Affordable starter lens?


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Brandon

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Mar 12, 2004
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Hi Cs'ers

I'm looking to expand/upgrade my lenses. The problem is, I have a limited budget and little knowledge of lens quality and market price.

Here's my current equipment:
fuji S5000
Canon EOS 300
EF 28-80 f/3.5-4.5
EF50 f/1.8

As I'm going for an overseas trip in the end of june, I'm slightly inclined to wide angle zoom side for sceneries and buildings.

Budget would be $200-$250 max and second hand items are most welcome.

I will appreciate all the helps/ suggestions :)

Many thanks in advance

Cheers
 

Here's my 2cent worth... you can try selling your 28-80 and try getting a second hand Tamron 24-135. It's a good range for travelling and you will prob just need one lens (you can bring the light 50mm along just in case for low light situation). A second hand Tamron prob cost about 450 but I think it's a worthwhile investment considering the good optics.
 

leadwe said:
Here's my 2cent worth... you can try selling your 28-80 and try getting a second hand Tamron 24-135. It's a good range for travelling and you will prob just need one lens (you can bring the light 50mm along just in case for low light situation). A second hand Tamron prob cost about 450 but I think it's a worthwhile investment considering the good optics.

Thanks leadwe. I was actually very interested in that lens (24-135) but held back due to limited budget. Any idea how much 28-80 can fetch?

anymore suggestions from others?? :)
 

ups ups :embrass:

anyone??? :sweat:
 

Brandon said:
ups ups :embrass:

anyone??? :sweat:
Hi, i believe ur EOS 300 is a film one rite? (Sorry, dunno much about the film models...) I think the 28mm setting on ur 28-80 should be wide enough for the time being because of your budget constrains. the 28-80 seems to be quite a good range actually... I recommend you stay with this lens and keep saving till your can get the better optics like the 28-135 IS USM (I think it is better) or even the 24-70L! Cheers!
 

actaully 28mm is very wide already on a film camera.

starter lens ? i was gonna recommend 50/1.8 but you already have it. let's put it this way - 50/1.8 is the most professional starter lens you can find.
 

Thanks nickmak and sequitur :thumbsup:
 

Your budget is pretty limited...I was about to recommend the EF 28-105 f/3.5-4.5 USM but it's not much longer + wider + optically faster than the 28-80 you already own.

You'll need to increase your budget, or else the lenses you already own are pretty much what you can work with.
 

Ah Pao said:
Your budget is pretty limited...I was about to recommend the EF 28-105 f/3.5-4.5 USM but it's not much longer + wider + optically faster than the 28-80 you already own.

You'll need to increase your budget, or else the lenses you already own are pretty much what you can work with.

Yup, pretty much agree with you about the budget. So now I'm thinking of selling my 28-80 to get tamron 24-135. Will definitely go over original budget....... :cry:
 

Brandon said:
Hi Cs'ers

I'm looking to expand/upgrade my lenses. The problem is, I have a limited budget and little knowledge of lens quality and market price.

Here's my current equipment:
fuji S5000
Canon EOS 300
EF 28-80 f/3.5-4.5
EF50 f/1.8

As I'm going for an overseas trip in the end of june, I'm slightly inclined to wide angle zoom side for sceneries and buildings.

Budget would be $200-$250 max and second hand items are most welcome.

I will appreciate all the helps/ suggestions :)

Many thanks in advance

Cheers


Hi Brandon,

May I suggest using what you currently own and instead concentrate on the composition. I don't know what you intend to capture while on your holiday but I'm sure the lenses you have will do a fine job. If you're daring enough, zoom with your feet and use the 50mm. Ultimately, it's the photographer that makes the picture rather than the equipment. :)

Hewland
 

Hewland said:
Ultimately, it's the photographer that makes the picture rather than the equipment. :)

Hewland

I agree with that. but sometimes feet can't bring you to places where zoom can ;)

And here's my analogy on that prevalent "photographers matter, not equipment" :
give a professional soldier a knife, he will never be able to bring down a tank. Give a small kid bazooka, he may not know how to use it.

So for me it must be factors of both (equipment and users) to deliver result :)

I may not know how to use "bazooka" yet but I guess I can upgrade myself to "semi automatic" already :sweat:
 

Try getting a Tokina 19-35 for $250 2nd hand. It should fill out your range and allow you the opportunity for some dramatic travel shots.
 

True, but really what do you plan to photo during your trip? I think if you could decide on a theme it would really help u... For me when i went to bali i planned to photograph mostly the mountains and not the beaches of bali... kinda strange but it made me focus much on what to bring and it does help...

Hope this helps.
 

Thank you for the advice zerstorer and nickmak, will consider what you both said :)
 

Hi, you could follow this thread: http://www.forum.clubsnap.com/showthread.php?t=73514&highlight=24-135

Someone is selling a Tamron 24-135 Canon mount lens at $450, my advise is sell the 28-80 and get this lens... its wider and longer at the same time! :bsmilie: I dunno if this lens still on sale here or not...

Hope this helps!
 

nickmak said:
Hi, you could follow this thread: http://www.forum.clubsnap.com/showthread.php?t=73514&highlight=24-135

Someone is selling a Tamron 24-135 Canon mount lens at $450, my advise is sell the 28-80 and get this lens... its wider and longer at the same time! :bsmilie: I dunno if this lens still on sale here or not...

Hope this helps!

Thanks Nickmak, that's exactly what I''m going to do ;)
 

Brandon said:
I agree with that. but sometimes feet can't bring you to places where zoom can ;)

And here's my analogy on that prevalent "photographers matter, not equipment" :
give a professional soldier a knife, he will never be able to bring down a tank. Give a small kid bazooka, he may not know how to use it.

So for me it must be factors of both (equipment and users) to deliver result :)

I may not know how to use "bazooka" yet but I guess I can upgrade myself to "semi automatic" already :sweat:

when a professional soldier armed with a knife, he will have more use of it than what a small kid can do with it. and he will run away from the tank, why engage it in the first place?

Another school of thought, have you used your 28-80mm/50mm enough to 'see it' without looking thru yr viewfinder? no doubt you will miss some shots without a longer telephoto/zoom for your trip.

Try getting this 2 books for ideas 'learning to see creatively' and 'home photography'.
 

Snowcrash said:
when a professional soldier armed with a knife, he will have more use of it than what a small kid can do with it. and he will run away from the tank, why engage it in the first place?

Exactly my point, without proper tool, even the most skilled photographer can't do certain things :)

Thanks for the book recommendations. Are they available in National library?? Will try to look it up :thumbsup:
 

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