Please give me some advice on new lens...

[Andrea_T]

If - IF - the rumours are to be believed, Canon is set to unveil an imminent replacement for the 35-350mm, which will be 28-300mm f3.5-5.6 L with IS.

There's a link to a PDF file here:
http://grubbel.com/~magnus/eos/123.pdf

[CyberDyneSystems]

I love them both but I can't do a whole lot of nature / sports shooting w/out a longer distance lens.

If Wildlife is your intention,. I would go for the 100-400mm of the lenses you listed,. and expect to be able to super glue the zoom in the 400mm position. :)

With Birds and wildlife the lens is never too long.

You may also want to consider going to straight to a Prime,. consider 400mm f/5.6 for the inexpensive solution,. or look for a 500mm f/5.6 used at around $2,000.00-$3,000.00 depending on condition and manufacture.

However,. Sports can add a differet twist,. speed hlps and often 300mm is the max legth you may need. In which case jumping up to 400-500mm may not be well suited...

Again the 100-400mm would cover a lot of ground with it's zoom,. but for any indoor shooting you will be better suited with an f/2.8 like the 70-200mm which also perform well with a 1.4X t-con when 200mm isn't enough.

[typer77]

Hi guys,
I am new to this forum and pretty new to SLR photography, although I have already shot tons of pictures and 99% of them need much more improvement. 1% was luck :)
I am looking into getting a new lens. I am in Japan so I can get used ones.

Here are some of the options:

EF 35-350 f/3.5-5.6L for 1700 (new)
EF 100-400 F/4.5-5.6 IS for 1600 new
or
EF 70-200 F/2.8 (non IS) for 950 used.

thanks in advance,
Jack

[Belmondo]

Jack:
What lens are you currently usings? What is it about that lens that you don't like? What type of photos do you plan to take with your new lens?

The three lenses you've mentioned are all pretty large, and they can make a DSLR a real handful.

[typer77]

Thanks for responding so quickly.

I currenlty have the 16-35 f 2.8L and 24-70 f 2.8L . I love them both but I can't do a whole lot of nature / sports shooting w/out a longer distance lens. I have the money to buy ONE lens but I probably can't afford 2..... so I want to make sure I get the most useful one out of the auction...

[Belmondo]

Oh well, then, you're in very good shape. Those are great lenses you already own.

Since you're asking for opinions (recognizing that ultimately the decision will be yours alone), I'd go for the 35-350. Of course, I say this without having any experience with the lens, but I have heard good things about it. This way, you have coverage all the way from 16mm to 350mm. With the 100-400, you lose the range between 70mm and 100mm, and that's an important focal length that should be covered.

The 70-200 f/4 is a very good lens, but it really suffers in some situations because of the lack of IS. As good as it is, there’s always the tendency to lust for the f/2.8 IS version.

[typer77]

Thanks guys. Regarding the 70-200, the IS version came out not too long ago right? I am seeing lots of used non-IS version. The price difference between a new IS and a used NON-IS is huge. Is it worth that much more to get an IS? I am talking about double the price....

thanks
Jack

[Jim Larson]

I hear IS is adictive. And the 70-200/2.8L is a heavy lens. Could be a problem to keep steady (which is why you want IS).

Considering what you have, the 35-300 is NOT what you want.

The 70-200 is the logical choice, but the 100-400/IS has its merits.

[SnJPhoto]

I recently bought the 100-400 L and do like the lens, but it is not the lens I use when I do races (running bicycle etc) or events where subjects are moving towards me. I found that I have a lot more opportunites to take 2nd and 3rd shots with that little bit of extra range from 35-100 (on my 35-350). Now some of this is planning your shots and being methodical about it. I haven't seen enough quality difference between the 2 lenses to make recommendation that way. Also, I tend to use a monopd almost exclusively, so the IS in the 100-400 isn't a factor. I am looking forward to the 28-300, so I can trade the 100-400 away.

Scott