Which lens should I purchase?

<p>Hi... <br>

This is my first time here. I have been following this forum for a month or so. It appears to me that there are some very knowledgable people here. I have what I think is an easy question. I am new to photography. I started 6 months ago with a Canon T1I with the 18-55 and 55-250 lenses (the later was a throw in for $14 from Amazon). Several weeks ago I purchased a 7D with an 18-135 lens. I take a lot of nature pictures and find that the 55-250 is not sufficient for small critters (usually birds) at a distance (about 50 to 150+ feet away). I am considering purchasing the Canon 70-300 IS USM lens. I like the idea of IS since I rarely use a tripod for these photos. <br>

My question is: Is this the right choice? i.e., will I be able to get better results (better closeups) with this lens? If not, is there a better solution for me? I do not want to spend a lot for a lens at this time. However, if there is a better solution for me that requires additional money, I may wait until I have sufficient funds. <br>

Any suggestions will be appreciated. <br>

Bill </p>

 

<p>No – it is not a good choice for only 50mm extra FL.<br>

<br />I don’t think you will be happy with only 50mm more Focal length compared to the 55 to 250 you are using.<br />If are shooting Birds at 150ft shooting distance: a 250mm lens gives you a FoV of about 13½ft x 9ft, but a 300mm gives a FoV of about 11ft x 7½ft - so an 8inch bird will still be quite small in that frame (Field of View – i.e. how “big” the frame is, at the plane of sharp focus)<br>

A better option for the long distances would be a 400 Prime – the 400/5.6L is very popular with bird photographers: and for the shorter range use the 55 to 250 you have.</p>

<p>The 400/5.6 does not have IS, you might need to use a Tripod or other support if the Tv (Shutter Speed) gets too slow.</p>

<p>Another option is 300/4 L IS and a x1.4MkII telecoverter - thus gaining IS and a stop of aperture at FL= 300mm </p>

<p>WW</p>

<p>There isn't going to be a very big difference in reach between the two lenses. If the 55-250mm IS isn't long enough, the 70-300mm IS probably isn't long enough.</p>

<p>Any chance you could just crop? Telephoto gets really expensive, your 55-250 is a good lens ( especially for the money ) so the only real upgrade would be to move to something like a 100-400L or 400L prime but those are pretty expensive options. There are tele converters but I am not sure they work with EF-S lenses. </p>

<p>On a side note I got the T2i 2 lens kit as well and I am very impressed with the 55-250. I have the 70-200 2.8 L and I find the 55-250 ( that I also got pretty much free ) is not far off in image quality. I say use it and enjoy it, its a steal of a lens. You have 18mp so cropping even down to 25% should be enough for a fair sized print. </p>

<p>Aside - Tommy, if you are still reading: I posted some full frame EF35/2 samples in that thread of yours from several weeks ago</p>

<p>I would agree that the difference between 250mm and 300mm is not very great.</p>

<p>Your best bet is to figure out how to get closer to the critters. Stalking skills and/or bird blinds can save you a bundle on lenses.</p>

<p>Purchase the one that gives you what you want. Nobody else can answer this question for you. You have to know what you want. In case you are not sure, get them all (we camera store guys love that answer).</p>

<p>Thanks William I will take a look.</p>

<p>As everyone else says, 50mm isn't much difference. The 7D is a powerful camera and will allow for good crops. I'd sell the 18-135mm since you already have it covered with the 18-55mm and 55-250mm. The latter two should serve you well for awhile. You could use the money from the 18-135mm to get a good dedicated flash like the 430EX II. This will really open up some photo possibilities, especially since the 7D has wireless flash capabilities. Eventually you may want to upgrade to better glass, but the setup mentioned should give you great results.</p>

<p>May I suggest a good tripod and a flash instead of a new lens? The tripod will help you now and next year with better image quality using the lenses you already have. And while I recognize you asked specifically about longer reach, a flash will expand your capabilities considerably indoors . It's a very rare photographer who has no interest at all in studio or people shots. The 7D can fire Speedlites remotely. Specific recommendations are the Manfrotto 190XPROB, and the Canon 430EX-II, both representing excellent value and functionality.</p>

<p>Thank you for all the quick responses. I decided to not purchase a lens at this time. I guess that I need to learn how to better use the lenses that I have. I have a 580EX ii and a nice tripod already. Once again, thank you for the assistance. </p>

<p>You have, as the old knight said in the last real Indiana Jones movie, chosen wisely.</p>

<p>Lots of old-time photographers would have killed for a 35mm lens the equivalent of the 250mm on your APS-C body (roughly like a 35mm camera 400mm). Is longer better? sure, it's like being rich--it's hard to be <em>too</em> rich.</p>

<p>There are lots of older, longer than 300mm, manual-focus, stop-down-meter lenses out there that can be used with an adaptor to work on your Canon in Av mode. These are nothing like so convenient as a nice image-stabilized AF lens, but they are also often very inexpensive. You do need to be using a tripod for this kind of shooting, no matter what lenses you use. IS can get you a long way, but for the sharpest results, a tripod still wins out. Of course, the trade-off is less convenience and mobility.</p>

<p>That's why you need to observe your subjects, learn about their behavior, get as close as you can to them, and be patient (<em>hide</em> is the word). Those terrific wildlife photos you see were rarely taken by someone who is threshing and crashing about in the underbrush.</p>

<p>Shooting Birds. I have both the 70-300mm Canon Lens as well as the 70-200 mm Canon Lens. I bought the latter with only the f4 , IS USM as I got tired of the other lens creeping while hanging on my camera. That aside, I also use a Telextender 1.4 Kenko Pro 300. Using a 7D and my old 30D, I find I can zoom to 672 mm, which is not too bad. I rarely use auto focus, but rather manual, however I have no problem with the 70-200 shooting at 5.6. I may have to bump up the ISO some, but then, I can crop like mad with that 7D. It works for me with birds, however, my goal is a 100-400 lens. Stay with you current setup, but explore using a telextender. </p>