Is this a good zoom lens

I know nothing about cameras or lenses. My husband wants a basic zoom lens for

his EOS digital rebel xti. Is this lens a good one?

Canon EF 90-300mm F4.5-5.6 Zoom Lens

Any help would be appreciated and FYI

I dont have tons of money to spend on Christmas this year.

Also, is $200 too much for this wide angle lens

Canon EF 20-35mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Wide Angle Zoom Lens

The 90-300mm is a telephoto lens (lens that magnifies quite a bit). These are mostly used for subjects far away, such as animals or sports shots taken at a distance. Is that the type of zoom lens your husband wants? Most people wouldn't call that a "basic" zoom lens. You may want to clarify with your husband what he wants.

 

I have no experience or second-hand knowledge of the 90-300 zoom you mention. I thought it wasn't sold in the US, but I could be mistaken. It's made by Canon, and is probably fine as a telephoto zoom lens. Hopefully someone with personal knowledge of the lens will comment here.

 

If your husband doesn't have any zoom lenses for his XTi, and wants a "basic" one, the Canon 18-55 IS would be a fine choice. It isn't telephoto like the 90-300 you mentioned. The "IS" on the end is important. It means that the lens is "stabilized" and will correct for shakiness to a limited extent. The 18-55 IS should cost about $180 in the USA. There is a non-stabilized version that sells for $100 or so that isn't nearly as nice, but is decent for the price. These are both the sort of lens that most photographers would use for typical photos, but you may want to clarify with your husband what he wants.

 

As for the 20-35mm lens you mention, amazon.com and bhphotovideo.com are large, reputable sellers that serve as good guides for the prices of new lenses. Used lenses will be discounted a bit, of course. Bhphotovideo.com sells the 20-35mm lens you mentioned for $369. The $200 price is low enough to make me extremely suspicious if the lens is new. Note that the 20-35mm lens is a wide-angle lens that takes in a lot of what you are seeing at one time. It is quite different from the 90-300mm lens you mentioned, not a substitute for that lens.

 

Most photographers would be envious of you seeking out a gift like this for your husband! He is a lucky guy.

As a photographer and husband... I wouldn't mind if I got a gift certificate that let me select

the right lens. (Selecting lenses is such a personal thing that it is hard for a non-

photographer to make the right choices based on a few recommendations.)

 

:-)

 

Dan

well said dan

In some ways it is nicer to receive the exact item for which you have been really longing than just a voucher. However, there is nothing worse than getting the wrong piece of equipment. So unless you are absolutely certain this is the correct item get a gift voucher from a good photography store, as Dan has advised.

 

But, you can do a bit of research and price a selection of cameras and lenses etc from a number of outlets so that you buy the gift certificate from the best value company.

The lenses you mention are both very old, cheap consumer zooms. According to Bob Atkins' Len Play site, the 90-300 was not sold in the USA but may be available as a "gray market import".

I might suggest instead, the Canon 28-135 3.5-5.6 IS USM as a substitute for the two. Though it doesn't have the range of the the others combined, it's certainly a much higher quality lens and has Canon's 1st generation image stabilization to boot. Good luck.

>The lenses you mention are both very old, cheap consumer zooms

 

Well, that's true. But the 20-35 is an okay consumer zoom lens whereas the 90-300 is a

crappy one.

 

But, as noted, comparing these lenses is an apple and oranges thing. They do very different

things. If you don't know specifically what your husband is hankering after I totally agree and

go for the voucher route. It's sad and embarrassing all round to get a lovely expensive

present that you don't really want or need.

I am not a professional photographer and the last thing I would like is that somebody would give me a lens as a present. (I am going o be clearer: I would hate it). The Dan's idea of the gift voucher would be the best. You could choose the lens together (to choose a lens is sometimes a bigger pleasure that having the lens). Even he could add some money if the lens he wanted were to cost more. I did not pay anything in any shop. Just write a paper with the amount if you don't want to put the money. The place where to buy is very important too.

It wasnt an either or kind of situation. I was asking about them individually. And no the wide angle is not new at that price but it is in excellent condition. I understand about the gift card idea but I dont subscribe to that train of thought. They are impersonal to me. I will find a zoom that I think he would like (I will also get the wide angle one). I will try to get more info about the type of lens he wants before buying. Thanks for your input any and all are appreciated. Keep them coming. The 90-300 was a used lens and no they werent sold new in the US, but I didnt know if that made it a bad lens. I will keep checking here for recommendations and doing research. Thanks again.

To buy a lens is like to flirt a girl. If you miss the wooing you miss something very important.

at 300...the IS recommendation is a good one. Tripods are not always convenient.

I would like to suggest that the 20-35 wouldn't be a useful lens on an XTi (a 1.75x semi-wide to normal zoom), and a prime would be much more useful in comparison.

<blockquote><i>Is this lens a good one?</i></blockquote><p>

No.

Amy, The answer to your question is no to the 90-300 and maybe yes to the kit lens 18-55mm. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/351554-USA/Canon_9475A002_18_55mm_f_3_5_5_6_EF_S_USM.html If he already has the 18-55 and wants a telephoto zoom then I would recommend the 70-300mm. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/397663-USA/Canon_0345B002_70_300mm_f_4_5_6_EF_IS.html Any thing less I think he would be disappointed with,IMHO. I hope this helps, Bill

If you are going to buy the 18-55 recommended by Bill, choose without any doubt the new IS.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/519475-USA/Canon_2042B002_18_55mm_f_3_5_5_6_EF_S_IS.html

 

I have both and there is no comparison. The oldest one came with the camera.

 

Read this review, specially the Verdict at the end.

 

http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/lenses/canon_1855_3556is/index.htm

Amy, do not rush to buy something because it is an ''unique'' bargain. Think that somebody is trying to get rid of it. The lens is considered between the worst canon ever made. When you buy a bad lens the problem is not the money you use. The problem is that you see it everyday. If I misuse money in a bad dinner, I normally forget. The lens is always there, until you throw it away or hide it in the attic.

 

 

Read an opinion:

 

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1029&message=18831487

Hi Amy,

 

Firstly, "zoom" means any lens that can change focal length. BOTH the 90-300 and the 20-35 are zoom lenses. The 90-300 is a "tele-zoom", while the 20-35 is a "wide-zoom". (Sorry if you knew this already, but it wasn't clear, and can contribute to confusion!)

 

Secondly, what lenses does he have already? If he got the 18-55 kit lens with the camera, as many of us did, then he already has the "zoom range" of the 20-35 covered, and would have no use for this lens.

 

The final thing is your budget. The 70-300IS (NOT 75-300) is a much better lens than the 90-300, but also much more expensive. If his photography is not too demanding or too much of a passion, he may well be happy with the 90-300 or 75-300, at least for a while.

 

Keep us posted on your researches - like everything else, there's a lot of bs written about lenses on the internet, especially on ebay.

Amy, Antonio is correct the IS version of the 18-55mm is much better. (IS) is Image Stabilization which helps to eliminate camera shake, Bill

May I suggest, take him to a photo shop and let him choose (within reason) its not impersonal as you do it together, sure beats seein another unwanred gift seen on ebay, even offer to be his 1st subject

 

good luck

Amy, if you are definitely going to get him a good zoom around the 300mm range then I agree with the 70-300 IS. A good well built general purpose lens. Not cheap but well worth the money. It's my most used lens.