how big a differance does the L really mean

Guess you guys are missing my point...

Canon has the "L" series because they want to market to the pros. However, UD glass, APO glass and what nots...those are already used in Leica, Zeiss, and other manufacture lenses...but you don't hear those manufacture calling them "pro lines" and than market them as "xxx-series".

The point is, Canon is ingenius to seperate the market. For those who can't afford it, and those who can. Its like Toyota...your consumer line, than you have Lexus your "pro line" --- The "L" Series.

But do you hear of Ferrari having a 2 seperate lines?

Funny thing is Canon's L lens don't even compare to those of Leica or Zeiss.

Not that I am a Canon hater, or L hater (shot with Canon since 88, and gone through alot of L lens from FD to EF). I just don't like buying in to the politics.

well i agree that the tamron is as sharp as an L but the L will render better color and has faster autofocussing. still the tamron is a great lens.

ed rader

>>Guess you guys are missing my point...<<

the point is canon has 75% of the DSLR market.

ed rader

I can't argue with that...but that's not a bringing of their Lens...since we ARE on the subject of lens. They corner that market by bringing good technology with CMOS sensors and great attribute to the bodies. The lens is pretty much "I might as well get" type deal. If people didn't mind the MF, and using the old stop down metering.... there are MUCH better glass out there than Ls

And yes I do own other glass that I use on the Canon body. I just don't list them since this is a "canon" forum.

I KNOW THE FEELING!!!!!

Sad but true, sooo true... I used to say , L, whats the big deal.. Then i used one. And didnt want to look at anything but L lenses.

There is a reason they call it " The L Bug"

My favorite L lens, is the 70-200 L IS... maby because its the first L lens i ever shot with, maby its the TACK SHARP PRIME Quality optics and the ULTRA Fast AF speeds. Along with IS that makes my shaky hands into something more sturdy than a bogen tripod...

=)

No doubt L glass is nice. But the attitude that says "once L always L" IMO isn't prudent. For example, I don't hesitate one bit to grab my 85f1.8 over my 70200LIS; in fact I probably use it more than the zoom. And these days I often grab my 70300IS over my 100400LIS because its IQ is so good and it's such a nice walk around weight. Now, I can see how "not looking back once using an L" is an emotional response, but it's hardly a rational one. It's really case by case and situation-dependant.

You can say L lens are marketing hype, but they really aren't. However, not everyone needs them, althought there are some reasonably priced L's that fit the bill real well. 70-200 f/4, 17-40 f/4, and 100-400 f/4-5.6 for instance are priced well for most consummers.

For the zooms though, they do get pricey when talking about f/2.8. Generally the L's besides being sharp, have fast, accurate AF, well bult, weather sealed, and produce images with good saturation, contrast, and color.

And they are pro lens, because photo journalists who use Canon tend to have at least these 3 heavy priced lens. 16-35 2.8L, 24-70 2.8L, 70-200 2.8L(IS or Non IS). Why? Because they are very versatile. They have a price though. But not everyone needs these lens. That is very true. However, they offer the best overall value for the professional who can't take necessairly wait for the lens to finish hunting or is trying to stay silent. These lens are built to stand up to abuse, which PJ's(sports photographers especially) put them through.

Then we can talk about primes. There aren't many that match the abilities of the 135 f/2, the former 200 f/1.8, the 300 f/2.8L IS or 400 f/2.8L IS.

But regarding probably 70% of the people who aren't pros on this board, most don't need the L to get great photos.

There might be hype, but its more board hype than anything.

Nikon and Canon both have their pro lines, because that's where they service a great deal, especially Canon these days.

http://www.photo.net …a-fetch-msg?msg_id=007iOR

This is a fantastic link, thanks a lot Condyk!

Well, I think the whole "renders better color" thing isn't that big a deal. I think post processing/monitor/pro​files really affects that way too much to even care about it in my opinion.

I've been nothing but happy with the sharpness and color coming out of my Tamron. The only MINOR problem of this lens is the focusing. It's plenty fast in light but in really low light it might hunt a bit but you really don't even notice it that much. Either way in low light indoors I'm usually using a 420ex which means the AF beam keeps the focus accurate. Also it would be nice to have it zoom out to 24.

Build quality is just fine in my opinion. Feels solid and beefy. Zoom and focus are smooth. If you drop an L lens it'll break just the same or worse since they weigh more. Bokeh is really nice on this lens too.

I just saw no difference in image quality between the tamron and the 24-70 L so it was a no brainer for me.

Jackal wrote:
Well, I think the whole "renders better color" thing isn't that big a deal. I think post processing/monitor/pro​files really affects that way too much to even care about it in my opinion.

I've been nothing but happy with the sharpness and color coming out of my Tamron. The only MINOR problem of this lens is the focusing. It's plenty fast in light but in really low light it might hunt a bit but you really don't even notice it that much. Either way in low light indoors I'm usually using a 420ex which means the AF beam keeps the focus accurate. Also it would be nice to have it zoom out to 24.

Build quality is just fine in my opinion. Feels solid and beefy. Zoom and focus are smooth. If you drop an L lens it'll break just the same or worse since they weigh more. Bokeh is really nice on this lens too.

I just saw no difference in image quality between the tamron and the 24-70 L so it was a no brainer for me.

i covered a triathlon this year that my wife did. i missed plenty of shots with the tamron because of the slower AF and spent most of the day using my canon 70-200L f4 for action shots, which locks on like a laser.

also, the only L i've used before today was the 70-200 and i would not say it's sharper than the tamron but it does produce more striking images...and the colors are better which is a big deal to me.

i got the 24-105 today as a replacement for the tamron, but i will only make the swap if the canon proves to be a better lens. i'm looking for a lens that stays on my camera 80% of the time and frankly the 28-75 was my least used zoom and that was only because i found the range restrictive.... mostly 28mm just isn't quite wide enough for a walkaround. for me anyway.

the tamron 28-75 is probably the best $300 lens out there. the build quality is great and the size and weight is a huge plus.

ed rader

I don't get it. Are you afraid nobody will talk to you if we find out you use something other than Canon? Ridiculous.

Canon isn't "ingenious" splitting the market. It's called marketing, my friend. The quality of materials and construction are higher in the L line, as the Lexus is superior to the run of the mill Toyota. If you can't afford a Lexus but want Toyota quality, you buy an Avalon. Ferrari and Leica don't have different lines because they market exclusively to the high end consumer.

It's not politics. It's economics.

that isn't really a good analogy.
you're on a race track, would you rather be driving the toyoto corolla or a Corvette Z06. both get you around the track, but the Z06 will get you around it faster(assuming you don't crash).

I think the thread has totally spiraled out of control now, we aren't helping the thread poster out one bit I'm afraid.

I still say master the 18-125mm and the kit lens. If you want to buy anything, get a nice tripod. The best part about a tripod (for me) is it slows you down to really focus on what settings you have in/on the camera and what aperture you are using to control depth of field.

Buy the L when you can afford it and find it a luxury, you can't buy your way to better photos though I think we all try too at some point

Same crap different diferent day.