[navin]

[quote=smokie;1907833Superzooms trade image quality for convenience. Can't have both. So, if you have no problems carrying a second body around, I would recommend that.[/QUOTE]

Nice to know someone thinks I made sense when I suggested a 2nd body.

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

Sir if you are ok with the 1/1.6 format, I have already gave you an option with super zoom!!!

Case1: Body1 with 17-55, Body2 with 70-300. Still you have to make a lens change to use the 10-24!!

the canon 28-300 IS USM costs around $2400 in US.

If your hassy kit has a tele-lens in it, why dont you bring it down from USA sir and buy a flatbed scanner like the Epson V700. Scan and crop to get the same field of view as the APS-C sensor!!!

1. I have only 2 Hassie lenses the 80mm and the 160mm. It is bulky camera. Fine for shooting architenture and stuff that does not move but for animals and kids a DSLR with fast AF is what you need.

2. A 1/1.6 is tolerable only for a COMPACT P&S like a S90 not a big one like a HS10 etc... I carry a S90 in my briefcase to work. It is small enough and fast enough for my regular use. Besides most of the super zooms P&S cameras have a 1/2.5 sensor? Know any that ahve a 20x+ zoom and a 1/1.6 sensor?

3. Second body with 70-300 is ok with me. 1st body has 70-300. I have a friend who has a 550 and I am going to borrow it from June 7-9 and see if I can put 2 bodies with lenses attached into my Kata (along with a 10-24, Flash and other accessories). I like the fact that the 550 has video.

Right now it looks like I will get a second body and a 10-22. I assume the combo will cost me about Rs. 60-65K in India. For that price I could get the 100-400 which is superb for safaris! Man I wish I was made of money. I got the tounge of a giraffe using this lens. That is how close you can get. 400x1.6 = 560!

The 28-300 at $2500 makes little sense. I thought it'd be about $1000. but I see the Tamron VC version is $600 or so and it has a very narrow usable range (f/8-f/16). I like my lenses to have atleast a 4x (f/4-f/16 or f5.6-f/22) usable range so I can control DOF which means I like lenses that are atleast f/4 as I rarely like to use them wide open.

I really wish Canon made a 55-250/3.5-4.5 using 77mm glass at the price of the 70-200/4 IS.

When I am shooting wide than 28mm (17mm x 1.6) it is planned so I can put the 10-24 on a body in advance. It is the 17-55 to 70-200 / 70-300 switch I usually do outdoors.

You know how I got started on this quest?

a. I got dust in my sensor - twice. Both times during a outdoor animal shoot.
b. I saw the 550D and the 18-135 came as a kit for $400 extra so that got me thinking about a 10x zoom (aka the 18-200). Only thing that bugged me about the 550D, other than the price, is that is used a different battery so I'd have to carry 2 chargers and battery sets.

Oh and please stop calling me Sir. We aren't that formal here.

[navin_bhp]

Originally Posted by navin

3. The 28-300 makes a lot of sense compared to the 18-200 given that the 28-300 will still be useable on FF. However I really would like to know if one should even get a superzoom. If I got a second body and carried the 17-55 on one body and 70-300 on the other I'd have my range covered.

Now that the 28-300 is in the mix I got 3 lens options 1 Tamron (18-270) and 2 Canon (18-200 or 28-300). I wont consider the Bigmas as they are slow and have terrible distortion (I tried the 50-500 once). I come from a medium format - prime lens background. I am senstive to such things more than I wish to be.

Hi Navin,

My need was almost same as yours.
1) 1 lens to do it all without loosing image quality.
2) Eliminate dust and lens change.
3) Cover maximum range with minimum no of lenses.

I ended up with 1D mark II with Canon 10-22 USM, 28-300 IS USM and 100 2.8 macro. I carry these on a lowepro fastpack 350 that also holds my laptop.

The canon 10-22 is amazing lens. Lovely color and contrast. I had to replace the 10-22's ef-s mount with an ef mount to be used with my 1D mkII. Its pretty much usable at 12-22 range on a 1.3 crop sensor of my 1D. The 40D shouldn't have this problem.

