New camera

[taff]

Just got myself a canon 350d and want to get a new lens for it was looking at the Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro.

http://www.jessops.com/Store/s26774/...s.aspx?&comp=y

Has anyone got 1 of these lenses if so what are they like

[muttleymacclad]

Good choice taff. I've got a 350d. Welcome to the world of lens addiction. Which ever lens you choose you'll always want another.

I haven't got that lens but on my wish list is the sigma 70-300 apo DG macro
http://www.jessops.com/Store/s29861/...tId=143&comp=n

It's more expensive but supposedly better quality.

Question I'd ask is this. What do you take most pictures of / or what do you want to take most pics of?

My first lens (after the kit lens) was the sigma 17-70 DG macro.http://www.jessops.com/Store/s35252/...index=1&comp=n

the reason I got this rather than a longer lens was that I'm never going to compete with these wildlife photographers who have £1000+ lenses. so i decided to get something that was an easier walk around lens with a bit of reach, hence the 17-70.

It's worthwhile signing up to POTN http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...isplay.php?f=5for reviews of lenses and all sorts of other really valuable info (as well as some not so useful negative cr*p from purists at times).

I guess what I'm trying to say is spend a little more on a good lens that you will you a lot. My 17-70 is always on my camera and is my favourite lens. If you look at most of the images posted here very few will be taken with big zooms. go to the wildlife forums and they'll all be taken with Canon L lenses.

One other thing about Digital SLR's is quite often the images may not seem quite so sharp out of the camera as your old point and shoot, this can be a bit worrying. You will need to use Lightroom or photoshop just to sharpen the images and brighten the colours up a bit. you don't need to be a professional though.

btw even though one of our best photographers on here is jessops staff (bilbo ) they aren't the cheapest place to get lenses. Warehouse express and speedgraphic are probably the cheapest.

Sorry if you already know all this.

all the best

MML

[Dopey Dan]

Hi

You said you bought the sigma 17-70 apo DG macro. What does the DG and Macro refer too ?

When a lenses says macro is it only for using on close ups ? or can you use it normally as well ?

Cheers

Thicko

[muttleymacclad]

Hi

You said you bought the sigma 17-70 apo DG macro. What does the DG and Macro refer too ?

When a lenses says macro is it only for using on close ups ? or can you use it normally as well ?

Cheers

Thicko

Hi Dan

DG basically means it's for Digital SLRs, the APO is the type of glass used in the lens and Macro means it can take close ups as well as "normal" pictures. You're definitely not limited to Bilbo's specialist macro shots !

Here's sigmas page on their lens acronyms
http://www.sigmaphoto.com/lenses/lenses.asp

MML

[Dopey Dan]

Cheers Muttley

Im quite tempted to get that lens, I just got my £65 cashback cheque from Cannon (took since May).

How much better than my kit lens would this be ? In peoples opionon is it worth the extra ? (hope Im not hijacking the thread)

I just found this coupon :-
JESSOPS5

Gets you 5% (£11.25) off at Jessopns which makes it the cheapest place I believe.

Bringing it down to £213.74 - hmmm should I ? Shouldn't I ?

[muttleymacclad]

Cheers Muttley

Im quite tempted to get that lens, I just got my £65 cashback cheque from Cannon (took since May).

How much better than my kit lens would this be ? In peoples opionon is it worth the extra ? (hope Im not hijacking the thread)

I just found this coupon :-
JESSOPS5

Gets you 5% (£11.25) off at Jessopns which makes it the cheapest place I believe.

Bringing it down to £213.74 - hmmm should I ? Shouldn't I ?

One of those difficult choices. I got some good pics from my kit lens but much better from my sigma 17-70. The glass in the kit lens is relatively poor quality. You can tell by the weight of it, it's very light,

The other nice lens in this bracket is the tamron 17-50mm http://www.warehouseexpress.com/?/ph...on.html#af1750 which a few members on here have I think. There was a thread a while back chatting about this. I went for the 17-70mm because it did have that extra 20mm reach. I think they're both very good lenses though.

