To sell or not to sell??? Pls advise....


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charmingorion

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Dec 22, 2007
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Dear all,
I have been pondering for a long time if i should switch my canon 70-200mm F2.8 IS USM lens to a 70-200mm F4 IS USM lens. After reading a lot of reviews from websites, they mention the F4 is sharper then the F2.8.

Not to mention, the price is cheaper.

The reason for me wanting to sell is that, i'm getting not very satisfied with the F2.8 picture quality. Most pics turn out having soft edges and it is not crisp. When it comes to protraits, it didn't really obtain what i really wanted. Though i have to admit that it is a very fast lens and also very heavy to carry around.

Also, i've also read before that there are people who did the same thing.

Could these people or who have used these 2 lens or knows of this, advise me if i should change it?

If i were to change it, i am thinking of using the balance amount to get a canon 24-105mm F4 IS USM.

I've already got a tamron 17-50 F2.8 and a canon 10-20mm.

Thank u all for reading...

I hope to hear more from your advise....:)
 

Questions you need to ask yourself:

  1. Do you know that you will incur a loss by selling?
  2. Do you really need to be so critical with sharpness?
  3. Could it possibly be a mis-alignment issue with the glass elements?
  4. Do you need the 50mm to 70mm covered in a lens?
  5. Does your shooting dictate that you need f/2.8?
 

Questions you need to ask yourself:

  1. Do you know that you will incur a loss by selling?
  2. Do you really need to be so critical with sharpness?
  3. Could it possibly be a mis-alignment issue with the glass elements?
  4. Do you need the 50mm to 70mm covered in a lens?
  5. Does your shooting dictate that you need f/2.8?

hi, thanks for the question....and here are my answers.
1. yes, i know i will incur a loss
2. yes, when it comes to taking portraits when i travel.
3. It might be...but i'm not sure how to tell if it is a misalignment...? maybe u can advise?
4. i am facing prolems with my tamron lens that it is too short. A lot of the time, i seem to want to take pictures over 50mm. But the range from 17-50mm was also good when i need to take close ups.
5. F2.8 allows me to take shots in low lighting conditions. Yes, that is why i have the tamron. But as for the canon......to be honest....kind of ashame of it....my cousin told me it is a fantastic lens, so i bought it...which it not untrue...but it doesn't really meet my standard.
 

You didn't mention anything about which body you're using it on.

If it's a FF, it might be easier to understand your dissaticfaction with the sharness, and if you're already using something like the 50D or 5D MkII, motion blur becomes slightly less of an issue because you can always shoot at 3200 or 6400 or 128000 and use a noise reduction program in post. But at these parasmeters, do expect some loss of image quality.

What I would suggest is borrow or rent a 70-200 f/4 IS for at least a weekend and using your current body, shoot any and everything under all sorts of conditions, and see if you feel you would be happier in the long run with it.
 

It definitely seems like you'd be better off with a couple of primes. This will add to the quality you will get, but might detract from the travel experience.

70-200 and f/2.8 is a good combo for bokeh. Might I ask, why would optimal sharpness be of critical importance to you? Are you selling the photographs?

He's not using FF, he's using the 17-50 tammy, which is a 1.6crop.

70-200 f/4IS will not be that different from the 2.8IS, other than weight. Go send your 70-200 2.8IS for a checkup at CSC.

If there's nothing wrong, consider an 85L and 135L / 200 f/2.8L
 

you're probably those that pple like to call 'pixel peeper' (I'll admit I am one too) so i understand why you are so paranoid with the sharpness throughout the photo...it is probably a known fact that the 2.8/2.8IS is soft wide open and as you stop down, it gets better and better till f4...I do not know what aperture you usually take but if you usually take wide open mayb you like to stop it down to f4 or f5.6? just a suggestion :) for me, i don't need the 2.8, so i'll be getting the F4IS...its tack sharp and has the latest IS system :)
 

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You didn't mention anything about which body you're using it on.