Now about the 28-300 IS USM, first thing I should say is it is heavy!. Though I got used to it now I still feel it is very heavy along with my 1D. I absolutely love the range, the IS, fast focus and image quality but the only compromise is the weight that you will be carrying. The push 'n' pull mechanism for zooming also requires some practice(like 100-400). The bottom line is it's a very capable lens but buy it only if you can handle the weight. Another problem is that with a white lens in hand you end up attracting everyone around while taking pics. You can get a used one for about 1000$ cheaper.

The Tamron's 18-270 range is tempting but nothing like owning an L lens. If weight is a major concern then Tamron should be on top of the list.

If you feel comfortable and practical carrying two bodies and like the 2.8 fixed aperture then try the 40D with 70-200 2.8 IS(heavy again) and 550D with the 17-55 2.8 IS.

[livyodream]

Guys, need some suggestion and clarification

I recently bought a canon 55-250 IS lens and i wanna buy a filter for it. I checked on ebay and there are varieties of filters . Any Idea on which one shud i buy?
What are these ? :

ND4 Filter
58mm uv filter
UV FILTER MARUMI 58MM
72mm CPL Filter

what does ND4 mean? what is uv filter? what is cpl filter?

And where will I find the width or dia of the lens? I suppose it is specific to the lens (Like 52,53,58,77 etc) whats the dia of 55-250?

I just need a filter for lens protection. please recommend (Specific to canon 1000D, Canon 18-55, canon 55-250IS )

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by livyodream

Guys, need some suggestion and clarification

I recently bought a canon 55-250 IS lens and i wanna buy a filter for it. I checked on ebay and there are varieties of filters . Any Idea on which one shud i buy?
What are these ? :

ND4 Filter
58mm uv filter
UV FILTER MARUMI 58MM
72mm CPL Filter

what does ND4 mean? what is uv filter? what is cpl filter?

And where will I find the width or dia of the lens? I suppose it is specific to the lens (Like 52,53,58,77 etc) whats the dia of 55-250?

I just need a filter for lens protection. please recommend (Specific to canon 1000D, Canon 18-55, canon 55-250IS )

You will find the diameter at the back of the lens cap. 55-250 has 58 dia i think. You need to get a filter corresponding to that.

If you want a filter for lens protection, then get the UV filter. It also helps cut out the haze that you might see in landscape shots.

For more information on filters, google is your uncle

Photography 101.org - Lens Filters Explained
Lens Filters Explained | FreePhotoResources - Photography Blog

And many more. Just google for "lens filters explained"

[kkr2k2]

Originally Posted by navin

......
1. I have only 2 Hassie lenses the 80mm and the 160mm. It is bulky camera. Fine for shooting architenture and stuff that does not move but for animals and kids a DSLR with fast AF is what you need.

I think I should have asked it before, what was your purpose!!!

2. A 1/1.6 is tolerable only for a COMPACT P&S like a S90 not a big one like a HS10 etc... I carry a S90 in my briefcase to work. It is small enough and fast enough for my regular use.

haayin!!! you never said this before. Still the prosumer PS cameras are way smaller than the second DSLR with a kit lens, which you were considering in the first place and also space in your kata, now you can carry some extra lens if you wish to!!!

Besides most of the super zooms P&S cameras have a 1/2.5 sensor? Know any that ahve a 20x+ zoom and a 1/1.6 sensor?

Saar( heheheeee!! ) this is not fair. You were talking about 10X zoom earlier now changed that to 20!!!

Well, I wasnt suggesting HS10. Was I?? I am suggesting Fuji S200EXR. It comes with 1/1.6" and 14X zoom!!! I repeat still it occupies lesser space than a DSLR!!!

3. Second body with 70-300 is ok with me. 1st body has 70-300. I have a friend who has a 550 and I am going to borrow it from June 7-9 and see if I can put 2 bodies with lenses attached into my Kata (along with a 10-24, Flash and other accessories). I like the fact that the 550 has video.

Video?? Even the 500D has the video option. But I guess you are decided on the 550D!!

Right now it looks like I will get a second body and a 10-22. I assume the combo will cost me about Rs. 60-65K in India. For that price I could get the 100-400 which is superb for safaris!

go get it baby!!! Do you think you can manage with S90 instead of Body1 + 17-55 lens when you are out in the jungle!! In that case you can use the 100-400 with the 40D. When you want the wide use the 10-22 as you plan in advance but default keep the body for the 100-400!!!

Man I wish I was made of money. I got the tounge of a giraffe using this lens. That is how close you can get.

Yes I too got the nose ring(sharp!!) when I tried portrait pics with this lens..... lol

400x1.6 = 560!

Thats a very hot topic I would like to discuss it sometime with you.

The 28-300 at $2500 makes little sense. I thought it'd be about $1000. but I see the Tamron VC version is $600 or so and it has a very narrow usable range (f/8-f/16). I like my lenses to have atleast a 4x (f/4-f/16 or f5.6-f/22) usable range so I can control DOF which means I like lenses that are atleast f/4 as I rarely like to use them wide open.

Ah!! This reminds me of: "Cheap and Reliable is not Fast, Cheap and Fast is not Reliable, Fast and Reliable is not Cheap!"

I really wish Canon made a 55-250/3.5-4.5 using 77mm glass at the price of the 70-200/4 IS.

Ah!! I came across only the people who used the manual lenses talk these terms - glass, blades,... I guess the bigger glass and f-stops are related to each other in the manufacturing point of view!! Though not 77mm glass, the 55-250 satisfies the f/4 criteria. BTW, did you meant f/4 at the tele???

You know how I got started on this quest?

a. I got dust in my sensor - twice. Both times during a outdoor animal shoot.
b. I saw the 550D and the 18-135 came as a kit for $400 extra so that got me thinking about a 10x zoom (aka the 18-200). Only thing that bugged me about the 550D, other than the price, is that is used a different battery so I'd have to carry 2 chargers and battery sets.

I guess every photography hobbyist has a similarly interesting chain of quirks/events. In my case, I thought I would never look in the direction of DSLR(though i was starting to feel the limitations of my P&S camera!!) as I may end up spending cash on the lenses till I got to know about M42!!! Then the mad rush started towards choosing the DSLR. Later decided, I should go the film route(I will buy the DSLR when I can spend for a FF DSLR!!):
1. Low entry cost.
2. Compact size.
3. no Batteries required, hurray, I need not worry about the cables(I hate them!!)
4. The film can produce amazing gray tones!! (I hope the terminology is correct!!)
Attachment 356883
5. amazing lenses as cheap as 300/- a piece!!!

So by taking film route, in the last one year, I ended up buying:
One Rangefinder(Canon canonet QL19), two pentax SLRs(K1000 and SP), one half frame camera(oly pen), 3 view finder cameras(kodak brownie, oly trip35, yashica MF2!!!).

Now I am behind the lenses:
currently I am having - one zenit 50mm f/1.8, one helios 44m 58f/2, jupiter-9 85f/2, one vivitar 28-70 macro and looking forward for a Industar 50mm pancake.

Oh and please stop calling me Sir. We aren't that formal here.

Yes i will avoid(??) now onwards!!!

[navin]

Originally Posted by navin_bhp

I ended up with 1D mark II with Canon 10-22 USM, 28-300 IS USM and 100 2.8 macro. I carry these on a lowepro fastpack 350 that also holds my laptop.

The canon 10-22 is amazing lens.
Now about the 28-300 IS USM, first thing I should say is it is heavy!.

The Tamron's 18-270 range is tempting but nothing like owning an L lens. If weight is a major concern then Tamron should be on top of the list.

If you feel comfortable and practical carrying two bodies and like the 2.8 fixed aperture then try the 40D with 70-200 2.8 IS(heavy again) and 550D with the 17-55 2.8 IS.

At $2500 for a new lens the 28-300 is out. Currently my 40D (with BG2EN) works very well with lenses like the 17-55, 70-200/2.8, and 100-400. The last 2 I borrow from my niece. I have the 70-300 when I travel or when my niece needs her lenses and cannot lend me the same and the primes for when I have the time to use them for the tack sharp images they produce.