More options rather than answers I'm afraid but I'm certainly glad I got my sigma 17-70, I even sold my kit lens on ebay and got £50 for it. Is it worth changing? Yes I'd say so. Most of my recent pics (all the ones taken with the 350d anyway - look at the side to see which camera took the pics) in my flickr stream below are taken with my 17-70. Look at them in full size for better quality.

MML

[taff]

Question I'd ask is this. What do you take most pictures of / or what do you want to take most pics of

Thanks for the reply

I like taking pics of everything i just go out with the camera and take pics got no spesific subject i take.

Im limited on how much i can spend at the mo so was looking at that lens as it does quiet a bit for the one lens. been looking at some pics taken with the lens on flicker and there are some good shots on there

http://flickr.com/groups/_sigma_af_7..._dg_apo_macro/

Will have a bit more of a read on the lens before i make my mind up.

[muttleymacclad]

Thanks for the reply

I like taking pics of everything i just go out with the camera and take pics got no spesific subject i take.

Im limited on how much i can spend at the mo so was looking at that lens as it does quiet a bit for the one lens. been looking at some pics taken with the lens on flicker and there are some good shots on there

http://flickr.com/groups/_sigma_af_7..._dg_apo_macro/

Will have a bit more of a read on the lens before i make my mind up.

I know where you're coming from with the cost. Very hard to justify to the mrs. You may find a 17-70 or 17-50 may be more suitable though for a walk around lens. you may well find that the 70mm is not wide enough for you when just walking around.

one thing though taff, the images you're looking at on flickr are the APO DG which is the more expensive model which I mentioned, these aren't with the one you are looking at.

MML

[taff]

It looks like il have to save up the extra bit of cash then. can get it for £169 from jessops and £164 from warehouseexpress so hopefully it wont take me long to get the extra cash together.

[Bilbo_baggin]

Hi guys.

The non-APO lens is a good budget alternative to the APO version, but will display CA on high contrast images. It isn't as sharp as the APO lens either. Having said that, the images it is capable of will suffice for users who don't need to sell images or display them except in forums where quality isn't vital.

The image here:

Spoiler:

is taken on the non-APO Sigma 70-300mm at the long end. I had to use a high ISO on the day, so some noise crept in though that was reduced in photoshop.




I also prefer Sigma's 18-50mm lens over the Canon stock lens - it seems a tad sharper at all f/stops. This can be bought for under £90 at most retailers. This was taken on the Sigma lens:

Spoiler:

This one was taken using Canon's 18-55mm lens is certainly softer, albeit under different shooting conditions.

Spoiler:

If you want a quality portrait lens, or one for selective focus, then Canon's budget 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, generally available for under £80 nowadays is excellent, and is sharp throughout the f/stop range IMO. See here:

Spoiler:

Hope this bit helps.

A lot of my stuff is on Flickr, including stuff not on DF, so feel free to go and look by clicking on the Flickr signiture below.


Bilbo.

btw even though one of our best photographers on here is jessops staff (bilbo )


MML

PS. MML, you made a grown man blush with those compliments m8.... But thanks.

[muttleymacclad]

Hope this bit helps.

A lot of my stuff is on Flickr, including stuff not on DF, so feel free to go and look by clicking on the Flickr signiture below.


Bilbo.


PS. MML, you made a grown man blush with those compliments m8.... But thanks.

Credit where it's due mate.

MML

[sam15]

Just got myself a canon 350d and want to get a new lens for it was looking at the Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro.

http://www.jessops.com/Store/s26774/...s.aspx?&comp=y

Has anyone got 1 of these lenses if so what are they like

the same lens is cheaper at cameras2u
http://www.cameras2u.com/Store/s6042...)/details.aspx
or for the better lens
http://www.cameras2u.com/Store/s6041...)/details.aspx

sam

[Dopey Dan]

Canon's budget 50mm f/1.8 prime - I guessing this is the one sometimes reffered to as the nifty fifty ?

