I need advice on lenses

[Kakodrilo]

Hi Everybody!

After saving for a long time I have decided to jump into DSLR photography. I am considering purchasing a Canon EOS 500D. However, I am not fully sure about what lenses to buy with it. I would like to take some landscape images, probably sunsets or night city landscapes (Darling Harbour in Sydney is my goal) but also have a decent tele (at least 200mm). Anyway, after hours reading in magazines and online reviews I selected the following lenses:

- Canon EF 70-300 F:4-5.6 IS USM
- Canon EF-S 17-55 F:2.8 IS USM

I have read that better being away from the EF-S lenses if you are thinking on moving to full-frame some day, but I am not sure of my options with similar quality to the 17-55 (according to reviews in other website - address available on request).

As it is the very first time I will be taking photographs with a bulky and heavy camera (compared to P&S) I think I will need the IS to take the images. However, I am open to advice. Is it IS THAT important?

I am open to suggestions, you can guess the budget based on the lenses I have selected, plus a few more dollars I have for extras (bag, maybe filters...)

Looking forward to hearing your expert advise

Cheers,
Kakodrilo

[aim54x]

I would have no problems agreeing that the EF-S 17-55 IS is a nice piece of glass (having used a few examples) and the choice of the 70-300 IS is not a bad one either. However, can I suggest:

-EF 70-200mm f/4L (non-IS) - better quality than the 70-300 IS, but no IS
-EF 17-40mm f/4L - often regarded as Canon's sharpest zoom lens, full frame, better build, but no IS and F4 vs F2.8

These two lenses will give you a nice set of L glass for very much the same dollars (possibly a bit less from memory), and I cannot take anything away from these two lenses, being amongst my favs in the Canon line up. They are both full frame lenses, and both constant aperture lenses (I'd take F4L over F4-5.6 IS).

Is image stabilisation important? I would say yes and no...in some cases it can be the difference of getting a shot and not being able to get anything, but at the same time you can live without. When used within the limitations of what is possible IS is a great tool.

Hope this helps

[Kakodrilo]

Thanks Cameron for the quick reply. I love the idea of having L lenses, but I was not sure about the IS (whether it is important or not). Now I will go through the reviews of those lenses to make my mind up.

Thank you for the suggestions
Kakodrilo

[Chica]

Hi there
I'll leave it to the Canon experts to give thier ideas on lenses, but I noticed you said 'maybe filters'... I would strongly suggest you purchase good quality filters for all of your lenses... it is much cheaper to replace a scratched a filter than a lens! Also we rerally noticed the difference between average quality filters and the good ones, and think the price of the quality ones is warranted.

Cheers and have fun shopping!

Cathy

[Mr Darcy]

I would strongly suggest you purchase good quality filters for all of your lenses... it is much cheaper to replace a scratched a filter than a lens

I wouldn't. I have been using SLRs for over 40 years now, mostly without filters. I have yet to scratch a lens. Bodies yes. (bashed while rock climbing) Never a lens. Learn to take care of your gear instead. And use the (supplied) lens hood.

I do recommend a good circular polariser (CPL) though. Try to get all your lenses with the same filter size. It reduces to cost being able to swap them around. This filter has myriad uses.

Other gear.
You mention landscapes and nightscapes. Both will need a good tripod. I use a Gitzo, but Manfrotto and benro have a good rep & are significantly cheaper. Avoid the real cheapies like SLIK.

Also for nightscapes, a remote release is handy, though you can get by with the timer release built into the camera.

A bag is important, both to protect the gear on the road, and to give it a handy home when not in use. Lots of choices here, but get one a little bigger than your immediate needs. If you keep going with this hobby it will soon fill up. I use a Crumpler these days & find it excellent, but there are at least as many opinions of this as there are photographers (probably more as many use more than one bag.

[aim54x]

[quote="Mr Darcy" And use the (supplied) lens hood.[/quote]

not always the case with Canon gear....

IS can be seen as a double edged sword, helps you keep shooting when the light falls (for still objects) but cannot help you when you try to capture movement in low light. IS will help you to hold longer focal lengths as well. However it is an expensive option box to tick with the L glass (and most lenses in general).

[Mr Darcy]

And use the (supplied) lens hood.

not always the case with Canon gear....

And I use...

[aim54x]

And use the (supplied) lens hood.

not always the case with Canon gear....

And I use...

Yes we both belong to the dark (non-white lens) side....