The 10-22 will fill in as a wide angle. I compared it to the Tokina 11-16 Pro lens and the 10-22 had a faster AF on my 40D. At f/4 the Tokina was little bit sharper as it was a stop down from it's max aperture but at f/5.6 and more then Canon had caught up with the Tokina sample I used. The 10-22 not a FF lens and that stalled my decision. I already have 1 APS-C lens.

If I get a 550D (or any other APS-C body) and 10-22 I will be well and truly commited to the APS-C format. Which does not bother me ....yet. I wish the 550D had a tilt screen like the Nikon D5000. Liveview and video would really be fun then.

[navin]

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

I am suggesting Fuji S200EXR. It comes with 1/1.6" and 14X zoom!!!

go get it baby!!! Do you think you can manage with S90 instead of Body1 + 17-55 lens when you are out in the jungle.

Though not 77mm glass, the 55-250 satisfies the f/4 criteria. BTW, did you meant f/4 at the tele???

Now I am behind the lenses:
currently I am having - one zenit 50mm f/1.8, one helios 44m 58f/2, jupiter-9 85f/2, one vivitar 28-70 macro and looking forward for a Industar 50mm pancake.

I will look at the S200. I read that as the F200EXR. Sorry.

I have carried a 40D/BG2EN, 17-55, 70-200, 100-400, BP511 batteries, torches, water, food, a yoga mat to sleep on, and more on my back while treking 30-40 km per day with my niece and her buddies.

The current 55-250/4-5.6 is not usable at 5.6. It is too soft at 5.6 on the tele end. By using 30% more glass area they'd have enough light to push the aperture up a bit to say f/4 or at worst f/4.5. But I fear that Canon will hate to canabalise sales of the killer 70-200/4 with a 55-250/4 hence I suggested the 3.5-4.5 instead.

Well we carry extra batteries and you carry lots of film. I find if I carry 2 charged BP batteries in my BG2EN and 4 more in my backpack I can go for 10 days and over 32 GB of photos quite safely.

[Abbas]

Guys i have a canon 1000D with 18-55 non IS lens. i am about to shoot cricket players photos while in action this weekend or the next. As you know i would be out of the field and will have to shoot from quite a distance. Which lens do you think should be suitable for this? The 18-55 is not suitable as i can`t zoom in much. also, do i need IS for this kind of shooting or else just a high zoom lens would work?

[pramodkumar]

Originally Posted by Abbas

Guys i have a canon 1000D with 18-55 non IS lens. i am about to shoot cricket players photos while in action this weekend or the next. As you know i would be out of the field and will have to shoot from quite a distance. Which lens do you think should be suitable for this? The 18-55 is not suitable as i can`t zoom in much. also, do i need IS for this kind of shooting or else just a high zoom lens would work?

You need a 70-300 at least and a tripod.


Pramod

[kkr2k2]

Originally Posted by Abbas

Guys i have a canon 1000D with 18-55 non IS lens. i am about to shoot cricket players photos while in action this weekend or the next. As you know i would be out of the field and will have to shoot from quite a distance. Which lens do you think should be suitable for this? The 18-55 is not suitable as i can`t zoom in much. also, do i need IS for this kind of shooting or else just a high zoom lens would work?

The moment you start thinking about a tele-lens, the first thing you should think about is a sturdy tripod!!

Then there are two options for tele lens:
1. Tele primes.
2. Tele Zooms.

Tele primes(Personally I would prefer primes!!):
1. EF 300 f/4L IS USM,
2. EF 400mm f/5.6L USM (cheaper of the two!!)

Tele Zoom:
1. EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
2. EF100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM(cheapest of the three!!)
3. EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM(expensive of the three!!)

There is one more tele zoom, EF75-300mm f/4-5.6 III (cheapest of all options) but I heard the AF motor is slow and consumes lot of power. You can also look at EF-S55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS, supposedly better than 75-300!! I have used the 55-250 on a 1000D. At the 250mm, I noticed purple fringing if you crop the image for the lack of the extra tele range!! Someone mentioned that this could be eliminated with custom white balance but I am still at auto white balance level!!!

