The other day I went in to the local prosumer photography store to ask if they had a 50m f1.8 prime. I never got that far. The 2nd hand cabinet is right inside the door and in there was a 28-105 USM II 3.5-4.5 for a bargain. I asked them to put it aside for me as I wanted to think about it and also bring a friend who bought one in US a month ago.

So today we went in. My buddy compared this pre-owned lens to his one month old lens and came to the conclusion that the one in the shop had a smoother focus action and was in better condition.

I walked out with the lens, a spare battery and a new card reader (my lacie card reader got nicked) and was a happy bunny.

I mostly do concert photography but also want something that I can use as a general walk around lens. The 18-55 (f3.5-5.6) kit lens on the 350D never impressed me much and I used the 50-200 (f3.5-4.5) more, despite it being about 15 years old.

So tonight I was to take it for a test run at the local Jazz festival. My buddy is working there but at the last minute was told that the photo passes he had requested were denied. Oh well, I have a shoot tomorrow so it will have to do a trial by fire instead. No "dress rehearsal" for me or the lns. Just get straight in there.

Now - there is also a 70-300 USM f3.5-5.6 lens in the shop, also for a bargain. It is extremely tempting to pick that up as well.

And the shop now has my number incase a 50 f1.8 prime turns up.

/E

I am glad to hear you got a deal. I actually have the 70-300mm and although I don't do a whole lot of long distance stuff, I have never been all that impressed with image quality. It did, however, capture what is my "favorite" picture right tnow. So go figure... :) At some point, I am going to buy the 100-400 L, but my next purchase is the 24-105 L IS.

You know you can pick up the 50mm f/1.8 for 75 US from bhphoto.com, which I think it is a pretty good deal.

I went through the same thing myself recently -- although since I shoot digital and was looking for closer to a "true" 50mm, I was looking at a 30mm prime f1.8. Ended up gettting a zoom with VR (IS in the Canon world) instead.

But, I would still eventually love to have that faster glass, even though the VR works great. :)

I am glad to hear you got a deal. I actually have the 70-300mm and although I don't do a whole lot of long distance stuff, I have never been all that impressed with image quality. It did, however, capture what is my "favorite" picture right tnow. So go figure... :) At some point, I am going to buy the 100-400 L, but my next purchase is the 24-105 L IS.

You know you can pick up the 50mm f/1.8 for 75 US from bhphoto.com, which I think it is a pretty good deal.

I don't like the 70-300 mm either. I gave it to my son. I began to buy L glass and I just keep saving my pennies. Once you use the L lenses, I don't think you can ever go back.

I like the L lenses, have a 28-300 Sigma that is just okay, does a great job, and is small enough when traveling to only have to carry one lens. If I had the money and needed the L lenses that is what I would do too. but the 28-300 is just fine.

I'm still looking for a nice lens for my canon. I got to go shopping for the second hand, cause most of the time the lenses are in great shape with a good price tag.

I don't like the 70-300 mm either. I gave it to my son. I began to buy L glass and I just keep saving my pennies. Once you use the L lenses, I don't think you can ever go back.

I agree about the L lenses. People here tipped me about them a couple years ago and I have been just delighted with them in both image quality and toughness. I have the 17-40, 70-200 and 100-400 and all of them are really fantastic lenses.

Here is a pic taken with the 100-400 f4.5-5.6L IS lens.http://farm1.static.flickr.com/131/322265406_184ae6fb14_o.jpg

Seeing as this is such a good discussion, would kind FT photo people mind commenting on their preferred lens for scenic shots?
The 28-xx lens seems to be a much better choice for wider scenic shots than a 35-xx option (in my case I would likely go with the 14-45 which is 28-90 equiv.). A 28-300 sounds great!

Just out of interest, is it true that good lenses are often better sourced at reasonable prices through local specialists or national specialists (if shonks are avoided), than the risk and possible over-pricing on eBay?

slight case of ebay buyer's remorse. :)]

Well, I'm a Nikon guy, and my usual lens is the 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR ED. That gives you a 28-300 equivalent on a Nikon body, so you've got the reach when you need it (although to get good sharpness from 150-200, you have to stop down to about f/8-f/11). Probably 90% of my shots so far on my D70s have been with that lens, but I'd also say that of that 90%, the vast majority of them were shot in the 18-70mm range - I'm mostly a landscape guy.