If it's a FF, it might be easier to understand your dissaticfaction with the sharness, and if you're already using something like the 50D or 5D MkII, motion blur becomes slightly less of an issue because you can always shoot at 3200 or 6400 or 128000 and use a noise reduction program in post. But at these parasmeters, do expect some loss of image quality.

What I would suggest is borrow or rent a 70-200 f/4 IS for at least a weekend and using your current body, shoot any and everything under all sorts of conditions, and see if you feel you would be happier in the long run with it.

hi,
May i know where i can rent a F4? and how much would that be?

thanks
 

you're probably those that pple like to call 'pixel peeper' (I'll admit I am one too) so i understand why you are so paranoid with the sharpness throughout the photo...it is probably a known fact that the 2.8/2.8IS is soft wide open and as you stop down, it gets better and better till f4...I do not know what aperture you usually take but if you usually take wide open mayb you like to stop it down to f4 or f5.6? just a suggestion :) for me, i don't need the 2.8, so i'll be getting the F4IS...its tack sharp and has the latest IS system :)

well, i have the intention of selling my 40D and get a FF body sometime early next year. Most probably a 5D mark 2.

So.....And not to mention...am also thinking of doing a side line of setting up a studio. So, sharpness means a lot to me. Come to think of it....i love the sharpness from nikon...but i've already got my lenses in canon mount....so......no point thinking back and regretting why i didn't get a nikon.

Anyhow! moving on,....Yes i agree that F2.8 is very soft. I expected sharp, but i get soft. i checked my shutter speed and iso...all are very good and should get a sharp shot. So....maybe i will send it to canon service centre for verification.

Btw, does anyone have an example to show me the difference between a pic that is taken before CSC and one that is calibrated after? is it sharper?? Just curious.....

Thanks all for your contribution to my question.:)
 

hi,
May i know where i can rent a F4? and how much would that be?

thanks

Check the Services Offered sub-forum, I have rented both the 2.8 non IS and F4 IS before deciding to buy the latter. Rent it out for a weekend of shooting.
 

well, i have the intention of selling my 40D and get a FF body sometime early next year. Most probably a 5D mark 2.

So.....And not to mention...am also thinking of doing a side line of setting up a studio. So, sharpness means a lot to me. Come to think of it....i love the sharpness from nikon...but i've already got my lenses in canon mount....so......no point thinking back and regretting why i didn't get a nikon.

Anyhow! moving on,....Yes i agree that F2.8 is very soft. I expected sharp, but i get soft. i checked my shutter speed and iso...all are very good and should get a sharp shot. So....maybe i will send it to canon service centre for verification.

Btw, does anyone have an example to show me the difference between a pic that is taken before CSC and one that is calibrated after? is it sharper?? Just curious.....

Thanks all for your contribution to my question.:)

If yr setting up a studio, get primes since sharpness is of paramount importance to you.

For that matter, forget Canon primes, and go for Contax/Yashica Zeiss primes, The new Zeiss (made by Cosina) lenses for EF mounts, APO Voightlanders primes or the superb Olympus Zuiko primes (NOT the 3/4 digital lenses).

Almost ALL of them are distinctively sharper than any equivalent Canon prime. LEITZ Leica lenses are actually higher resolving than Zeiss glass, but will appear softer because they may not have the much higher contrast that Zeiss gives, but have much more natural (i.e., pleasing or 'pictorial) rendition. If you are superbly anal about sharpness and want the ultimate, go for Schneider or Rodenstock medium format prime lenses via adapters.

If your lens at 2.8 is "very soft", something is probably very wrong somewhere along the way.
 

If yr setting up a studio, get primes since sharpness is of paramount importance to you.

For that matter, forget Canon primes, and go for Contax/Yashica Zeiss primes, The new Zeiss (made by Cosina) lenses for EF mounts, APO Voightlanders primes or the superb Olympus Zuiko primes (NOT the 3/4 digital lenses).

