My new lens doesn't fit my 10D camera?

<p>I have a Canon EOS 10D camera, and I have just bought a Canon EFS 55-250mm lens for it (MkII). However, I can't seem to get it to fit my camera, however much I follow the instructions.</p>

<p>Am I just being ham-fisted, or have I bought a lens which is incompatible with my camera?</p>

I am stealing Bob's thunder but he wrote an article about this some time ago. In essence the issue is that the 10D pre-

dates the EFS lens mount. In order to protect the full frame and APS-H camera mirrors a new mount was made for EFS

so they could not fit on full frame. Your body does not have this issue but it has the full frame mount. Bob's article

explains what you can do

 

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/tutorials/efs-10d.html

<p>Good grief, this looks far too technical for a mere female! ;-)</p>

<p>Does anyone know which lenses actually WILL fit a 10D? I'm going round in circles trying to find out!</p>

Any canon EF lens will fit but the EF-S and EF-M lenses will not. Just writing this statement it sounds like Canon may be

heading down the Nikon track with complex tables of body / lens combinations and functionality!

The closest lenses in price and range will be the 70-300 and 75-300 options

<p>Jane, what you need is a lens with the EF designation, not EFS. Some cameras, like the 20D, will mount both types of lens, but not the 10D. If you look at the front of the camera with the lens off, you'll see a red dot monting guide. An EOS camera which mounts EFS lenses will have a white dot guide. Cameras that take both lenses with have both a red and a white guide dot. Hope this helps...</p>

<p>Thank you very much to everyone - and how stupid am I for not checking beforehand! :-/</p>

<p>What I'm actually after is a decent zoom lens (to fit my 10D of course!) for street photography - that won't break the bank, as my funds are fairly limited. Philip mentions the 70-300 and 75-300 - I wonder which would be the best?</p>

<p>Some EF-S lenses can be modified to fit and work properly on the 10D, by removing the plastic protruding part at the rear. I do not know if this applies to the 55~250, but since you have the lens it would be worth finding out.</p>

<p>Thanks Robin, but I'm not taking the chance (Mrs Butterfingers here!) - I'd rather return it and buy a lens that fits properly! :-)</p>

<p>[[What I'm actually after is a decent zoom lens (to fit my 10D of course!) for street photography -]]</p>

<p>I don't know many people that shoot with a telephoto zoom for street photography. It's done, I'm sure, but generally speaking, people tend to gravitate towards wider angle (relative to the telephoto) and larger aperture lenses. Is there a particular reason you're going for the telephoto side of things? </p>

<p>Oh dear, I'm showing my lack of knowledge here. I have a friend who's a good street photographer - he zooms in on people from a very long way off, which produces lovely natural images. I asked him how he got such good results, and he said, "A good zoom lens!" - so, here I am!</p>

<p>Let's be honest here - I thought there were only zoom lenses, not 'telephoto zoom' lenses too! What's the difference? And what should I be looking at for this type of shooting? (Any suggestions gratefully appreciated!)</p>

<p>That focal range is on the long side for most, <em>but not all </em>well-kown SP'ers. You have to find your own way through this, dealing with your own energies. Look at a lot of work, and try different things. </p>

<p>The 55-250 won't fit on your 10D, but many third-party lenses designed for 'crop sensor' cameras will. Check out whether there is a competing zoom lens made by Sigma or Tamron.</p>

 

<p>[[Let's be honest here - I thought there were only zoom lenses, not 'telephoto zoom' lenses too! What's the difference? And what should I be looking at for this type of shooting? (Any suggestions gratefully appreciated!)]]</p>

<p>"zoom" describes its functionality whereas "telephoto" describes its (generalized) focal length range.</p>

<p>If I have a lens that changes focal length from 8mm to 16mm it is a zoom lens, however the focal length range it "zooms" through is not telephoto, but wide-angle. </p>

<p>Similarly, a lens that zooms from 70mm to 300mm is using focal lengths in the telephoto range, therefore it is a telephoto zoom.</p>

<p>Zoom just describes a technological function that gives you the ability to change focal length without putting on a different lens.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Because of my budget, I think I'll go for the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM lens (found a decently-priced one on eBay, that stacks up well against other lenses). My funds are really dictating my choice here, but I think it'll do the job! :-)</p>

<p>Thanks everyone, for helping a poor silly woman through this maze....... ;-)</p>

<p>Jane, first of all, please stop saying stuff like this:</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Good grief, this looks far too technical for a mere female! ;-)</p>

</blockquote>

<p>... sigh</p>

<p>OK, if you don't want to modify the lens (and many MALE photographers would be just as squeamish about any lens modification), you can either buy an EF lens, or...</p>

<p>Just sell your 10D and buy a 20D. The 20D is compatible with EF-S lenses. You'll probably lose about $70 in the bargain, but you'll have a somewhat better camera that can take the less expensive EF-S lenses.</p>

