[ravi_23]

Thanks, I was a bit confused between the 2 threads as mine was related with bridge camera. Will post the query there.

[samarjitdhar]

Is this thread also a good place to post queries about SLR lenses? I was looking at a 60D configuration on Amazon Amazon.com: Canon EOS 60D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD and 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS UD Standard Zoom Lens: Camera & Photo with a 18-200 mm lens. I confess I am a complete noob in this field. Would this lens be good for wildlife photography as well as close shots? Should one also invest in zoom lenses such as the Canon 70-300 telephoto zoom lens Amazon.com: Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras: Camera & Photo for wildlife photography? Inputs are appreciated.

[sachinj12]

Originally Posted by samarjitdhar

Is this thread also a good place to post queries about SLR lenses? I was looking at a 60D configuration on Amazon Amazon.com: Canon EOS 60D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD and 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS UD Standard Zoom Lens: Camera & Photo with a 18-200 mm lens. I confess I am a complete noob in this field. Would this lens be good for wildlife photography as well as close shots? Should one also invest in zoom lenses such as the Canon 70-300 telephoto zoom lens Amazon.com: Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras: Camera & Photo for wildlife photography? Inputs are appreciated.

If you are very serious about wild life, you need a minimum of 300mm to start with.

However, if you are looking at candid telephoto shots, say, a portrait or wildlife in zoos, the 18-200 or the 70-300 should do fine.

Keep in mind that the telephotos are extremely expensive. Please budget first and then hunt. Don't ignore the used market for lens.

Originally Posted by samarjitdhar

A quick question on the difference between the 18-200 and the 70-300 lenses. In a practical world what would be their applicability? I can understand the 18-200 has a better wide angle coverage, please correct me if I am wrong. Where would one use a 70-300 lens and how would it benefit? I know I am being lazy and I should do my own research but if somebody could post some good resources on lens descriptions and their practical application in the real world that would be great. Thanks in advance.

Yes, you are right. The 18-200 gives you more range across wide-angle and acceptable telephoto. Whereas the 70-300 starts with mid zoom and gives you more telephoto

As for the benefit, only you can answer. With the 18-200, your range is wide. You can use it for wide angle and telephoto too. With the 70-300 you compromise on wide angle.

I don't know much about the Canon systems as I am from the rival camp.

Canon boys should be able to guide you more on the lens.

[samarjitdhar]

Originally Posted by sachinj12

If you are very serious about wild life, you need a minimum of 300mm to start with.

However, if you are looking at candid telephoto shots, say, a portrait or wildlife in zoos, the 18-200 or the 70-300 should do fine.

Keep in mind that the telephotos are extremely expensive. Please budget first and then hunt. Don't ignore the used market for lens.

Yes, the initial research I did on these telephoto lenses look like I need to inherit some serious wealth or chance upon some hidden treasure in order to afford any of them . I guess I would like to start with the entry level ones before I plonk money on the serious telephoto ones.

A quick question on the difference between the 18-200 and the 70-300 lenses. In a practical world what would be their applicability? I can understand the 18-200 has a better wide angle coverage, please correct me if I am wrong. Where would one use a 70-300 lens and how would it benefit? I know I am being lazy and I should do my own research but if somebody could post some good resources on lens descriptions and their practical application in the real world that would be great. Thanks in advance.

[architect]

I am not sure if this is the right place to put this query:

I own a Canon EOS 500D, which was bought in Jan 2011 (also known as the Rebel T1i, I think). It has taken some 2500 shots so far (if that matters). I bought this camera along with the 18-55 VR kit lens for Rs 34,150/- when new. I have (subsequently) bought the el cheapo Canon 50 mm prime EF 1.8 lens for about Rs 6700/- in Nov 2012. Besides, I have UV filters (one Marumi, one Tiffen) for both these lenses.

I am happy with this camera and it has been a faithful companion. For certain reasons, I am contemplating selling off this entire kit. There is no quality issue / defect with any of the equipment.

What is a reasonable price I can expect for the entire lot? Thanks in Advance.

[Ricci]

Originally Posted by samarjitdhar

A quick question on the difference between the 18-200 and the 70-300 lenses. In a practical world what would be their applicability? I can understand the 18-200 has a better wide angle coverage, please correct me if I am wrong. Where would one use a 70-300 lens and how would it benefit? I know I am being lazy and I should do my own research but if somebody could post some good resources on lens descriptions and their practical application in the real world that would be great. Thanks in advance.

