Oppps I seem to have purchased a 300d

[Matblack]

Anyone want to recommend a zoom lens?

We're going to India this year to hunt Tigers (with cameras not guns!)

I can't be breaking the bank but I'd like to get suitable glass so I don't end up with pics of tiny orange and black dots in the distance.

MB

[Dr. Z]

Rough budget?

[FakeSnake]

for a short period like a holiday..
would it not be worth renting one?
that would give you a much wider range of lenses.

I would think you would want to look at about 400mm tbh
When I did a run around longleat I used the 400mm I have and it was good.. I thought anything shorter would have meant missing shots.

[leowyatt]

Yeah budget would be good.

I'm probably going to suggest something up to so something like a 70-200 wouldn't break the bank but will be decent enough for zoom activities :D

[FakeSnake]

i have to say, I really think 200mm would not be enough for a safari..

When I do Goodwood, the 200mm is not enough, and I end up using the 400mm..

[Dr. Z]

100-400L would be good but expensive.

300mm Prime might also be good but might make things more tricky :p

[Del Lardo]

I'd recommend renting. My housemate uses a place that charge ~£80/week for a £1000 lens.

I can get the details if you want.

[petemc]

i have to say, I really think 200mm would not be enough for a safari..

When I do Goodwood, the 200mm is not enough, and I end up using the 400mm..

Completely agree. I was at the zoo the other day and my 70-200 just wasn't able to get me close to some of the animals. I missed my 100-400. 300 f/4 prime is good but hard to get hold of and being a prime you have to use manual zoom a lot. By that i mean walk :)

[FakeSnake]

Completely agree. I was at the zoo the other day and my 70-200 just wasn't able to get me close to some of the animals. I missed my 100-400. 300 f/4 prime is good but hard to get hold of and being a prime you have to use manual zoom a lot. By that i mean walk :)

and walking is not always allowed ;)

[Chuckles]

70-200 is good on a x1.6 crop.

Obviously the range on a 75-300 is better and cheaper but you know you want the L glass :p

[Matblack]

and walking is not always allowed ;)

or sensible if your stalking tigers in the wild

MB

[SidewinderINC]

http://kent.gumtree.com/kent/52/21819352.html


You know it makes sense :p

[SidewinderINC]

It's actually a bargain, I noticed it the day it was posted and was tempted to buy it with my savings and then sell it on for more.

[Matblack]

unfortunately its just too much money, I was thinking maybe £300 :(

MB

[SidewinderINC]

unfortunately its just too much money, I was thinking maybe £300 :(

MB

Yeah I know, It's a lot too much for me, and too long (both physically and focally).

[SidewinderINC]

I bought a 50mm 1.8 last night, and buying my short-zoom tomorrow :p

[Tak]

I bought a gorillapod for my ickle p&s :D Just tried it out on the stairs/bannister and it works quite well :D

[Chuckles]

unfortunately its just too much money, I was thinking maybe £300 :(

MB

Stetch to £350? That's L-glass F/4 70-200mm territory

[FakeSnake]

i am tellin ya.. 200mm will NOT be long enough

it REALLY WONT

edit: shame ya bought a canon.. I would have lent you my Nikon 80-400vr
that would have sorted you out

[Chuckles]

i am tellin ya.. 200mm will NOT be long enough

it REALLY WONT

edit: shame ya bought a canon.. I would have lent you my Nikon 80-400vr
that would have sorted you out

200 isn't so bad on a x1.6 crop though. You can always get a 1.4TC as well with that lens if you need more.

[FakeSnake]

well if he's not going over £300 it'll have to be - unless he's lucky and scores one at a bargain.

thats why i suggested renting one at the start of this thread.. but no one took any notice of that ;)
renting will get you the BEST possible glass, for the minimum outlay :D

[FakeSnake]

Is it not really risky taking a rented lens on holiday? I don't know if you have to pay a deposit, which if damaged, you won't get back? I'd be uncomfortable taking something so expensive on holiday especially if it didn't belong to me, but that's me. I'm not sure lugging a 400mm around on safari is something you'd want to do either, specially if you're just getting good shots of your holiday rather than wanting to do it professionally.

I don't think it's that no-one took any notice, but I have no knowledge of it, so didn't have anything to say about it. Del Lardo said he recommended renting too.

