Another which one question!

[DirtyHarry]

Hi all,
Yep iv just joined to get some advice from ye guys and girls! :wink:

Iv a 10D and various other equipment and i need a good telephoto zoom lens. Problem is, im a poor student and the euros are certainly not staying in my account! Iv around 1000 euro to spend on this lens! I will be using it for wildlife, scenery, portraits (from a far) and general use.

Iv looked around and picked out some hopefuls!

Sigma APO 100-300mm F4 EX IF HSM Price 887 euro (new)

Canon EF 70-200mm F4 L USM Price 662 euro (new)

These are the two im looking at, if there are any other contenders please tell me but they have to be below my price range!

Also if i could get your advice on these two lens and the pros and cons to them! Id say people have asked this question before but as they say im a 'newbie' here but iv forum experience elsewhere! :)

cheers all!

Phil

[sGu]

Choose between those two options you gave, i'd go with Canon 70-200mm, f2.8 if possible.

However, you simply can't have one lens to fulfill all your shooting areas. For wildlife, you'll probably need a long telephoto, usually 400mm and above; scenery/landscape, wide angle is often the choice; portraits, focal range is around 85mm; general use, it could be a standard 50mm lens, it could be a wide angle, it could well be a mid range focal such as 24-70mm, or even 28-300mm!!! Entirely depends on which areas you gonna be taking photos.

And to be frankly, you might wanna save up for a little longer before buying the glass, unless time is an issue.

[Andy_T]

Choose between those two options you gave, i'd go with Canon 70-200mm, f2.8 if possible.


Did you look up the price for the 70-200 2.8 lately? :wink:

I know it's outrageously expensive in GBP, but it's not much better in Euros :roll:

... so definitely quite a stretch from EUR 1,000.

Here are some links for the Sigma 100-300, you'll find a lot of links on the 70-200/4.0

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32534
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=34797

Best regards,
Andy

[DirtyHarry]

yep time is an issue! Im going to New York at the start of september for about 2 weeks. Shall be travelling to other places too....so id have around 1000 euro to spend and reluctantly spending it but i need it!

The Canon 70-200mm f2.8 is out of my price range! Im not going to spend that kinda money yet! As for the different lenses for different areas...its hard to have all the lens for all those areas....i make do with what i have! As a student is hard to keep money! :)

Any info on the sigma? Anybody use one? Is the Canon 70-200mm f4 still a good lens? Its pros and cons? :?:

Cheers

[Canuck]

yep time is an issue! Im going to New York at the start of september for about 2 weeks. Shall be travelling to other places too....so id have around 1000 euro to spend and reluctantly spending it but i need it!

The Canon 70-200mm f2.8 is out of my price range! Im not going to spend that kinda money yet! As for the different lenses for different areas...its hard to have all the lens for all those areas....i make do with what i have! As a student is hard to keep money! :)

Any info on the sigma? Anybody use one? Is the Canon 70-200mm f4 still a good lens? Its pros and cons? :?:

Cheers

I have a Sigma 120-300mm F2.8EX and it is a great lens and 5.75 lbs too! I can't speak of the 100-300 F4 directly, but if it is of the same quality as the 120-300 then you can't go wrong. There are places you can go to see what people have to say about it. Here is one of many: http://www.photozone.de/bindex2.html to start you off. They give it a very good.

[robertwgross]

When I was a poor student, I could not afford any of this kind of camera equipment. Then one time there was a "streaking" craze on campus, and nude coeds were seen running around in the darkness. That prompted me to fish out my longest lens and crank up my brightest strobe flash. The results of two rolls of Ektachrome got me hooked.

---Bob Gross---

[Tom W]

When I was a poor student, I could not afford any of this kind of camera equipment. Then one time there was a "streaking" craze on campus, and nude coeds were seen running around in the darkness. That prompted me to fish out my longest lens and crank up my brightest strobe flash. The results of two rolls of Ektachrome got me hooked.

---Bob Gross---

So you were shooting RAW even in film days.....

[robertwgross]

College students were easily amused in those days.

---Bob Gross---

[sGu]

College students were easily amused in those days.

---Bob Gross---
they still are, and this is speaking from a poor student just finished his degree in a totally different subject after 4 years ... :wink:

[DirtyHarry]

well today was interesting! I was at my mates house and he brought me around to a guy he knows (a married guy with a small child) and he has a 10D and a Eos1 and a lovely selection of lenses to die for. The has a 100-400 f4.5-5.6L IS USM, a 24-70 f2.8L USM, a 70-200 f2.8L (old version) and a 1.4 teleconverter......i nearly cried when i saw this and the jealousy was erupting inside me!

other than that i tried out his lens and we had a good chat! And then he said he has a lens for sale! He wipped out a Sigma 400mm 1:5.6 in a nice carrycase!! Now the price is 250 euro!! its in good nick (he hardly ever used it! Not a scratch!)

Is that a good price and should i buy it??? :?:

I know that hasnt sorted out my problem but its a start! Oh nad i have it to test for a week....so i havnt bought it yet! :)

So any help on this?

[CyberDyneSystems]

That old beast of a Sigma is not a great lens by todays standards.. I assume it will work on the 10D? (some older ones don't)

Anyway. it's a discontinued lens and not the best choice. but 400mm for that price is pretty cheap. The focus on it may drive you nuts though.

[DirtyHarry]

That old beast of a Sigma is not a great lens by todays standards.. I assume it will work on the 10D? (some older ones don't)

Anyway. it's a discontinued lens and not the best choice. but 400mm for that price is pretty cheap. The focus on it may drive you nuts though.


i had a go yesterday with it and it focused fast (not amazing tho) and at that price it seems ok. would it be a useful piece of kit to have? As in for that price and its perfect condition.