My next planned lens purchase is one of the super-wides - probably the Tokina 12-24, maybe the Sigma 10-20.

As far as where I buy, the most reputable online places I know of to buy photo gear are B&H Photo and Adorama. Generally, they've got the best prices, and if you're in the NYC area, you can check out the stuff there. And, if you're a photo enthusiast, you really need to just go into B&H's actual store (42nd St and 9th Av in Manhattan) at least once in your life.

You can find some bargains on eBay, but there's also a lot of profiteering going on - the 18-200VR lens I have originally listed for $699. It's been out for over a year, and they're still in short supply. For a while, a lot of mom-and-pop camera stores were putting the handful of lenses they did get in on eBay and selling them for $1000. (and they were selling at those prices). I got mine for $749, so I only paid a $50 markup. I think they've moved the list price up since then.

Unless you're shooting with a full-frame sensor, 28mm is nowhere near wide enough. Even with FF, it's marginal - 24mm is generally where true wide starts.

To get there on a 1.6x (10D/20D/Rebel/etc.) or 1.5x (Nikon) you need at least 17mm, preferably one of the ultra-wides. My 17-40 is my primary landscape lens, with the 12-24 reserved for when I need some specific coverage, as the distortion/perspective of the 10/12mm lenses is something that bugs me.

You can find some bargains on eBay, but there's also a lot of profiteering going on - the 18-200VR lens I have originally listed for $699. It's been out for over a year, and they're still in short supply. For a while, a lot of mom-and-pop camera stores were putting the handful of lenses they did get in on eBay and selling them for $1000. (and they were selling at those prices). I got mine for $749, so I only paid a $50 markup. I think they've moved the list price up since then.

Eventually, I might just get one of these lenses (assuming I stick with Nikon system which is a bit in doubt at the moment). In the meantime, Ken (love him or hate him) Rockwell maintains a page that gives prospective buyers a little help in finding this elusive lens:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/18200/18200-how-to-get-one.htm

Yes, 28 isnt very wide on a reduced size sensor. Here is a picture taken at 20mm focal length with the Canon 17-40mm f/4L lens.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/102/305350478_c2f57f0b1c.jpg

Same lens at 40mm

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/139/322270965_515477be1f_o.jpg

On a 1.6x body
http://www.canon-20d.com/lenscompare/wide/compare.jpg

Very nice comparison CPRich. Thanks!

Sorry this is slightly hijacking this thread as it is not Canon-specific...

Can you imagine, in future, looking at alternatives to your current camera/lens brand, if you were in need of another camera?
Just asking in the context that people do steal cameras and lenses, and hopefully, if you are insured, you may have this choice if you are unlucky enough to be robbed.

Just for newbies like me, with no SLR or DSLR, the Four Thirds lens option is being adopted by Panasonic on their DSLR, along with the Leica lens, looks like it has good potential, IMO. Would love a Leica lens in future. :)

Existing users have no reason to change, but many entry-level DSLR buyes coudld be stepping up from bridge & 'zoomy' P&S cameras like my old Canon S1.

With this in mind, for NEW (non-pro) DSLR buyers, is the availability of good secondhand Canon/Nikon lenses a consideration, or is it mainly about the quality of the DSLR kit?

Just in case anyone knows, which camera shops are best buys in Sydney? There isn't quite the same focus on the top end as in NYC, but there are lots of shops here in the city.

Sorry this is slightly hijacking this thread as it is not Canon-specific...

Can you imagine, in future, looking at alternatives to your current camera/lens brand, if you were in need of another camera?
Just asking in the context that people do steal cameras and lenses, and hopefully, if you are insured, you may have this choice if you are unlucky enough to be robbed.

Just for newbies like me, with no SLR or DSLR, the Four Thirds lens option is being adopted by Panasonic on their DSLR, along with the Leica lens, looks like it has good potential, IMO. Would love a Leica lens in future. :)

Existing users have no reason to change, but many entry-level DSLR buyes coudld be stepping up from bridge & 'zoomy' P&S cameras like my old Canon S1.

