Help! I had an awesome lens reserved (Canon 28-300 IS L) for my upcoming Alaska trip, but alas, it appears the previous renter damaged it and it has to go for servicing.

I did a quick check online for lens rental places, but none of them carry or have this lens in stock for immediate rental.

Can anyone recommend a local or national shop that might rent out this lens for a week and ship it on very short notice? I would hate to be stuck with my not-so-great Sigma 18-200 on this trip.

awesome lens reserved (Canon 28-300 IS L)

If it was awesome I'd own one. :D

It's heavy, you need to stop down for decent image quality, and it's heavy. Even with IS you may need a tripod. Plus it's heavy. :D

By carrying 2 lenses you have more choices, more flexibility, better quality.

If it was awesome I'd own one. :D

It's heavy, you need to stop down for decent image quality, and it's heavy. Even with IS you may need a tripod. Plus it's heavy. :D

By carrying 2 lenses you have more choices, more flexibility, better quality.

Which two lenses would you recommend to give the best balance of range and image quality - I'm afraid of swapping lenses because of the time loss (if I need a shot quickly) and the risk of dusting up the sensor.

I heard the Canon is heavy...why does everyone keep telling me that :)

Which two lenses would you recommend to give the best balance of range and image quality - I'm afraid of swapping lenses because of the time loss (if I need a shot quickly) and the risk of dusting up the sensor.


Everything is a compromise. But I like the 24-105 f/4L IS. To go longer I use the 135 f/2.0L with the option of adding 1.4x and 2x converters.

In my opinion, the trick is to relax and just do the best with what you have. If you worry all the time about what you don't have, you can go nuts. :)

It's really best if you can get familiar with a lens before you need it for something important. That's one reason why I wouldn't want to rent in the first place. Better to stick with an inexpensive high quality prime.

Dust is no problem. I use the Arctic Butterfly. You're always going to have dust, so just clean it. It only takes a minute, once you get over being afraid of it.

edit:
By the way, the 28-300 is a pump zoom, which some people claim causes lots of dust. I'm not sure if that's true, but it might make you feel better if you don't get one. :)

The 70-300 DO IS is a possibility. It's somewhat controversial because it's not super sharp. But it's super easy to carry for travel.

What about the 70-200mm f/2.8L USM with a 1.4x teleconverter?

I suppose it depends on what wider-angle lens you already have.

I took a 24-70 f/2.8 L and 70-200 f/2.8 IS L (w 1.4x TC) to Alaska and never felt the need for a quick swap of lenses.

The ability to bump the ISO with f/2.8 glass made more of a difference to me in early morning and evening shots when the light was better.

Thanks all,

I will look into the 2 lens combo and see if I can locate anything for rent...I prefer to rent first before buying, but I certainly need something to replace my Sigma when I'm doing higher quality photography

Tempe Camera, Tempe Arizona
480 966-6954
606 W University Dr
Tempe, AZ

FOLLOWING ARTICLE FROM THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC NEWSPAPER

Tempe Camera focuses the customers' needs
Kathie Price
Special for The Republic
May. 13, 2007 12:00 AM
Joe Wojcich, president of Tempe Camera Repair Inc., has parlayed luck and hard work throughout his life to own one of few remaining full-service photography stores in the Valley.

A German-born immigrant, Wojcich celebrated Tempe Camera's 35th anniversary April 1. He supervises 50 employees in three buildings in Tempe , rents such items as a $20,000 camera and a $5,000 lens, and produces murals as big as 10 feet long for professional photographers.

By the time he joined the Air Force at age 17, Wojcich had received a gift from his father that hinted at his future - an Argus C3 camera.





How did you get started in the business?

During college, Wojcich said he worked for $1.90 an hour stocking shelves at Phoenix-based Wilson Camera. But he also learned how to fix cameras and run a business from owner Art Hirschfeld.

"We got broken cameras, and I learned by putting a working model next to a non-working model," said Wojcich, who is 60 and continues to work the repair bench.

Wojcich dropped out of Arizona State University during his senior year in 1972, opting to start a camera repair business instead of teaching vocational shop. For 10 years, he worked 15 hours a day and took no vacations.

How did your business grow?

Tempe Camera moved into a one-story building in 1976. In 1986, Wojcich built a 10,000-square-foot-store and added a 7,000-square-foot imaging center next door in 2000.

"I had no clue until people stated asking for something," he said. "People would ask for a 'loaner' so I thought, 'Why not rent cameras?' Then I had to sell film, then accessories. So over the years we just do what our customers ask."

What's been unexpected?

A German professional photography group provided substantial income when they annually rented expensive equipment from Tempe Camera. After the terror attacks of 2001, the group went to Mexico where there were fewer travel barriers. At the same time, digital was rapidly replacing film.

"I learned to be well-diversified because something can go out of fashion and you're out of business," Wojcich said. "You have to stay on the cutting edge and adapt."

What was your biggest business mistake?

Wojcich hired someone to run his print lab soon after he moved into a new building. The employee promptly bought a new machine that was so slow they rarely used it. It was a $50,000 mistake.