I would love to have a lens which had a f/1.8, but what i am wondering and I guess must of us fall into the same boat, as I'm guessing not many of us have full size sensors, do people not think that a 50mm lens which we would view as 80mm is to zoomed in as a walk around lens.

or maybe this is not the case ? What do people who own this lens feel about it as a walk around.

It was something that I did not consider when buying my camera, I just thought about the telephoto element and how much better that would be with it being 1.6 times closer. However I have since realised that alot of the shots I enjoy taking are wide angle :-(

and finally what does CA stand for ?

[muttleymacclad]

Canon's budget 50mm f/1.8 prime - I guessing this is the one sometimes reffered to as the nifty fifty ?

I would love to have a lens which had a f/1.8, but what i am wondering and I guess must of us fall into the same boat, as I'm guessing not many of us have full size sensors, do people not think that a 50mm lens which we would view as 80mm is to zoomed in as a walk around lens.

or maybe this is not the case ? What do people who own this lens feel about it as a walk around.

It was something that I did not consider when buying my camera, I just thought about the telephoto element and how much better that would be with it being 1.6 times closer. However I have since realised that alot of the shots I enjoy taking are wide angle :-(

and finally what does CA stand for ?

Hi Dan

Yes the 50mm f/1.8 is the nifty fifty. It's a very nice little lens, very sharp and fast as well. It's a great lens to learn with but as a walk around perhaps not ideal because it doesn't have the range that a 17-70 or 18-50mm has for wide angles. I have one and use it for portraits or shots of the family indoors, the wider aperture means that indoors with less natural light it's still fast.

CA stands for Chromatic Abherration, in very basic terms this means that the picture will have a purple / blue tinge around the edges.

MML

[taff]

the same lens is cheaper at cameras2u
http://www.cameras2u.com/Store/s6042...)/details.aspx
or for the better lens
http://www.cameras2u.com/Store/s6041...)/details.aspx

sam

Cheers for finding the lens at a great price for me. Iv taken the plunge and orderd 1 should be with me tomorow morning.

[muttleymacclad]

Well done taff, which one did you go for in the end?
Now the addiction really starts .
Get some pics up as soon as you can !

MML

[taff]

Well done taff, which one did you go for in the end?
Now the addiction really starts .
Get some pics up as soon as you can !

MML

I went for Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO Macro DG (Canon AF)
It was only £50 more than the other 1 so i can jusify the £50
Save up a bit now and il buy another lens in a few months time.
I will start taking pics when i get my cf card didnt buy 1 with the camera as they wanted to much for a card so orderd 1 off the net just waiting for it to turn up now should be with me tomorrow.

[muttleymacclad]

I went for Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO Macro DG (Canon AF)
It was only £50 more than the other 1 so i can jusify the £50
Save up a bit now and il buy another lens in a few months time.
I will start taking pics when i get my cf card didnt buy 1 with the camera as they wanted to much for a card so orderd 1 off the net just waiting for it to turn up now should be with me tomorrow.

Great choice. I'll be interested to see your shots as that's the next and hopefully final lens I'll be buying for my 350D.

MML

[taff]

Great choice. I'll be interested to see your shots as that's the next and hopefully final lens I'll be buying for my 350D.

MML

As soon as i can get out over the weekend i will sort some shots out but need to get used to the camera aswell so first lot might not be that good.

[cosmicma]

i've caught this thread a bit late and you have alleady taken the plunge i see
i have the 70 - 300 dg apo lense bought from jessops and i think you won't be dissapointed at the price'
what i found with the lense is it's pin sharp at the 70mm end upto around 200mm after that it gets a bit soft on the focus but it's not drastic
it can be a bit of a pain in low light ( wooded areas etc.. ) after all it's not L glass but apart from that it's a good lense

something for future reference....

a few weeks ago i decided to buy one of the older canon lenses
one of these to be exact
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Canon-EF-Zoom-...QQcmdZViewItem

to see how it compared to the sigma and i have to say at the same focal lenghs it's apperars to be a better lense depite it's age ( i think it was produced before the L series became available ) it's early days yet so i'm still experimenting with it but i'm quite happy with the results so far
might be worth a consideration for somebody in the future...