With this in mind, for NEW (non-pro) DSLR buyers, is the availability of good secondhand Canon/Nikon lenses a consideration, or is it mainly about the quality of the DSLR kit?

Just in case anyone knows, which camera shops are best buys in Sydney? There isn't quite the same focus on the top end as in NYC, but there are lots of shops here in the city.

In fall of 2006 I posted about what kind of DSLR to get in the Travel Tech forum. It turned into a rather long thread and keeps reappearing periodically. I think it had a lot of good comments from a wide range of people on both the cameras themselves, as well as the selection process and what might influence it. It is probably worth a read.

Sorry this is slightly hijacking this thread as it is not Canon-specific...

Can you imagine, in future, looking at alternatives to your current camera/lens brand, if you were in need of another camera?
Just asking in the context that people do steal cameras and lenses, and hopefully, if you are insured, you may have this choice if you are unlucky enough to be robbed.

Just for newbies like me, with no SLR or DSLR, the Four Thirds lens option is being adopted by Panasonic on their DSLR, along with the Leica lens, looks like it has good potential, IMO. Would love a Leica lens in future. :)

Existing users have no reason to change, but many entry-level DSLR buyes coudld be stepping up from bridge & 'zoomy' P&S cameras like my old Canon S1.

With this in mind, for NEW (non-pro) DSLR buyers, is the availability of good secondhand Canon/Nikon lenses a consideration, or is it mainly about the quality of the DSLR kit?


I think it depends on how much you plan to get into photography. The "2nd tier" systems (not to be harsh, but just speaking in terms of market share, Canon and Nikon are "tier 1", everyone else is tier 2) certainly do have some nice lenses available, but I think you'd be hard-pressed to say that they have the same depth of product offerings (from casual shooter to prosumer to working pro quality lenses) as the tier 1 systems. Plus, if I want über-expensive glass, I can alway buy Zeiss's ZF lenses for my Nikon.

Plus, to your point, there's a much stronger market for used Nikon/Canon gear. Especially Nikon, given that you can at least mount darn near any F-mount lens made since the '60s. And with the D200 body, you can actually meter with those old lenses.

I don't have a huge investment in Nikon lenses so far (only about $1000 worth in three lenses - 18-200, 50/1.8, 100/3.5 macro), but I can't imagine changing systems at this point unless another manufacturer comes out with something truly revolutionary.

As large as the Four-Thirds consortium may seem now, it is still to me, new and unproven. And as bdjohns1 pointed out, you really can't go wrong if you stick to tier 1 (at the moment, anyway) Canon or Nikon.

Canon or Nikon are now well-established in the DSLR world, with not only the advantage of the availability of lenses and related accessories, but you have a large group of experienced users to draw from when you work with these cameras and their lenses. I can't see the same kind of support happening (yet, anyway) for any other competitive contenders. I would personally not consider a switch from Nikon if my gear ever got stolen. (heh, I would look upon it as an opportunity to upgrade! :D )

(Sort of like going with Paint Shop Pro instead of Photoshop if you get my drift. Yeah, PSP may be comparable, but you're going to get a lot more help, support, a large body of experience, and companies designing products to go with PS than with PSP)

You know you can pick up the 50mm f/1.8 for 75 US from bhphoto.com, which I think it is a pretty good deal.

Yup, that is a good deal. In UK they are about £89 ($170 odd) new and around £60 used.

I might be able to get one from US on a trade. There is a guy there who wants subscription of UK mags and is willing to buy me the 50 prime for the cost.

/E

Sorry this is slightly hijacking this thread as it is not Canon-specific...

Can you imagine, in future, looking at alternatives to your current camera/lens brand, if you were in need of another camera?


No, not really. In the old film days I mostly shot with Canon or Praktica. The latter don't do DSLR but if they did, depending on how good they would be - possibly. Other cameras I used back then were Olympus, Minolta, Pentax, wanted a Ricoh and then it's my mom's old Edixa with a 35mm lens manual all the way.

Did have a Nikon D70 and never felt comfortable with it. Going back to Canon was like coming home.

Now - having said all that - if money was no object I'd jump at a Leica M8 in a heart beat.

/E