Almost ALL of them are distinctively sharper than any equivalent Canon prime. LEITZ Leica lenses are actually higher resolving than Zeiss glass, but will appear softer because they may not have the much higher contrast that Zeiss gives, but have much more natural (i.e., pleasing or 'pictorial) rendition. If you are superbly anal about sharpness and want the ultimate, go for Schneider or Rodenstock medium format prime lenses via adapters.

If your lens at 2.8 is "very soft", something is probably very wrong somewhere along the way.

Hi,
thanks for ur infor. I'll look more into it and see what's those lense are all abt.

I might send my canon lens for re-calibration too.

Thank u for ur help!!;)
 

Yr most welcome charmingorion.

Here, these might help (or not). Bear in mind different parameters. conditions, user skills etc... also, you need to research what exactly determines 'sharpness'. Resolution alone is only one small part of the big picture. ;)

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=576089&highlight=carl+zeiss

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=557661&highlight=carl+zeiss&page=2

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=382923&highlight=zeiss+lens+on+EOS

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116970&highlight=zeiss+lens+on+EOS

http://www.16-9.net/lens_tests/index.html

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=289234

http://forum.manualfocus.org/viewtopic.php?id=12491

http://forum.manualfocus.org/viewtopic.php?id=12445

http://forum.manualfocus.org/viewtopic.php?id=12318

http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/german/schneider-kreuznach-Xenon_50mm_f1_9_exa/

Search on flickr groups for specific or generic Zuiko, Rollei 6006 or 6008 (schneider lenses) and rodenstock.

Of course, there are many more examples on the net if you look around for them.

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=zuiko+18mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=zuiko+24mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=zuiko+50mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=zuiko+85mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=zuiko+100mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=zuiko+135mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=carl+zeiss+15mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=carl+zeiss+21mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=carl+zeiss+28mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=carl+zeiss+50mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=carl+zeiss+85mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=carl+zeiss+100mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=carl+zeiss+135mm&m=text

Ah well...you get the idea. LOLZ!
 

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Yr most welcome charmingorion.

Here, these might help (or not). Bear in mind different parameters. conditions, user skills etc... also, you need to research what exactly determines 'sharpness'. Resolution alone is only one small part of the big picture. ;)

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=576089&highlight=carl+zeiss

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=557661&highlight=carl+zeiss&page=2

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=382923&highlight=zeiss+lens+on+EOS

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116970&highlight=zeiss+lens+on+EOS

http://www.16-9.net/lens_tests/index.html

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=289234

http://forum.manualfocus.org/viewtopic.php?id=12491

http://forum.manualfocus.org/viewtopic.php?id=12445

http://forum.manualfocus.org/viewtopic.php?id=12318

http://www.mflenses.com/gallery/v/german/schneider-kreuznach-Xenon_50mm_f1_9_exa/

Search on flickr groups for specific or generic Zuiko, Rollei 6006 or 6008 (schneider lenses) and rodenstock.

Of course, there are many more examples on the net if you look around for them.

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=zuiko+18mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=zuiko+24mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=zuiko+50mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=zuiko+85mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=zuiko+100mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=zuiko+135mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=carl+zeiss+15mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=carl+zeiss+21mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=carl+zeiss+28mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=carl+zeiss+50mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=carl+zeiss+85mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=carl+zeiss+100mm&m=text

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=carl+zeiss+135mm&m=text

Ah well...you get the idea. LOLZ!

hi!
thanks for the infor!!!!
looks like i'm going to shift from the canon lens to carl zeiss or the leica. MAn!!! When i saw Weekh's shots, and comparison of image sharpness, contrast, and bokeh....i'm blown away by the 28mm CZ. Hmm..i'm going to look more into whether they make one whose range covers what i needed for travelling....

Thanks a million pal!!
 

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