Originally Posted by navin

Well we carry extra batteries and you carry lots of film. I find if I carry 2 charged BP batteries in my BG2EN and 4 more in my backpack I can go for 10 days and over 32 GB of photos quite safely.

I hardly shoot a roll or two a day but its all because of economics I am with film for now. I agree DSLR is more convinient unless there is a nuclear war / electro magnetic radiation / extremely cold temperatures like the north pole!!!. But what would you do with 32GB of photos clicked!! Browse and select the nice ones out of those hundreds of them and still retain many others!!!
oops I hope I dont start the classical, digital Vs Film, which is better argument.(esp. when three or four mods regularly visit this thread!!! )

[navin]

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

But what would you do with 32GB of photos clicked!!

When you are out shooting dolphin, orka, or other wild animals I just go into sports mode (if there is enough light) and run the shutter at 6fps. Then you are able to get a few good shots.

In my film days I had to buy a Oly fixed lens reflex camera (I think it was called the IS20DLX) to shoot dolphin. Out of a roll of 36 I got 2-3 good shots and the captain of the boat said I was lucky. He had bet I'd get nothing.

BTW I shoot at 10MP JPG mode. RAW requires processing to be used in my PS3 and I do not print or even uplaod photos to the net so JPG size is not an issue. In the film days my dad used Kodakchrome slide film and a projector. I replaced the projector wit the PS3, the screen with a LCD TV and the camera with a DSLR. It is the same family fun and family time oohing and aahing over vacation photos over kulfi and gajjar ka halwa only the process is digital.

[14000rpm]

Originally Posted by 14000rpm

for the most part, the 1000D is sold with the kit lens which is 18-55mm unless you specifically ask for just the body. in that case, the 18-55 lens can be called option.

and now , I ended up buying a Canon 1000D with 18-55 lens.
the first place I went to was an art museum. check out pix and give me feedback please. this is my 1st tryst with DSLR's.

[harishsegar]

Navin,

Second camera option is suitable only if you cannot plan the shot or if you need to quickly swap focal length. The flip side is the weight of carrying (cameras, batteries, chargers etc). It purely depends on the type of photography you do.

I shoot with a 5Dmk2 and a 400D. The 400D has a generic zoom lens (55-250IS) which i use in case i quickly need to swap and take a pic. eg: I am shooting macro with my main camera and i spot a bird/butterfly nearby and cant move position / change lens. All main pictures are taken on the 5Dmk2. It really doesnt take much time to change lenses once you get used to it.

Again, its purely dependant on the type of pictures you take and the money you are willing to spend.

[navin]

Originally Posted by harishsegar

The 400D has a generic zoom lens (55-250IS) which i use in case i quickly need to swap and take a pic. eg: I am shooting macro with my main camera and i spot a bird/butterfly nearby and cant move position / change lens. All main pictures are taken on the 5Dmk2. It really doesnt take much time to change lenses once you get used to it.

Again, its purely dependant on the type of pictures you take and the money you are willing to spend.

Well I shoot kids (school stuff) and animals (at sea and on land). I need to change lenses fast and my camera are exposed to dust and spray so changing lenses quickly is not easy - like while being rocked in a small sail boat.

[shazikon]

Originally Posted by livyodream

Guys, need some suggestion and clarification

I recently bought a canon 55-250 IS lens and i wanna buy a filter for it. I checked on ebay and there are varieties of filters . Any Idea on which one shud i buy?
What are these ? :

ND4 Filter
58mm uv filter
UV FILTER MARUMI 58MM
72mm CPL Filter

what does ND4 mean? what is uv filter? what is cpl filter?

And where will I find the width or dia of the lens? I suppose it is specific to the lens (Like 52,53,58,77 etc) whats the dia of 55-250?

I just need a filter for lens protection. please recommend (Specific to canon 1000D, Canon 18-55, canon 55-250IS )

ND stands for Neutral Density which evens out the amount of light entering the lens. ex: this lens helps in normalizing harsh light reflecting from a water falls and makes it appear smooth..this is not used always. so for general purpose usage, use a UV lens. you can also use a circular polarizer in bright day light to get good contrast.
dia of lens is given on the outer ring of the lens. ex:56 mm, 77 mm so on..