michael_hudson

I have an A1 and now a T90 bought recently in Japan second hand. When ever I go travelling, which is usually once a year on guided backpacker type holidays (this year Japan, last year China, Vietnam in 1996, Europe in 1995 - (hey I am in Australia) I have the quandary of what lenses to take. I have the Canons mentioned, also Canon 15mm 2.8, 24mm 2.8, 25-55mm 3.5-4.5, 70-210 4,Tamron SP90 macro, 300 5.6 (and of course Canon 50 1.8). I also have an Olympus mjuII (with 2.8 lens, spot metering etc. - i.e. very sophisticated for a "compact") as an "on the belt" camera. What lenses go in the backpack? (never the 300, the 90 macro - and the 15 would be nice, but the weight!). Japan was the 24 + 70-210 for the Canon, China was the 28-55 + 70-210. The attraction of one lens doing it all is very strong. I only essentially do std size colour prints now (slides given up) - very few are enlarged, so the weight advantage in the move to Tamron 28/200 would be serious. Any views here on the move or the Tamron (1 million buyers can't be wrong?) Thanks

re T90 eye cups - are none of you guys aware (guess not by context) of

the ongoing series of posts on this issue on the Malaysian T90 site:

 

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/canont90/index

.htm

 

<p>

 

this address will take you to the main page and you then have to go to

the bottom to the "my message board" -it wasn't up when I just tried

but it usually is -its an essential resource for T90 owners. Its not

sorted by subject, but just last 10 posts per page - you may have to

go back thru back pages (by number at the bottom of the page) you

might also like to go back a couple of pages until you get to my 4

post saga about how I bought my T90 in the Tokyo suburbs if that

sounds interesting to you... :)

I would have to second the view about the Tamron SP 90/2.5 (I have

used it on an A1 -I recently added a T90 bought 2nd hand while in

Japan)- the Tamron has real "snap" in terms of its focussing as only

such a large aperture can give you - but more importantly it is a

macro lens down to 1:2 (you do need an extension tube to go 1:1

however)- as the casual shooter of flowers etc. as I am it is great -

when you get that close the possibilities of differential focus

effects really open up another world (as well as the portraiture you

seem to mainly want it for. Its the only non Canon lens I have and I

bought it about 15 years ago when I saw a review that compared the

Tamron and the Canon 100 macro (at twice the price) and I recall that

the Tamron saw it off in that review- so its a good value quality

lens, and at the right price iamsure you will get a lot of enjoyment

out of what is a real double purpose lens. Get up close to flowers

etc and you will wonder how you did without a macro lens! (and I'm not

even a botanist or anything)