Recommend me a beginner zoom lens

[ngck12]

Hi all,
Currently im disappointed with my tamron 28-200 as the sharpness isnt there.
I've listed out 3 possible lens which im considering.
1. Sigma 70-300 macro
2. canon 75-300 USM
3. canon 55-250 IS

Which is the sharpest of all? Be it macro, usm or is, it doesnt matter. What matters more is the sharpness. I will cover the wider end with tamron 17-50 f2.8.

 

[pictureperfect]

Whao, if you can afford the 17-55 f2.8, why not get the 70-200 F4L?

I can't comment on which is sharper as I only have the 55-250IS. I believe most of us do not own all 3 of them to make an accurate comparison. You go head over to dpreview or cameralabs for individual reviews of those 3 lenses. I think they have sample pictures for you to decide. =)

 

[justanut]

Seems that you've got a pretty tight budget by looking at your shortlist. IMO all of them aren't that sharp, although the newer EF-S is slightly better. But I agree with PP. Why not save up and get the 70-200 L? Its not horribly expensive if you get a 2nd hand one, its definitely sharper than those in your shortlist and gives you a fixed aperture throughout the range.

In the meantime you could try making use of software to sharpen your pictures?

 

[ngck12]

Whao, if you can afford the 17-55 f2.8, why not get the 70-200 F4L?

nono i said tamron 17-50 not canon 17-55 ;p

reason being my mum confiscated my pay check. She said i spent too much on cams related stuffs alrd. i just wanna sell off my zoom lens to get a slightly better one. :cry:

 

[sunboi80]

if u dun need the marco mode get the nikon 70-300mm G lens (on budget) dun get the sigma 70-300mm.. i feel the cheapo nikon G lens outperforms the sigma in terms of color vibrancy...

 

[SilverPine]

I own a Sigma 70-300 macro, using canon 75-300mm for 10-20k shoots and I can not comment on canon 55-250 IS since I do not own them.

Both Sigma and Canon pciture are soft when using 200-300mm, Canon color is brighter and more accuarte, sharper than Sigma at 200-300mm. But, both lens are not suitable for fast sports and indoor shooting.

I had bought a 2nd hand Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L USM from a CSer one year ago, since then I never use the Sigma 70-300 and Canon 75-300 again. The L len is sharp and fast, at 200mm f4(wide open) is still very sharp.

If budget is the concern, Canon 75-300mm will be a better choice.

Please refer to some of the review of the lens:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-75-300mm-f-4-5.6-III-USM-Lens-Review.aspx

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-S-55-250mm-f-4-5.6-IS-Lens-
Review.aspx

 

[MarkTan89]

For a zoom lens, I reckon its necessary to have Image Stabilisation if you intend to handhold exposures and for panning shots. The other lenses you listed to me would be only be good enough for shooting portraits or static objects when mounted on a tripod because especially at 300mm, handshake becomes inevitable. Yes, the 55-250IS doesn't have a USM focussing motor but it still focusses quietly and not too slowly.

 

[J-Chan]

well, if you're looking for sharpness, you should look at primes.. maybe the 85 1.8?

 

[sunboi80]

well, if you're looking for sharpness, you should look at primes.. maybe the 85 1.8?

beginner le, i think primes are too 'inflexible'... mabbe can get a superzoom to see wat type of pics u wan to shoot and wat range..after that then at a prime at that range for sharpness...

 

[helmiz]

70-300 Tamron, one of my first lens but hardly used now. Sharp enough for me, can let you try if you want.

 

[king2penn]

your mom confiscated ur paycheck? My dad just confiscated my 400D sigh...
For zoom lenses, my vote goes to the sigma.
For the canon 75-300mm i dun tink is worth considering.. you should look at the tamron 70-300mm too around same budget as the sigma

 

[simplicitee]

a noob myself.

since i'm a canon 40D user (crop factor 1.6 & no inbuilt image stabilisation in body), i would probably make IS an important consideration for any zoom beyond 100.

but if you got steady hands, then IS is not an issue i guess.

 

[ngck12]

well, if you're looking for sharpness, you should look at primes.. maybe the 85 1.8?

yeah i was considering this too. i love using prime due to its sharpness and bokeh. In fact i shoot with my 50 1.8 more than my zoom lens. I guess i should sell away some of my equips to fund for 70-200f4L.

 

[ngck12]

a noob myself.

since i'm a canon 40D user (crop factor 1.6 & no inbuilt image stabilisation in body), i would probably make IS an important consideration for any zoom beyond 100.

but if you got steady hands, then IS is not an issue i guess.

i shoot outdoor more, so IS shouldnt be an issue to me.

 

[ngck12]

70-300 Tamron, one of my first lens but hardly used now. Sharp enough for me, can let you try if you want.

will the colour fade at some distance? like maybe from 200-300? my zoom lens is quite jialat.

 

[Yappy]

Hi all,
Currently im disappointed with my tamron 28-200 as the sharpness isnt there.
I've listed out 3 possible lens which im considering.
1. Sigma 70-300 macro
2. canon 75-300 USM
3. canon 55-250 IS

Which is the sharpest of all? Be it macro, usm or is, it doesnt matter. What matters more is the sharpness. I will cover the wider end with tamron 17-50 f2.8.

I use Sigma lens and it serves me well.

 

[cheezycool]

i'd recommend the canon 70-200 f/4.. if you don't want the IS capability, you can get a 2nd hand one for less than $1k, and it delivers super sharp images, even when wide open. obviously, if you can afford it, or wait a while longer to save up, go for the IS model, with 2nd hand ones going for about $1.6k. Just spend on something that's gonna be a keeper

 

[mace1980]

One more option that can be considered is the Tamron 28-300 VC.

 

[Lingkm82]

i'd recommend the canon 70-200 f/4.. if you don't want the IS capability, you can get a 2nd hand one for less than $1k, and it delivers super sharp images, even when wide open. obviously, if you can afford it, or wait a while longer to save up, go for the IS model, with 2nd hand ones going for about $1.6k. Just spend on something that's gonna be a keeper

I agree... for mid telephoto range, just go for Canon 70-200 ranges... Depends on your budget & type of photography...got 4 different models.... I strongly suggest 70-200 F4 IS L if you prefer very sharp images at the lens's wide open aperture. But if budget is a concern, the 70-200 F4 Non IS is also OK...just a slight degraded in its sharpness.

 

[synapseman]

Sigma 70-300 DG APO.

At 200+ bucks 2nd hand, it's really super value for money. :thumbsup: