About to order XT, which lens?

rang wrote in post #4103917
Yup, the ProOptic when you look at the body, the gold lettering on it and the elements description s it is a Tamron. And the very knowledgable guy in the shop (in LV, NV) told me about it. It was a dead giveaway who made it.

That's cool. I have the Sigma. The Tamron looked pretty good too but slighty more expensive.

I got the cheaper one with the foam grip and no knob but it does have the cool magnetic quick mount. Should suit my simple needs. Also, I think the one you have includes a second mounting option/arm attachment?

Get the kit lens - despite much of what you will read on this board, it's actually very good for a beginner and I would hazard a guess that few here will have really pushed its limits before moving on to something more glamorous. My wife has actually sold pictures to to an airline in-flight magazine using a simple 350D and kit lens with the camera set to full auto!

The quality of your photography is 99.9% about your ability to see creatively. Gear is just a bonus.

...and in an effort to get totally flamed - all this talk about good and bad copies of the kit lens can be largely ignored. I've had 4 and all were good. So called "bad copies" are a lot more rare than people would have you believe

Finally - welcome to the board - this is the best place out there to learn your craft.

This guys has done what you are looking at doing. Take a look at shots 1, 3 and 5 and tell me the kit lens is not worth a try.

https://photography-on-the.net …php?p=4104423#p​ost4104423

JackProton wrote in post #4104032
That's cool. I have the Sigma. The Tamron looked pretty good too but slighty more expensive.

I got the cheaper one with the foam grip and no knob but it does have the cool magnetic quick mount. Should suit my simple needs. Also, I think the one you have includes a second mounting option/arm attachment?

No, I had to pay extra for the "Versa-grip". However I felt it was worth the bucks. I use the Versa Grip attached to the TrekPod in tripod mode for Macro shots of "bee butt shots" and flowers. Works great for light weight hiking.

Either the cork or foam handled versions of this design work great.

rang wrote in post #4134631
No, I had to pay extra for the "Versa-grip". However I felt it was worth the bucks. I use the Versa Grip attached to the TrekPod in tripod mode for Macro shots of "bee butt shots" and flowers. Works great for light weight hiking.

Ah, that does sound handy. I'll have to give the Versa Grip another look.