The 18-200 is the focal range, of which the 18-35mm is considered wide angle , 35-80mm the normal range with the 50mm as normal eye view focal length (actually like 46mm ), and 80mm+ as telephoto (sometimes further divided as near-telephoto from 80-120mm , mid telephoto as 120-200mm and long telephoto 200mm upwards ). Likewise focal length lower than 24mm are sometimes call UWA as in ultra-wide angle. This is in full frame terms though, crop sensor DSLRs change that a fair bit.

Here's a great resource for starters :
Focal length comparison on Nikon DX (1.5 crop factor) cameras
Equivalent Focal Length and Field of View
Telephoto Lens Focal Length Comparison

Disclaimer : no personal stake in Mansurov's blog , just that he's got a great blog and explains stuff well in simple terms and with diagrams. Competent photographer too !

[thewhiteknight]

Originally Posted by samarjitdhar

Is this thread also a good place to post queries about SLR lenses? I was looking at a 60D configuration on Amazon Amazon.com: Canon EOS 60D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD and 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS UD Standard Zoom Lens: Camera & Photo with a 18-200 mm lens. I confess I am a complete noob in this field. Would this lens be good for wildlife photography as well as close shots? Should one also invest in zoom lenses such as the Canon 70-300 telephoto zoom lens Amazon.com: Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras: Camera & Photo for wildlife photography? Inputs are appreciated.

Originally Posted by samarjitdhar

Yes, the initial research I did on these telephoto lenses look like I need to inherit some serious wealth or chance upon some hidden treasure in order to afford any of them . I guess I would like to start with the entry level ones before I plonk money on the serious telephoto ones.

A quick question on the difference between the 18-200 and the 70-300 lenses. In a practical world what would be their applicability? I can understand the 18-200 has a better wide angle coverage, please correct me if I am wrong. Where would one use a 70-300 lens and how would it benefit? I know I am being lazy and I should do my own research but if somebody could post some good resources on lens descriptions and their practical application in the real world that would be great. Thanks in advance.

@samarjitdhar

The body+kit lens you are getting are good for a noobe. For now, please do not even vaguely think of investing in new lens; Please please get conversant with the camera and kit lens before investing any money in lens. You can spend your money on a lot better things like filters, bags, cards, hoods, lens cleaners, tripods, monopods, and a lot more much much before a new lens.

Also, the lens you spoke about, the 70-300, does not come with IS and is not necessarily a 'good' lens, irrespective of the cost. Please realize you will need a sturdy base/tripod and good technique to get good pictures from it. For a crop cam, a 200mm lens behaves like a 250 mm lens. If you really really MUST get lens, dont! Save for the Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Lens. Its a good lens in terms of picture quality.

Honestly, the 18-200 gives you decent zoom and then if I HAD to, I would get the 50mm 1.8....the 18-200 would adequately cover zoom and I would not spend too much money on glass with the 50mm before I know what I am spending on.

Ofcourse, given complete freedom, I would only get the 60D body and for starters, the 50mm 1.8. Cheap with good pictures. Then I would save and get a L class zoom glass and I would have the best of all worlds.

EDIT: I just checked the prices on the canon site. a 60D body only is for 56,295 and 60D+18-200 IS is 92,995. A difference of 36700. :O My purchases here would be:
Canon 60D body only=56, 295
Canon 50mm 1.8 Lens=6700
Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM Lens=13570 (if you really really want zoom) or
Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens=29090

And then some more for bags, filters, tripods, and cards. And all these prices are from Flipkart.

[samarjitdhar]

Originally Posted by thewhiteknight

@samarjitdhar
Also, the lens you spoke about, the 70-300, does not come with IS and is not necessarily a 'good' lens, irrespective of the cost. Please realize you will need a sturdy base/tripod and good technique to get good pictures from it.

Wow thanks a ton for such excellent feedback. This is indeed helpful. I did check the 70-300 lens on Amazon and its listed as having IS. Right now I think am pretty far off from plonking so much money on my kit and am just doing some prelim research. I might just go for the 60D with the stock 18-200 kit for starters. Since I am getting interested in wildlife photography, will think of the 70-300 at a later stage.

[thewhiteknight]

Originally Posted by samarjitdhar

Wow thanks a ton for such excellent feedback. This is indeed helpful. I did check the 70-300 lens on Amazon and its listed as having IS. Right now I think am pretty far off from plonking so much money on my kit and am just doing some prelim research. I might just go for the 60D with the stock 18-200 kit for starters. Since I am getting interested in wildlife photography, will think of the 70-300 at a later stage.

Glad I could help. And yes you are right, the 70-300 does come with IS. My bad.

[neoonwheels]

Originally Posted by samarjitdhar

Wow thanks a ton for such excellent feedback. This is indeed helpful. I did check the 70-300 lens on Amazon and its listed as having IS. Right now I think am pretty far off from plonking so much money on my kit and am just doing some prelim research. I might just go for the 60D with the stock 18-200 kit for starters. Since I am getting interested in wildlife photography, will think of the 70-300 at a later stage.

