In the market for a new lens...help a newbie out?

[dennis_d._hardenburger]

<p>I think for your use the 80-200 or 70-200 would be ideal. The 80-200 is less money and smaller and lighter and has excellent IQ. The 70-200 is about $500 more but focuses much faster has VR and is optically a little better, but a little heavier.<br>

Yes you might want a wide angle some times inside but the 70-200, 80-200 could cover most of what you want if the weight is not to much for you.<br>

Good luck with your choice</p>

[stephen_asprey2]

<p>Get the 18-200 VR. Its brilliant. Its all the lens you will need until you go FX.</p>

[michelle_tanner]

<p>Thank you everyone! I'm so impressed with this forum and the amount of wonderful advise and opinions! I'm truly grateful! And Robert, those photos are amazing. The colors are stunning.</p>

<p>Ok...drum roll please... I walked out the the store with my new baby today... the 70-200mm f/2.8!</p>

<p>I'm so totally excited. And man, I can't say you all didn't warn me about the weight. This thing is huge.<br>

I tried the 17 - 55mm first and I just wasn't happy. Not any amount of zoom I wanted/need and really I just wasn't that impressed although I was really hoping I would like it because the price is so much less than the other two.</p>

<p>Then I tried the 24-70 and compared it with the 70-200mm. It took me a good hour to decide which I wanted. They have a 30 day return policy so I'm going to try it out a bit but when I was using it in the store, I was blown away with the images/quality and bokeh. It is heavy... that is the only draw back... it is huge. I will have to get used to this especially since I travel so much but I think I'm ok with that.</p>

<p>Thank you so much for all your input!</p>

<p>Yay!</p>

[robertbody]

<p>Nice :-), it's good to have a lens you enjoy. A backpack would be good to carry the lens when not in use. Zoo could be a good place to use that lens, for variety. As are many other places, like focusing on part of a building, or a snowy scene... sometimes even from inside the car [but i would rather walk around to frame the way i want to frame]<br>

 

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[michelle_tanner]

<p>I was wondering about bags now... I think you are right about backpacks!</p>

<p>You images continue to 'wow' me, Robert. This one sure looks cold. I can feel it now. Being from Minneapolis, this is quiet a normal site for me. Today all of our roads are like ice rinks. Where was this amazing photo taken?</p>

[robertbody]

<p>I use a normal backpack..... but I am not putting a 70-200mm into it. "Photo backpacks" are padded and with compartments, but they are not cheap. I prefer a fanny pack which carries lenses i am not using and i can reach them quickly while taking pictures. But the camera goes into the normal backpack.<br>

That picture is from Dec 2006 in Lone Tree, Colorado by Denver. This page in last 2 sections has some more pictures from that snowy day: <a href="http://www.robertbody.com/cities/lonetree/lincoln-rd.html">http://www.robertbody.com/cities/lonetree/lincoln-rd.html</a><br>

<br /> and New Photos at the top has latest photos</p>

[michelle_tanner]

<p>I love the photos in your Chicago collection. My 1st attempt with my new lens today.</p>

<p><img src="http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f213/mdrtanner/phpmIRLA3PM.jpg" alt="" /></p>

[robertbody]

<p>very nice... keep the focus point on one eye, maybe even in C continuous focus mode</p>

[michelle_tanner]

<p>Thank you for the tips! I'm going to try those out tomorrow. I'll take all the help I can get. In the meantime, I'm having a nice time looking through your galleries!</p>