How to tell if a lens is compatible?

[Blitz]

I own a 300D with kit 18-55 lens and have been looking into getting a telephoto for a while now. A few days ago I was reading a thread here about some Sigma lens and someone said something along the lines of "Too bad it doesn't fit the 10D." This got me thinking, is there a way to tell if a lens will fit my 300D or not? Is there a general rule or is it one of those things where you just have to find out for each specific lens? Keep in mind that I'm only worried about new lenses here, so there's no concern about old lenses. Thanks in advance.

Oh, and any suggestions for a good telephoto are greatly appreciated. Chances are I can't afford an L with IS, and though the Bigma is appealing, I doubt I'll ever use its full potential, so the weight is an unnecessary burden. I will be using it for various situations, like getting close-ups at soccer games or zooming in to catch someone's time at the drag strip. I think something like 50-200 or 50-300 would be perfect.

[GeForceFX]

every canon EF and EF-s lens will fit your 300D
for the other brands (sigma, tamron, ..) all the 'canon fitting' lenses will fit

the "Too bad it doesn't fit the 10D." was probable about an EF-S lens, they only fit the 300D,350D and the 20D


about that telephoto lens, what's your budget?

[etaf]

also beware of older third party lens some do not work as they need to be rechiped

[gasrocks]

General rule: whether I am buying a lens, hard-drive, lawn mower blade, etc. Email the seller and ask: will this work on my model ______. If they say yes, save the email. Much easier to return that way.

[jfrancho]

How about this: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=80852

[Blitz]

for the other brands (sigma, tamron, ..) all the 'canon fitting' lenses will fit

Sorry for the long reply, and thanks for the information, but what if it doesn't say 'canon fitting'? Say something like this?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=163957&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

about that telephoto lens, what's your budget?

Ideally under $300 or so, but if there is a very good telephoto for $500-$600 or so I could probably go with that. Lately I've been thinking that I wouldn't really use the Zoom capability of the Bigma, so 300mm should do for the longest zoom. Anyone have a suggestion? The 70-300 I just posted should do, but isn't that really cheap for this type of lens?

[jfrancho]

Sorry for the long reply, and thanks for the information, but what if it doesn't say 'canon fitting'? Say something like this?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=163957&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation



Ideally under $300 or so, but if there is a very good telephoto for $500-$600 or so I could probably go with that. Lately I've been thinking that I wouldn't really use the Zoom capability of the Bigma, so 300mm should do for the longest zoom. Anyone have a suggestion? The 70-300 I just posted should do, but isn't that really cheap for this type of lens?I think that is their mount for thier camera: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=304466&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

[nitsch]

Blitz, you can get Sigma lenses with different mounts as they make lenses with mounts to suit not only their own range of cameras but all the other main manufacturers too. Just make sure anything you order is a Canon fitment.

The Sigma 70-300 DL you are looking at is not rated as particularly good, the 70-300 APO II which is not a whole lot more expensive gets much better results, I have this lens and I have got some good shots from it.

[Blitz]

The Sigma 70-300 DL you are looking at is not rated as particularly good, the 70-300 APO II which is not a whole lot more expensive gets much better results, I have this lens and I have got some good shots from it.

You wouldn't mind posting some, would you?

[xuxu1]

also beware of older third party lens some do not work as they need to be rechiped
Not all of them can/will be rechiped. :evil:

ED

[condyk]

If looking at Sigma I advise contacting them via email (details on their web site) in advance of a second hand purchase to ask about compatibility of a specific lens/DSLR, as many old lenses will not work on new DSLR's. Sigma always seem very responsive and I have never had to wait more than 12 hours or so for a response.

New lenses from the current range all work fine as far as I know, though I think there was an issue with older 24-70mm and use on 20D with flash. This is now sorted on current models. Many older lenses will also have been rechipped by owners who sent them to Sigma to be dealt with free. Xuxu1 is right that some can't be rechipped and so are effectively scrap for DSLR users. Always ask the owner if it will work specifically with your DSLR. You can also try it yourself whenever possible.

I don't know about Tamron and Tokina. My Tokina is about two years old and works perfectly.

Fingers crossed Canon doesn't change the mount again any time soon too. As all those old FD owners will attest, extemely expensive having to replace every lens in your bag and have the older ones achieve minimal resale value at the same time.