money to spend on tele. Then the 70-200 f/2.8L IS plus a 1.4x or 2x converter might fit your budget and give you what you need on tele and cut down on the weight some. Add a 50mm f/1.8 in the middle and you're covered very well. Just a thought. Good luck.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Moses,

At the wide ned,. either the 16-35 or 17-40mm are great lenses.. which ever you can afford wil doyou great service.

As far as he 35-350mm,.. I think there are worse ways you could fill in the rest of the focal ranges,. it is an odd beast that lens. Rather hevy and awkward (although mind you a lot lighter than the similar 50-500mm from Sigma)

I think were you to get the 35-350,. you would solve a lot of problems .. in the short term

Eventually ... I think you WILL want to get more specific lenses for the specific tasks,. as opposed to a "one lens for all" ,. no one lens is a do it all...

But it may be a sensible step to make.
I started with a 28-300mm which was needlss to say of much less convincing build quality to the "L" 35-350mm and yet I still think it was a reasonable way to start.. because "IF" i was not interested in continuing to improve my equipment at a fast pace,. it did solve a lot of problems with the one lens...

[hodad66]

I have the 35-350 & have yet to get the wide angle compliment. I like the lens & appreciate the fact that I don't have to change lenses all the time. I got used to that having come from an Oly 2100 UZ w/ 10X lens.

Will I get other lenses-- yes; somthing smaller for studio settings & somthing wider...... but I just keep shooting with the 35-350 :wink: