How to tell if you're not getting a lemon?

jp129 wrote in post #12445068
It takes you 30 mins to snap a few shots and review them on a computer? I don't think it needs to be that in-depth to tell if a lens is functioning like it should. Just shoot something with sharp text print like a magazine or a dollar bill. You also don't need a calibrated monitor to see if a lens is function right, as long as the settings are somewhat "normal". People calibrate their displays so that they print close to what they see on screen.

Great advice!

TridenTBoy wrote in post #12445002
All I have is the kit lens 18-55. It's garbage for anything but extremely bright days.

TridenTBoy wrote in post #12445030
Yes.. I happen to actually go out and do things. I tried the lens with the situations I want to take pictures in and it failed miserably.

Just out of curiosity, out of the limited time you've had with your kit, what situations have you shot them in?

What exactly did you find that the 18-55mm lens failed miserably at? Maybe you could post some of your images you took and the exif info for us to look at? FlyingPhotog posted solid advice, but it seemed like you took it personally instead of heeding good advice.

Which one of the 18-55's is it? The 1st one is useless, the mkII (non IS) is ok but nothing major, the IS one that comes bundles with rebels is the best of the lot as the IS does help a fair bit.

TridenTBoy wrote in post #12445002
Canon 50mm 1.8 II

Do you know anyone else who has a good copy of this lens? Perhaps you can borrow theirs and use it for a little while so that you can get an idea of how this lens should work on your camera. Then you'll have a basis for comparison when you get the chance to test out a lens which is for sale.

If you don't, now might be a good time to join a camera club.

jp129 wrote in post #12445200
Just out of curiosity, out of the limited time you've had with your kit, what situations have you shot them in?

What exactly did you find that the 18-55mm lens failed miserably at? Maybe you could post some of your images you took and the exif info for us to look at? FlyingPhotog posted solid advice, but it seemed like you took it personally instead of heeding good advice.

Lots of various low light situations. (i.e. not daylight)
http://img819.imagesha​ck.us/img819/3773/lowl​ight1.jpg I cannot use a flash for any situation. It is far too intrusive. This exposure time is pretty much essential too. It's the only way to freeze people a little bit. (They move a lot) That photo is before they turned down all the lights. I don't expect to get a photo in those situations but at least the one I was trying I'd like a little bit. Getting photos at night in streets would be nice too. I can't do that with F3.6

Make - Canon
Model - Canon EOS REBEL T2i
Orientation - Top left
XResolution - 72
YResolution - 72
ResolutionUnit - Inch
DateTime - 2011:05:17 20:59:51
YCbCrPositioning - Co-Sited
Copyright -
ExifOffset - 348
ExposureTime - 1/125 seconds
FNumber - 3.50
ExposureProgram - Shutter priority
ISOSpeedRatings - 6400
ExifVersion - 0221
DateTimeOriginal - 2011:05:17 20:59:51
DateTimeDigitized - 2011:05:17 20:59:51
ComponentsConfiguratio​n - YCbCr
ShutterSpeedValue - 1/128 seconds
ApertureValue - F 3.51
ExposureBiasValue - 0
MeteringMode - Multi-segment
Flash - Flash not fired, compulsory flash mode
FocalLength - 18 mm
UserComment -
SubsecTime - 00
SubsecTimeOriginal - 00
SubsecTimeDigitized - 00
FlashPixVersion - 0100
ColorSpace - sRGB
ExifImageWidth - 5184
ExifImageHeight - 3456
InteroperabilityOffset - 8596
FocalPlaneXResolution - 5728.18
FocalPlaneYResolution - 5808.40
FocalPlaneResolutionUn​it - Inch
CustomRendered - Normal process
ExposureMode - Auto
White Balance - Auto
SceneCaptureType - Standard

Maker Note (Vendor): -
Macro mode - Normal
Self timer - Off
Quality - Fine
Flash mode - Not fired
Sequence mode - Single or Timer
Focus mode - One-Shot
Image size - Large
Easy shooting mode - Manual
Digital zoom - None
Contrast - Normal
Saturation - Normal
Sharpness - Low , -32769
ISO Value - 32767
Metering mode - Evaluative
Focus type - Auto
AF point selected -
Exposure mode - Tv-priority
Focal length - 18 - 55 mm (1 mm)
Flash activity - Not fired
Flash details -
Focus mode 2 - 65535
Auto ISO - 100
Base ISO - 6400
White Balance - Auto
Sequence number - 0
Flash bias - 0 EV
Subject Distance - 0

funkyfones wrote in post #12446135
Which one of the 18-55's is it? The 1st one is useless, the mkII (non IS) is ok but nothing major, the IS one that comes bundles with rebels is the best of the lot as the IS does help a fair bit.

It's the one that comes with the T2i kit.

melauer wrote in post #12446979
Do you know anyone else who has a good copy of this lens? Perhaps you can borrow theirs and use it for a little while so that you can get an idea of how this lens should work on your camera. Then you'll have a basis for comparison when you get the chance to test out a lens which is for sale.

If you don't, now might be a good time to join a camera club.

Nope. I don't know anyone where I live.

where do you live? its not in your sig, also the 50mm would be an 'ok' in low light, niftys are known to have focus problems in low light so its a catch 22

LONETRAVELER wrote in post #12444979
We've seen the positive and negatives of Craigslist. I got a brand new posing chair and table for $50 they normally start at least $100. But I was in a photography class and this lady purchased a Nikon SB800 flash from Craiglist only to find out some of the advanced features didn't work.

On the extreme side, here in San Diego someone put of a Craiglist's posting selling a laptop. When the guy got there, 3 teens robbed him of his cash and cell phone. They leave in a car. He follows them to get the plates. They end up shooting and killing him.

I'll only but certain things off of Craigslist. Sometimes I wonder if the gear is stolen, especially camera equipment! Maybe I'm just paranoid..LOL. I like having a reciept(tax and insurance purposes) and being able to take stuff back if I'm not pleased.

You might tell the rest of the story about the shooting in San Diego.

I'm sorry the young man was shot but he made two mistakes. He and his girlfriend (who was uninjured) went into a dicey part of town at 10:30 at night and he tried to follow the suspects after the robbery.

The point is:

1. If you're going to buy off Craig's List, don't meet the seller in a poor part of town at 10:30 at night.
   
2. Report the robbery to the police and let them do their job.

Got the nifty fifty. $90. It's pretty good shape cosmetically it seems. Got the camera, the filter, the covers, the box. The guy said he didn't use it much because he almost never takes off his 10-22mm because he does landscape shots a lot.

Performance seems OK? It does have focusing issues with AI Servo or whatever mode. (Constantly jumps between tiny bits, but that's just the AF of the camera I think)

I'll go take more photos and find out? :P

It's so freaking hot in Seattle today!

Lens ain't too bad. The cars in the background have that color fringing thing going on pretty hardcore though. I assume that's just an affect from being out of focus so much though too.

AF on it sucks though. It's not super fast and it gets it wrong a lot, but then again... I am not exactly giving it even remotely decent situations. (Usually I am moving AND the subject is moving)

Picture of a girl who modeled for me as she crossed the street: http://img19.imageshac​k.us/img19/5777/img049​8s.jpg Her friend was wondering WTF she was doing as she walked. :P

You're expecting too much from Canon's least expensive lens. The picture you took of your friend is what it will do. If there's camera to subject motion and you're using ai servo then you need a lens with ring USM which you won't find for $90.

TridenTBoy wrote in post #12448785
Lens ain't too bad. The cars in the background have that color fringing thing going on pretty hardcore though. I assume that's just an affect from being out of focus so much though too.

AF on it sucks though. It's not super fast and it gets it wrong a lot, but then again... I am not exactly giving it even remotely decent situations. (Usually I am moving AND the subject is moving)

Picture of a girl who modeled for me as she crossed the street: http://img19.imageshac​k.us/img19/5777/img049​8s.jpg Her friend was wondering WTF she was doing as she walked. :P

You are doing a good job of describing the typical nifty fifty. Looks like you got a good copy of one.:p

GregoryF wrote in post #12449403
You are doing a good job of describing the typical nifty fifty. Looks like you got a good copy of one.:p

Kewl.

Color fringing is huge when I have white mini-vans in the background of pictures. Holy cow, it's like the green lantern firing up or something...

Tested the 1.8 in the low light conditions I am talking about. Admittedly, the light was better than I expected. Sometimes it's darker than this. Oh, and a serious problem was it was hunting for focus WAY too often! Literally I'd hold down the button and it'd hunt for well over a second!

http://imageshack.us/m​/841/168/img0728n.jpg Has EXIF data still. You can look for settings but it's 50mm, 1.8, 1/50 shutter, and 6400 ISO.

Do you think a 1.4 would provide such superior performance? Obviously focusing it probably would, but light? A 1.2? 1.0? The only one within my budget in the future would probably be the 1.4

again, flash is NOT an option

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #12444784
Just one opinion here but you might want to spend some time with your camera and the lens(es) you do have before wading into the Craigslist / eBay swamp.

Start chasing too much gear too fast and you'll make yourself crazy!

This is very good advice.

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #12445018
And you know this after only three days?

Wow.

Best of Luck

TridenTBoy wrote in post #12445030
Yes.. I happen to actually go out and do things. I tried the lens with the situations I want to take pictures in and it failed miserably.

jp129 wrote in post #12445200
... FlyingPhotog posted solid advice, but it seemed like you took it personally instead of heeding good advice.

haha...really new, had a camera for three days, doesn't want to take good advice because he's still at school and knows everything.

I wish I learnt all about cameras, lenses and photography in three days.
30 years down the track, and I'm still learning. Must be time for me to give it away because I take too long to learn stuff.

If your knowledge is so vast, and you don't want to take the advice you asked for, why ask for it in the first place?