"After that, I set up credit limits for each department," he said. "We now discuss buying major equipment."

What's the most surprising thing that's happened to you?

A few months before the Moscow Olympics in 1980, Wojcich received a call from the Associated Press in New York . Canon had a new internal focusing 400-mm optic lens, but AP had Nikon cameras. Wojcich adapted 10 lenses for AP.

"In March, I was at Sammy's Camera in Southern California and this guy pulls out a used lens for me to see. It's one of those I first adapted and it had my name on it. It still worked."

Which two lenses would you recommend to give the best balance of range and image quality -

17-40/4L and one of the 70-200's with a 1.4TC. Go with the 2.8IS if weight is not a problem, the 4IS if you want to keep it small.

Given the majestic grandeur of Alaska (one of my favorite trips ever) I think you need something wider than 28. You can also try the Tamron 17-50/2.8 if you have a 1.6 body.

lensrentals.com has the Tam in stock and the 17-40 in a few days. It also has the 28-300 but not until next week and the other tele's seem to be booked. I guess Memorial Day is a popular time for rentals.

It all depends on your body.
You can get away with 24-70 f/2.8L if you have FF body (1Ds, 1Ds Mk II, 5D, etc), or you might want to take a look at brand new 16-35 f/2.8 L for landscape if you have APS-C or APS-H body.

For telephoto, I think 70-200 f/2.8 would be good enough (with ot without IS).

and don't forget image stitching if you want to glue two frames together.

It's heavy, you need to stop down for decent image quality, and it's heavy. Even with IS you may need a tripod. Plus it's heavy. :D


You have to step the lens down for decent image quality?? I thought that was a pro lens!

If it's the lens I think it is I played with it for maybe a minute at a show and immediately disliked it. Zooms of that range are for carrying something that will cover any range you need. Yet it's too heavy for that. I also found the zoom very disconcerting to use although that might just be because I'm not used to a zoom like that.

Just about every lens, even the Canon L's, benefit from a stop or two. Although I must say my 70-200/2.8IS and 100-400 are super sharp wide open and the improvement at f/8 is minor. The 17-40/4 does improve more from 4 to 8.

The 28-300 is a bit of an anomoly. It's an L and expensive, but the reviews of the optics I've seen aren't quite up to L expectations. And with a 10x zoom, I can see why it would be hard to match the 70-200's. It's just really hard to design/builf.

If you want one lens to cover that range, it's probably the best you will do, but I think 2-3 lenses will be better on every metrics except the count. And covering that kind of range, I'm not surprised that it needs a stop or two to sharpen up.

Even a 17-85, 70-300 combo would be my choice over a 28-300, assuming lighting is relatively good.

How does the 70-300 weigh, especially when compared to the 28-300? Is it still something which could be carried comfortably?

If I decide to invest in the 17-85 and 70-300 combo, do the Canons offer the best combination of quality and price, or are there alternative lenses which are just as good (or better) and perhaps cheaper?

I guess I could put everything in a small padded napsack on my back instead of trying to carry the collection on my shoulder.

How does the 70-300 weigh, especially when compared to the 28-300? Is it still something which could be carried comfortably?


If you're referring to the 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 DO IS, it's around 2 pounds and relatively small. The idea is that you'll take it places where other lenses would get left at home. So you trade a little in image quality to get the shot instead of ending up with getting nothing from the lens in the closet. That's the theory. A kit with the DO lens fits in a small bag, along with the body and a wide angle zoom, and maybe a small prime or 2. And the slight loss of image quality is largely corrected in Photoshop.

The problem with the 28-300 as your only lens is that you have the heavy weight all the time. So it's not just the weight that's the problem, it's that you never have a chance to take a rest and switch to something lighter.

Sigma looks like they have a pretty decent 70-300 APO lens...seems to get decent reviews, and it's quite cheap. If I could find a 18-70 (or thereabouts) lens of good quality with a very wide aperture, also not too expensive, I might be able to swing it and leave the 18-200 at home.

I've rented from rentglass.com before, and from my local shop, keeble and shucket or so, in palo alto, ca

rentglass.com ships pretty fast, give them a call.

I've rented from rentglass.com before, and from my local shop, keeble and shucket or so, in palo alto, ca

rentglass.com ships pretty fast, give them a call.

They only have 2 lenses in stock...quite a nice business they have going there :)

Helix Photo in Chicago (http://www.helixphoto.com/) has a large rental dept.

I don't know if they'll ship or if you have to go in person.

wow, I just checked rent glass as well, no much available.
Maybe all out, or maybe out of biz.

There is also ziplens.com, same type of online rental company.

Which two lenses would you recommend to give the best balance of range and image quality - I'm afraid of swapping lenses because of the time loss (if I need a shot quickly) and the risk of dusting up the sensor.

I heard the Canon is heavy...why does everyone keep telling me that :)


When we were in Alaska, I learned that you can't go wide enough.

I have a EF17-40mm f/4L USM, and because of crop factor, it wasnt wide enough. I also took my 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS USM for animals and birds.