Canon EOS 350D with Sigma 18-200 lens

[debi_zylbermann]

I've read the thread "Canon EOS 350D or Olympus E-500 ?" by Efren

Rodriguez, and it helped me somewhat, but I need some extra help. I

currently use an Olympus Camedia C-750 with x10 optical zoom, and

want to upgrade to DSLR. I'll go nuts with the kit lens, and wanted

to know whether this is a good choice. I take night shots (fireworks

and stuff), lots of kids, town and scenery, and lots of close-ups.

Also, want to get just one lens to start with, otherwise I won't

take it out with me. Is there a better (at similar price) entry-

level set of body and lens for my needs?

[jarek]

Be aware that with focal lengts where this lens is aboove 5.6 (therefore close to 200 mm) 350D or any other Canon DSLR will not autofocus. The lens must be at most 5.6 to allow camera to autofocus.

[jcuknz]

I would suggest, and using a Panasonic FZ30 which is where I judge from, that the only possible camera if you mostly hand hold to use with the Sigma 18-200 are the KM DSLRs. When you zoom out to 200 [300 equivalent] the lens only has an aperture of f/6.3. So you need around 300% faster shutter speed than at wide end of zoom with any other DSLR. With Anti-Shake this is not a problem since I have been using OIS for over a year now and getting away with 'murder' with regard to low shutter speeds at long zooms and including teleconverter to give me 950mm equivalent focal length.

 

 

So I would say the Sigma and Km combination is a good choice if you need the features of a DSLR, otherwise, and what I'm doing, is to stick to my FZ30 whose lens is testing out equal or better than the kit lens of entry level DSLRs. Merely looses f/2.8 to f/3.3 with the zoom.

 

 

It will be a definite step up from what you are using now since the 750 doesn't have OIS, more resolution too. Maybe one day the DSLRs will catch up with pro-sumers for their all round convienience, or there will be a meld as pro-sumers get better with bigger or better sensors :-)

[simon_hickie1]

Hi.

I have to say I'm not a huge fan of off-brand lenses, having had some less than satisfactory experiences in the past. Is the Nikon D50 plus the image stabilised 18-200 zoom out of your price-range (runs out at around 870 pounds in the UK)?

 

Simon

[bill_tuthill]

The Sigma 18-125 is a better lens, and is one of the few available

for Olympus 4/3 mount, so you could compare directly. It would be

29-200 crop equivalent on Canon, 36-250 on the E-500.

[kevin_harper]

Jarek, The MAXIMUM aperture of the lens must be at least f5.6 for autofucus to work on consumer Canon DSLR's and f8 for their pro line. The sigma will autofocus at 200mm and f6.3 as its maximum aperture at 18mm is f3.5. If the max aperture at 18mm was 5.6 or less, AF would be disabled.

[jarek]

Kevin,

The aperture @ 18 mm does not matter. What does matter for autofocus is how bright the lens is at given focal length. If the lens at given focal length is not bright enough to autofocus it will not autofocus. The lens will not go back to 18 mm in order to autofocus @ 200 mm.

[hash]

I use a D70 with the Nikon 18-200VR. That lens is no match for the third party 18-200s with its f/5.6 + AFS + VR and better optics. But it's twice the price!