Canon Zoom Lense

[Dandaman_24]

Hi

Im looking to buy a telephoto lense for canon 20D.

I havnt got the biggest of budgets, but i can afford to buy the canon 70-300mm IS

Would this be a wise buy. ( I've heard that its slow in AF)

I would be using this lense for motorsport, rugby and wildlife.

Budget of £200-300 UK pounds.

I would like to have the reach of 300mm.

Thanks

Daniel

[Citizensmith]

It's actually a 75-300 IS. The 70-300 IS is a whole different (and very expensive) lens, a bit more than the $300 you want to spend anyway.

The 75-300 IS is reasonably good. All the 75-300 consumer zooms get a bit soft past 200, and really suck if you ever try and put a TC on them. This one is the best of the bunch though, and the IS really adds a great deal of useability.

One thing to bear in mind though, IS lets you take photos handheld about two stops slower than normal. However it does not freeze action, so for motorsports and such IS doesn't offer as much advantage. This first generation IS also needs to be deactivated when mounted on a tripod or it can get confused and actually add blur.

If you want perfect optics save up until you can afford the 70-200 f/4 L, but then you'll be losing some reach and IS. If not go for the 75-300, you probably won't be disapointed.

[dhbailey]

I have the 75-300 IS and am very happy with it. I do realize its limitations, though, and dream of the day when I'll have a spare thousand dollars or so to put into a better lens with that range.

The IS is great for handheld shots as long as your subject isn't moving. You mention motorsports, rugby and wildlife. The IS will really only help you for the motorsports if you're shooting cars while they are standing still, or wildlife if it is standing still. It really hinders good shots when there is motion, since the IS doesn't get a chance to settle down and stabilize.

With that said, however, there isn't a better lens in that zoom range at that price, so as I mentioned, I am happy with it. I do need to practice with it a lot more to get the even better shots I am sure it is capable of (I keep forgetting to turn the IS off while trying to shoot birds in flight).

As a first lens in that zoom range, it is a very good lens.

[TomC]

Well, you can turn the IS off for motor sports cant you?