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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> 300mm zoom lens advice needed
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01/11/2006 05:53:57 AM · #1
A friend wants to buy a 300mm zoom lens for bird photography. Lower end can be from 50-100 mm. What is the best lens around for -used- US$200 or less in your opinion? Thanks!

Message edited by author 2006-01-11 07:30:19.
01/11/2006 07:30:31 AM · #2
Bump.
01/11/2006 07:47:55 AM · #3
For $200 us dollars???

Good luck!!!

Depending how fast of a lens you are after, you won't find a 300mm used lens under $800- $2000 us dollars. You may find a 100-300mm canon, or sigma very slow lens for about $180 or so, but when you get into the prime lens territory, your talking bigger bucks.

Try Craigslist.com. It's a good site that may have some used equipment in your region.
01/11/2006 08:10:10 AM · #4
73 DPCr's found this as a worthy purchase, and the images taken with it look pretty decent. ;^) $185 US

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO Macro Super II
01/11/2006 08:42:06 AM · #5
What kind of camera does your friend use? Is it a DSLR? Canon? Nikon? Olympus?

Each of these different lenses have different crop factors which means that your friend might be able to get 300mm a different way.

For that price range, definitely go for the Sigma mentioned by glad2badad.

Next move up in the Canon range would be 70-200mm F4.0 and a 1.4x teleconverter (280mm)

Another one to have a look at is the lens which is affectionately known as the "Bigma" which is a 50-500mm, slow-ish lens. It's really not that bad and would be great for nature photography. It's a bit soft at the ends though, naturally. It's around a thousand US dollars, so is a really really good deal.

Lenses that cost 200 dollars are not generally considered good outside of possibly the 50mm f1.8.
01/11/2006 08:45:12 AM · #6
Originally posted by glad2badad:

73 DPCr's found this as a worthy purchase, and the images taken with it look pretty decent. ;^) $185 US

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO Macro Super II


Yep I have this lens, for the money you can't go wrong... I like the lens alot... in low lighting it may tend to search a bit for something to focus on. But outdoors on a nice day its great.
01/11/2006 09:42:09 AM · #7
I you would have 10 times that value I advised the sigma 120-300mm f2.8

But probably uyou would also have to had a heavy weapon lisense because it resembles a canon. :)
01/11/2006 10:19:30 AM · #8
Originally posted by Nuno:

I you would have 10 times that value I advised the sigma 120-300mm f2.8

But probably uyou would also have to had a heavy weapon lisense because it resembles a canon. :)


And a truck to carry it around.
01/11/2006 11:07:04 AM · #9
The Sigma 70-300 4-5.6 APO Super 2 macro

FS $165 incl shipping to continental US (canon mount) PM me for details
Sample pics


The first one is at the full 300mm - nice and sharp.
and macro too


Message edited by author 2006-01-11 11:07:27.
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