my 18 year old lens is dead. what now?

[Isaiahfortythirtyone]

my dad bought an EOS650 in 1987 i think. it came with an EF 35-70mm 3.5-4.5 lens. and what a surprise i had when i saw it was a metal mount! i mean, 18 years ago, they had metal mounts on kit lenses. now it's plastic.

anyway, my dad left the cam and the lens uncared for for 2-3 years. no dry box, nothing. just in some dank cupboard. i too completely forgot it even existed. until a few weeks ago when i was clearing out the cupboard, i found the cam! the cam works fine. just that the lens couldnt focus. so i suspected it was a fungus problem.

i sent it to canon, and they told me the camera was in great shape. no problems whatsoever. they cleaned it and serviced it for me. but the lens....was beyond repair. fungus can't be removed.:dunno: oh well. i was hoping that i could still use this great film slr body.

so now that my lens is dead, i need a new lens. i can't use my digital lens cos its a 18-200sigma DC. and i only have one more 50mm f/1.8.

what would be your recommendations for a cheap and good lens that would be suitable for the EOS650 body? doesn't have to be too long a zoom range. just something usable, decent shots, general workhorse lens.

 

[shinken]

Your 50mm 1.8!

 

[Isaiahfortythirtyone]

haha. yah i know. but no zoom leh. not really an all-purpose lens

 

[moos blues]

i would suggest EF 28-105mm f/3.5 - 4.5 USM MkII

good range, nice to use, fast focusing, Full time manual and internal focus...really a giveaway when its second hand, when i got mine first hand it was 650$+ sigh. It give a warmer tone when used, esp on kodak film. this lens is really sweet at F8. =)

I've used this lens like everywhere.. really great it grows on u...




wider stuff would be sigma's 24-105mm i think, EF 24-85mm USM F/3.5-4.5 (>400$?)

or if you want IS u can the EF 28-135mm IS USM (600$)

 

[shinken]

haha. yah i know. but no zoom leh. not really an all-purpose lens

If I were you, I would stick to the 50mm. The 350D with the Sigma wide-angle/tele zoom for convenience and exploration, and the Film SLR with prime as my training. I will use both simultaneously. DSLR to confirm my exposure, film DSLR to train my composition. After some time, I will use the 50mm with SLR film independently. You can gain lots of insights on perspectives using primes, while the nature of SLR (demanding 1 shot 1 kill) is definitely discipline instilling.

After all, you already have your all purpose 350D with your all purpose 18-200?

 

[Isaiahfortythirtyone]

If I were you, I would stick to the 50mm. The 350D with the Sigma wide-angle/tele zoom for convenience and exploration, and the Film SLR with prime as my training. I will use both simultaneously. DSLR to confirm my exposure, film DSLR to train my composition. After some time, I will use the 50mm with SLR film independently. You can gain lots of insights on perspectives using primes, while the nature of SLR (demanding 1 shot 1 kill) is definitely discipline instilling.

After all, you already have your all purpose 350D with your all purpose 18-200?

hmm yah thats a good point actually. but the main thing is not really me. it's my dad. i tink im gonna use the 350D more. then my dad will complain 'why no zoom?' haha. it's hard to convince him that his beloved 18 year old lens has really died. LOL. yeah....will ask him la. see how

 

[shinken]

If that's the case, maybe a Tamron 28-200 should serve your dad well. Not sure if its meant for DSLR only though, but used going for abt 200 the last time I saw it.

 

[Stoned]

i think it's only meant for aps-c sized sensors. Try the tamron SP 24-135. Great lens! <400 on BnS

 

[Adam Goi]

Hi.

You may wish to consider a used EF 28-105mm ...

 

[Isaiahfortythirtyone]

hmm....what would you say about the sigma 28-105 f/2.8-4? it's an old lens no doubt. but from what i've read online, the optics seem good, even with the lack of SLD glass.

 

[binbeto]

Maybe get a 3rd party f/2.8 zoom.
Sigma EX 28-70/2.8 or
Tokina ATX pro 28-70/2.6-2.8

Your dad will thank you for the bright viewfinder.