If you are kind of a newbie, why are putting 56K into the Body? Look at 550D or entry level DSLR (1100D) first. That would save quite a few bucks to buy you L series lens.

[Night_Hawk]

Well, I finally got my hand on the Canon 550D with the lens kit (EF-S 18-55mm Lens). I also purchased Canon EF-S 55-250mm IS -II Telephoto Zoom Lens. This is my first DSLR and i am trying to get comfortable with the camera itself. Thanks for all inputs received on this forum which made my decision making easy.
Cost:
36.5 K for 550D+ 18-55mm lens+ battery with all standard accessories and 4GB card
15K for 55-250mm lens
Free: Bag + 16GB card + 2 UV filters + 2 hoods+ Lens cleaning kit

My bargaining skills are pathetic; have i paid more ???

[pawan_pullarwar]

Originally Posted by clevermax

I think it should be okay if it is a small scratch in the front element, it is not going to affect the images in any noticeable way at all. (From my experience using a friend's lens with scratched front element, a tiny scratch which ran along the center of the glass to the side)

Originally Posted by R2D2

Firstly a small scratch on the front element will not affect the image except whilst shooting into the sun or bright light when the scratch may cause a minor flare. Nothing you cannot fix during PPing with LR/PS.

But getting a 1 year old lens that costs nearly Rs 1.4-1.5 lakhs (it is the superb F/2.8 IS II isn't it?) for just Rs 60K is a great deal. Be sure to use a good quality filter to protect the front element once you are done with your purchase. Good luck!

Originally Posted by kartikk

If the mechanics are fine and the lens performs well in test shots then you are lucky for 60k this is out right steal, but a purist pixel peeper will spot any difference. This Canon baby is a very famed one and retails here in India for about 1.4lacs if you need to even check how good the lens is Canon authorised dealer will charge 3K just to touch this lens forget repairing/changing parts etc..

Originally Posted by robimahanta

Pawan
60k for a 70-200 2.8IS MkII seems like an awesome deal. Usually Canon L glass retains good value and sell for atleast 70% of its market value (doesnt matter how old it is)
Just make sure it doesnt have any focus issues and is sharp wide open. I ve seen people selling damaged lenses so if you trust your friend, go for it.
Check out the following link though:
70-200 2.8 is II - HELP

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen

Sad to see this. If possible, suggest try out some frames at higher aperture (f11 and above). Try some backlit frames. Early morning or late afternoon sun. Allow the light to hit the lens. If possible, employ a tripod.

If you find nothing disturbing, go ahead. I'm keen to see the results.

Originally Posted by R2D2

Ouch! Those scratches are bad! And since they look to be concentric circles there's a very good chance they will cause flare when shooting into bright lights/sunsets etc.

This is just a guess, but the concentric circles seem to have been made by someone (the child?) using a smaller lens cap and turning it around.


You know what Pawan, if I were you I would give this lens a miss. Sad end for a beautiful lens. BTW, a new but similar model offered by Canon should cost you about 80-90K. This particular model may have been phased out.

Cheers!

PS - This is why I always suggest installing a UV filter on the lens to protect the front element.

Attached are the images from the lens at F11. He sent me some personal images as well, scratches are not visible. Lines in the first image is cable and not scratch.

[Fordmanchau]

Originally Posted by Night_Hawk

My bargaining skills are pathetic; have i paid more ???

Did you buy it offline from a retail store ?
Why didn't you buy it online from Ebay/Letsbuy/flipkart, etc ?
I think last week only the 550D was on offer for 33,900/- on ebay.
I am not sure about the lens, but for the camera it seems you have overpaid a little.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by pawan_pullarwar

Attached are the images from the lens at F11. He sent me some personal images as well, scratches are not visible. Lines in the first image is cable and not scratch.

Pawan, scratches on the front element will not be visible in images. Contrary to what most people believe, it is scratches, fungus or dust on the rear element that show up on the image. Also what's the halo in the 3rd image? As mentioned earlier, damage to the coating (the concentric scratches) may cause flare when shooting into bright light.

Cheers!

[pawan_pullarwar]

Originally Posted by R2D2

Pawan, scratches on the front element will not be visible in images. Contrary to what most people believe, it is scratches, fungus or dust on the rear element that show up on the image. Also what's the halo in the 3rd image? As mentioned earlier, damage to the coating (the concentric scratches) may cause flare when shooting into bright light.

Cheers!

3rd image is the sun partially covered against the wall. What is your suggeation, should I pay 55k for it?