<p>Oh, and your question about telephoto zooms: "Zoom" just means the lens has a ring to adjust the focal length (or loosely, the magnification). They are loosely categorized as ultrawide angle, wide angle, normal, telephoto, and supertelephoto zooms. Think of a telephoto lens like a pair of binoculars and a supertelephoto like a telescope. Oh, and if a lens isn't a zoom lens, it's a "prime" lens, which means it only has one focal length. An old-fashioned 50mm lens is an example of a normal prime lens (when used on an SLR film camera or a "full frame" digital camera). A 24-105mm lens is an example of a normal zoom lens (when used on an SLR film camera or a "full frame" digital camera). On your camera, which has a smaller sensor, "normal" is more in the neighborhood of 30mm, so an EF-S 18-55mm lens would be a "normal zoom."</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Because of my budget, I think I'll go for the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM</p>

</blockquote>

<p>That's really not a good lens at all -- one of Canon's worst. The lens you already bought is far better. It just needs an EF-S compatible camera.</p>

<p>If you feel compelled to keep the 10D and buy EF lenses for it, the 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM is quite good optically and is a bargain. It's more expensive, but it's well worth it.</p>

<p>Eep! I hadn't thought of turning my 10D in for something better, but perhaps I should? This is going to require some thought, and a lot of knowledge-gathering, hmm.......</p>

<p>[[Thanks everyone, for helping a poor silly woman through this maze....... ;-)]]</p>

<p>It's not silly to be confused by new terminology. It can be quite complicated, especially when you're just starting out, because there is so much information all at once.</p>

<p>With regards to the 75-300 Mark III lens. Yes, it is inexpensive (I own one from my film days and still use it on occasion with my digital cameras), and I <strong>completely</strong> understand about being on a budget, but there is one thing about the 55-250mm that is not on the 75-300 that you may find useful, and may change your mind about how you proceed with purchasing equipment.</p>

<p>The 55-250mm lens has something called Image Stabilization (abbreviated as IS by Canon [and OS, VC, VR, etc. by other manufacturers]). Image Stabilization allows you to reduce the negative effects of your own body movement when shooting. This is most useful in low-light when the camera is forced to pick a shutter speed slower than you may naturally be able to be steady. It is also extremely helpful on telephoto and telephoto zoom lenses because the angle of view (i.e. what you see) is more narrow, and therefore more prone to showing small bits of movement.</p>

<p>So, and this may sound a little backwards, what if you sold the 10D and bought a used Canon 20D rather than returning the 55-250mm and getting the 75-300mm? With the 20D you can use the 55-250mm and you get quite a good lens for the money with Image Stabilization.</p>

<p>I think, sometimes, the derision of the 75-300mm Mark III is a little extreme. It's not like you're shooting through a block of cement. It is a budget lens, no doubt, but you can find compelling images made with it all over the web. The goal should be to balance your budget and your intended output (i.e. prints, web-only, etc) with your expectations.</p>

<p>If you are simply learning, doing very little printing, and you truly are limited by budget, then buy the 75-300mm lens because you can't take pictures without a lens on the camera.</p>

<p>However, as I mentioned before, if your budget is a little more loose, and you can fund a bit of it by selling the 10D, I would definitely recommend the 55-250mm over the 75-300mm.</p>

<p>If, on the other hand, you're looking to produce 20 inch wide prints as soon as possible, well, then you, of course, should look at much better, and more expensive, lenses.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Jane, the 20D is 8 MP, rather than 6.3 MP. It's faster, it's compatible with all Canon EF and EF-S lenses, and it will seem lightning fast in comparison to the 10D (e.g. faster to write an image to the CF card). Otherwise it will operate much like the 10D. In all of the xxD family of cameras have the same basic functionality, with features added to the more modern ones. EF-S lenses were developed for the 20D and onwards (30D, 40D, 50D, 60D)</p>

<p>FAIW, I really like the 40D, but it may be outside of your budget. However, given your situation, an upgrade to a 20D or 30D would seem a reasonable and affordable move.</p>

<p>Wikipedia always has good info. You might read here for a quick primer on Canon's EOS cameras and lenses:</p>

<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_eos#EOS_cameras">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_eos#EOS_cameras</a></p>

<p>Good luck with your new system! I hope it serves you well! :-)</p>

<p>^^^ very good advice from Rob about the IS (image stabilization)!</p>

<p>Oh, Jane, one other bit of advice:</p>

<p>Although Canon's EF-S lenses will not fit your 10D, third party lenses made for so-called "crop-frame" cameras like yours (also called APS-C) will fit the 10D. These manufacturers make lenses with a variety of mounts, so you have to be certain to get one with a Canon EF mount. Your choices would include manufacturers such as Sigma, Tokina, Tamron, etc. And to be clear, ANY of these lenses made for a Canon EF mount would fit your camera, regardless of whether they are designed for full frame or crop frame cameras. However, I still think the body upgrade is the magic ticket.</p>

<p>I agree with Sarah - Upgrade your body from the 10D to 20D or 30D. It looks like on Craigslist 20D's are in the $225-$275 range and 30D's are in the $300-$350 range.</p>