New 40D - Strange visitor

Brianbar wrote in post #4245145
I still had the front focus issue, but for some reason they were okay on close-ups.

How's Liverpool doing against Blackburn today?
My home team (Portsmouth) won 4-1 against Newcastle.

Hope the 40D works out okay for you.

Brian

Ah i see, thanks for clarifying Brian, and Liverpool only managed a "bore"-draw against Blackburn today, but it's nice to see Portsmouth doing so well, that's a good solid result against Newcastle.

Sorry to hijack your thread and go off topic, Painter, but I'd like to quiz you on your lens choices. I am agonising over whether to buy the 17-55 f2.8 or 24-105 f4. I like the speed of the 17-55, but like the extra 'reach' of the 24-105 as it will be my only lens for a while. Like you, I would eventually like to add the 100-400 to the kit. Do you find the 'hole' between 55mm and 100mm hard to fill? I've also considered the 24-70 f2.8, but I've heard that it's a bit of a brick that weighs a ton.

Are you happy with your choice?

The 24-70 is a brick weighing about 50% more than either the 24-105 or the 17-55 and all three are very nice lenses. You might want to consider what your interested in shooting as both 24-xx lenses might give more range but at the expense at the wide end. 24mm on a crop has a almost 40mm FOV so indoor shots of the family and such start getting tight.

I've considered the lack of wide end (on the 24-105) and my thinking is we've got a pretty good quality p&s for the indoor group shots etc. I was thinking of an all round 'walkabout' lens. (Going to London for Christmas)

One day I'd like to buy the 100-400, but I'm concerned about the gap in the continuity of my focal length if I bought the 17-55.

On a crop camera, the 17-55 is hard to beat for a walk-around. Mine rarely comes off the camera, and the 55-100 gap is usually easily made up by a few steps forward.

Looks good to me...one thing I have sort of "found" that highly reflective surfaces, like metalized surfaces sometimes are a focus problem.

muzzlightbeer wrote in post #4258288
I've considered the lack of wide end (on the 24-105) and my thinking is we've got a pretty good quality p&s for the indoor group shots etc. I was thinking of an all round 'walkabout' lens. (Going to London for Christmas)

One day I'd like to buy the 100-400, but I'm concerned about the gap in the continuity of my focal length if I bought the 17-55.

When I first got my 30D, my walk-around choice was the EF-S 17-85 f4-5.6 IS (I didn't get a kit). I was happy with that lens for quite awhile -- it and an inexpensive 70-300mm tele-zoom were for a time my most-used lenses.

The advantage of the new 17-55 is, of course, that its f/2.8 across its range, which could make it invaluable for low light/indoor shooting. It's all a toss-up in the beginning. The 24-105 is a nice lens but a stop slower and will noticeably miss the wider angle, but if those considerations are minor to (for now) you then go for it and start saving your $$ -- you've only just begun!

Well, I've done it. I bit the bullet and put some cash on the sales desk. I settled on the 24-105 f4 for no other reason than I had to make a decision between the 2. The battery is almost charged up but I'm off to bed to read the manual.

I'm still interested to hear your impressions of the 100-400 Painter? (My next lens???)

muzzlightbeer wrote in post #4262491
I'm still interested to hear your impressions of the 100-400 Painter? (My next lens???)

I have the 100-400 so I'll chip in -- it's an indispensible part of my outdoor photography kit. It's big, needs its own bag, but it's what I use to "get the shot".

muzzlightbeer wrote in post #4255401
Sorry to hijack your thread and go off topic, Painter, but I'd like to quiz you on your lens choices. I am agonising over whether to buy the 17-55 f2.8 or 24-105 f4. I like the speed of the 17-55, but like the extra 'reach' of the 24-105 as it will be my only lens for a while. Like you, I would eventually like to add the 100-400 to the kit. Do you find the 'hole' between 55mm and 100mm hard to fill? I've also considered the 24-70 f2.8, but I've heard that it's a bit of a brick that weighs a ton.

Are you happy with your choice?

Hi Muzz, sorry for delayed response, i thought this thread had well disappeared. As for my lens choices, well, i haven't finished just yet, and yep i do lack a little reach, for instance, i took some shots at a gig my mate organised last Saturday,

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=402317

I took all with the 17-55 and would have liked a tad more reach. I do plan to do more gig photography, so a fast lens is a must, so i'm looking and reading threads for a lens to fill that gap between 55 and 100mm. I've also taken a nervous look at the 24-70 and thinking of the 70-200 f2.8 which would be handy in low light situations such as gigs, and for outdoor/wildlife shots in poor light where i don't need the reach of the 100-400L. I have also been looking at the 85mm f1.8 for gigs etc (can't justify the £££ for the L f1.2 version if I get the 24-70)

As for my impressions of the 100-400L, i've not had a lot of chance to use it yet, but i posted this in the bird section this afternoon.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=403604

It's not a fantastic shot, but the weather was awful, and i'm a complete noob with the lens, so on the whole weighing things up, i'm sure i've got a lot of enjoyment to come from this lens,.....weather permitting.

Hope you had fun with the 24-105 Muzz, show us some shots!!

painter24 wrote in post #4270614
Muzz, show us some shots!!

Thanks Painter, but going on the first few attempts on the P&S setting, that ain't gonna happen for a while.

(Geez there are a lot of buttons. In the old days you could turn a dial to set the ISO and there was a ring on the lens to set the aperture. The manual was the same thickness, but it covered 10 different language versions! I should be on Grumpy Old Men! )

muzzlightbeer wrote in post #4275973
Thanks Painter, but going on the first few attempts on the P&S setting, that ain't gonna happen for a while.

(Geez there are a lot of buttons. In the old days you could turn a dial to set the ISO and there was a ring on the lens to set the aperture. The manual was the same thickness, but it had 8 different language versions in it. I should be on Grumpy Old Men! )

Hehe, you'll get there Muzz, i'm at the bottom of a steep learning curve too, but just remember to keep enjoying it.........oh, and btw, i know exactly what you mean about "grumpy old men".......here's your mate!!!
There's a sitcom over here in the UK called "One Foot in the Grave", if you've seen it over there, you'll know where i'm coming from.

Good luck and have fun Muzz