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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> Lens Advice
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 12/16/2014 08:44:33 PM · #1
Hey there. I am so confused about lenses! I have a Canon 50D and use mainly my Tamron 18-200mm lens. I love going out to shoot wildlife, mainly birds. I would like to step up a notch and get a little closer to them but just a notch due to budget constraints. I have been looking at the 300mm's from Canon, Tamron, Sigma and just don't know what to do. I find them anywhere from low $100.00 and up. Am I wasting my money if there is not much of a step up from the 200mm? Suggestions?

Would appreciate any advice!
 12/16/2014 09:02:58 PM · #2
First you should figure how much you are willing to spend. I have a 300 F4 L IS. Nice lens. I use it once in awhile. I think its about $1500. Sigma has a couple of nice sub $1000 telephoto lens. I've used them both. One is a 150-500 and the other is a 120-400.
 12/16/2014 09:03:18 PM · #3
300mm is a huge step up from 200mm: it's 50% longer. It gets you a LOT closer. The quality of the lenses available goes up more or less in line with the price.
 12/16/2014 10:01:37 PM · #4
I have the Tamron 70-300 (and also a 50D as well) and am very pleased with it. Reviews tend to rate it almost as good or slightly better than the Canon equivalent. I think one would be hard pressed to tell any difference, but I don't have the Canon lens to compare it to.

This was an uprgade for me from the Canon 55-250. What I got was an extra 50mm of reach (which was noticeable) and faster focusing, both of which were useful at airshows. This was shot with the Tammy at 249mm.


Message edited by author 2014-12-16 22:06:04.
 12/16/2014 10:31:39 PM · #5
Whatever you do get, make sure the lens is fast enough, since you're shooting wildlife :)
 12/16/2014 11:01:31 PM · #6
Yep, wildlife photography's bound to be one of the most expensive hobbies if you want to get magazine quality photos.

The gear cost is huge of course (500mm f/4.0 is probably the best, but $$$$), but traveling and going back over and over again to catch this or that species doing whatever they do is no piece of cake.

Something I'd probably like to do when I retire.

For the lens, I'd say the Sigma 150-500 mentioned above is your best bet for starters. When you find yourself getting the shot almost every time but it's grainy because of the high ISO and sometimes a little out of focus, time to remortgage the house or sell a kidney for the fast prime. lol
 12/16/2014 11:23:56 PM · #7
Alzo the longer lengths will likely require a tripod..
 12/17/2014 10:45:12 AM · #8
Originally posted by tanguera:
Alzo the longer lengths will likely require a tripod..


or very, very strong steady arms!!!
 12/17/2014 11:12:22 AM · #9
Thank you all. I would like to stay in the under $500.00ish range at the moment and I am finding lenses for anywhere from low $100's and up. I do have a tripod also. But then begins the confusion of Canon, Tamron, or Sigma, compatible with the 50d, with IS or not.
 12/17/2014 11:22:45 AM · #10
Originally posted by KMcC:
I would like to stay in the under $500.00ish range at the moment and I am finding lenses for anywhere from low $100's and up. I do have a tripod also. But then begins the confusion of Canon, Tamron, or Sigma, compatible with the 50d, with IS or not.


You can readily find a good 300mm zoom in that range. For wildlife, 300mm may be barely enough but it'll do for many subjects. As for compatibilty, any lens that is compatible with the Canon EF or EF-S mounts will work with a 50D. If you ever upgrade to a full frame camera, only the EF lenses will work (EF-S lenses only work on the cameras withbthe smaller aps-c sensors).
 12/17/2014 11:26:44 AM · #11
Early on, I bought an inexpensive canon zoom. I think it was the 75-300. It tended to not be very good at the long end of its reach. Read reviews and get opinionsnon any lens you are unfamiliar with. Checking reviews at dpreview.com is a good source, as is simply asking here on DPC.
 12/19/2014 01:35:40 PM · #12
Soooo I took a leap! This morning I purchased the Tamron 16-300MM F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro! Cannot wait to go play! Thanx for the help ya'll!
 12/19/2014 06:01:49 PM · #13
Originally posted by KMcC:
Soooo I took a leap! This morning I purchased the Tamron 16-300MM F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro! Cannot wait to go play! Thanx for the help ya'll!


Waaaa whoooo! We're gonna have fun with that!!!
 12/19/2014 06:11:10 PM · #14
16-300mm Macro? Is that right, and how does that work?
 12/19/2014 06:30:48 PM · #15
Originally posted by GeneralE:
16-300mm Macro? Is that right, and how does that work?


From what I understand it has a 1:2 ratio thus allowing you to get closer...the magnification on this baby is 18.8x...I'm really hoping it will be a marked improvement for Kim
 12/19/2014 06:34:11 PM · #16
eeek!
 12/19/2014 07:31:11 PM · #17
here is the info on the lens...it's pretty new. If your interested. But I think that bang for the buck it's a great choice. The speed isn't terrible and I'm really curious to see how it measures up for the distance!!!

I have the 18-270mm...and love it, which "ONLY" has a 15x zoom. (She's gonna beat the pants off me!!!) It's become my "walk-about" so I can get anything from landscape to birds in flight. Anything happens to that lens and guess what...
 12/19/2014 09:05:39 PM · #18
It would be hard to fit that lens to my camera ... :-)

It's good to remeber that the "x" in the zoom rating is the difference from widest to longest, not the amount of magnification from what you'd see naturally, like with a telescope.

My camera has "only" a 12x zoom, but because it starts at a not-very-wide 36mm (35mm EQ), it ends up being over 400mm at the long end. Your 15x example starts much wider, and so even with a higher "zoom factor" it still ends up considerably shorter than mine in the end.

FWIW my camera also has a "SuperMacro" function which allows it to focus on a subject touching the lens surface ...
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