If MB wants to rent, I'm sure he can say so and we can stop making suggestions that fit within his price range :)

well, i would have quite happily lend my 80-400, no quibbles.
there would be no issue with renting, as you pay for insurance as well..
then if something does happen.. its covered.

[SidewinderINC]

there you go then, he can borrow yours, problem solved ;)

FS shoots Nikon :p

[FakeSnake]

there you go then, he can borrow yours, problem solved ;)

haha.. he would if he bought a mans camera :D
sadly he bought a *cough*canon*cough*

haha :D

[SidewinderINC]

haha.. he would if he bought a mans camera :D
sadly he bought a *cough*canon*cough*

haha :D

Oh shush you :p

[petemc]

200 isn't so bad on a x1.6 crop though. You can always get a 1.4TC as well with that lens if you need more.

It is bad, trust me. I was at a zoo less than a week ago. This was a zoo and I just couldn't get close enough to half the animals. On a real safari you probably get ok shots of a lion in the distance but you really want those close ups.

[Matblack]

Oh I want great pictures don't get me wrong but not £800s worth, besides I do have the Fuji with 10x zoom. The Canon is to help me to get better at using effects and manual settings and also to allow me more flexibility in lower light. After I've spent £200 on a good DSLR I'm not going to be able to spunk £1000 on glass it just can't happen. I'm not sure about renting, it might be a possibility but I think we'll have to go with the best compromise available between portability, cost and quality, remember I'm not Simon King, I want some nice shots of all sorts of things on the holiday from the Taj Mahal to animals and people.

MB

[Matblack]

I'd recommend renting. My housemate uses a place that charge ~£80/week for a £1000 lens.

I can get the details if you want.

Yes please :)

MB

[Toby]

Might be the www.lensesforhire.co.uk place that's been publicising a lot on the TP forums. Very very reasonable prices - they basically charge 1/20th of the new price per week for rental.

100-400 for £52 a week seems very reasonable.

[Matblack]

That looks ideal, which one of those would be best?

MB

[petemc]

The 100-400 L is a great lens. So versitile. 300 or 400mm is the ideal range. f/2.8 will be better than f/4 as the background will be smoother and less in focus producing nicer images.

[Matblack]

Theres a 300mm lens someone is selling on TP, is it any good?

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=57307

MB

[Matblack]

aaaaahhhh that has no IS

Might be better off renting I think

MB

[SidewinderINC]

If that's f/1.4 at 75mm then I might even buy that too! I bought the fiddy mil from him :p
But I think it's a bit of a typo ;)

[petemc]

O rly? 75-300 f/1.4? That would be some lens.

[Matblack]

OK so I'm clueless :(

MB

[SCM]

I'm assuming thats the F4.5-5.6 IS lens he is offering for sale MB and at that price with whats included seems an ok deal.

SCM

[Matblack]

Problem is I can't actually post in the classifieds on TP unless I have 100 posts :(

I'm anyone sees any bargains would they let me know and maybe put in an offer for me and I'll BT money, its just because I'm not known over there I'd feel odd trying to use their for sale section :/

MB

[Matblack]

If I can't find any thing else I think this is the tool for the job?

http://www.lensesforhire.co.uk/canon-ef-100-400mm-f45-56-l-is-usm-11-p.asp

with this

http://www.lensesforhire.co.uk/canon-ef-extender-14x-ii-4-p.asp

MB

[petemc]

I'd say that the 100-400 will be good. I'd be wary of putting a 1.4x TC on it though. Apparently you lose auto focus at anything other than f/4.5 (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=102742). When you zoom to 400mm it goes to f/5.6 so essentially you'd loose AF when you zoom in. Also even if you didn't at the long end you'd lose 1 stop. I think it would be down to f/6.3. You would need to bump the ISO up or be shooting in really good light to get stable shots.

[Matblack]

Thanks Pete, I think I'll stick with that lens then, I'm tempted to book an evening class and also to hire the same lens for the Scotland trip to try it out, although I'd be shooting different subject matter it might be worth it just to make sure it fits the bill.

The reason I haven't taken your advice and gone for glass with a lower stop is that in India I should be shooting in good light most of the time.

MB

[Tysonator]

I us a Canon EF 70-300mm USN IS, which is a full frame Lens. My Canon 400D which has a APS-C sensor, so I get 60% extra magification when I used EF lens instead of EF-S !
SO my 70-300 is now 112-480mm ! Happy days