Slr lens £400-1000

[Peter Hearnshaw]

I am looking for an upgrade from a sigma 150-400mm apo lens. It cost me £200 and I'm looking for a 300mm lens for £400-1000.

I am thinking of buying the lens before the camera, so any makes will be good. Anyone have any ideas of lenses? :h?:

[baillieswells]

I am looking for an upgrade from a sigma 150-400mm apo lens. It cost me £200 and I'm looking for a 300mm lens for £400-1000.

I am thinking of buying the lens before the camera, so any makes will be good. Anyone have any ideas of lenses? :h?:

I have recently bought the Canon 300mm f4 Image Stabilized lens. It is extremely sharp. It will also take the 1.4X extender taking it to 420mm f5.6. I could not afford the f2.8 version.The only Canon zoom in that range is the 100-400mm f4.5 - 5.6 L. IS lens. It is not so sharp as a prime lens. I also have the 70-200mm f4 L zoom, which with a 1.4X extender takes it to 98-280mm f5.6. and this is also a very sharp lens.

[Keith Reeder]

The only Canon zoom in that range is the 100-400mm f4.5 - 5.6 L. IS lens. In the 300mm range:

EF28-300mm f3.5-5.6
EF70-300mm f4.5-5.6
EF70-300mm f4.5-5.6 IS
EF75-300mm f4.0-5.6 III
EF75-300mm f4.0-5.6 III USM
EF90-300mm f4.5-5.6
EF90-300mm f4.5-5.6 USM


(The 100-400mm IS) It is not so sharp as a prime lens. Or, another view:

http://www.pbase.com/liquidstone/100_400is
http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=240421
http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=240508

How sharp do you want?

;)

333,

the Sigma 80-400mm OS (stabilised) lens is a cracker too - I've got one on my Nikon and it's every bit as good optically as my Canon 100-400mm, which is itself a great lens.

[postcardcv]

I am looking for an upgrade from a sigma 150-400mm apo lens. It cost me £200 and I'm looking for a 300mm lens for £400-1000.

I'm very interested to see what suggestions people come out with as I'm looking for a decent lens in the 300-400mm range for sub £1000...

I have been looking at (and am tempted by) the Sigma 120-300 f2.8, it looks to be an excellent lens and works well with both the 1.4x and 2x tc's... however it's beyond my (and your) budget... unless anyone knows where to get this lens cheap?

The other lenses that I am considering are the Canon 100-400 IS, the Canon 300 f4IS and the Sigma 80-400 OS... will have to have a play with them and see what I think.

[Keith Reeder]

Hi Peter,

it's got to be said that the 300mm f/4 IS suggested by Baillieswells would take a lot of beating, if 300mm will do ya - but stick a 1.4 on it and you're back to f/5.6, and no discernible IQ advantage over the zooms that I've ever been able to see.

The zooms have more reach and more versatility and are both fantastic in their own right.

There's the Sigma 100-300mm f/4 too. Very high optical quality, internal zoom so the length of the thing doesn't change, HSM (fast and quiet focussing), and all for about £750.

It's f/4 all the way up to 300mm as well.

[baillieswells]

In the 300mm range:

EF28-300mm f3.5-5.6
EF70-300mm f4.5-5.6
EF70-300mm f4.5-5.6 IS
EF75-300mm f4.0-5.6 III
EF75-300mm f4.0-5.6 III USM
EF90-300mm f4.5-5.6
EF90-300mm f4.5-5.6 USM



I was restricting my comments to L lenses, of which only the 28-300mm is one, and that is way out of the price range.The only other is the 100-400mm.

[Nigel G]

I have been looking at (and am tempted by) the Sigma 120-300 f2.8, it looks to be an excellent lens and works well with both the 1.4x and 2x tc's... however it's beyond my (and your) budget... unless anyone knows where to get this lens cheap?


I think this (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sigma-120-300mm-120-300-F-2-8-f2-8-EX-DG-No-VAT-0084_W0QQitemZ110077176377QQihZ001QQcategoryZ4687Q QtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem) is the best price on the net and I have seen largely positive coments from Digitalrev including my brother's 20d. Less positive however is Sigma's attitude in that they won't honour the warranty unless you can prove VAT was paid. However given Digitalrev will refund the VAT it should be possible to ensure the VAT is declared and get it refunded.

[mjmw]

I'm very interested to see what suggestions people come out with as I'm looking for a decent lens in the 300-400mm range for sub £1000...


I guess you mean a zoom because the 400/5.6 is less than £900! ;)

[postcardcv]

I guess you mean a zoom because the 400/5.6 is less than £900! ;)

Having spent some time looking round today I must say that this is the lens at the top (well joint top with the Sigma 120-300 f2.8) of my want list. Rather annoyingly I have been offered one at a good price, but need to sell off a few bits before I buy it so will probably miss that one!

[impotentspider]

I am looking for an upgrade from a sigma 150-400mm apo lens. It cost me £200 and I'm looking for a 300mm lens for £400-1000.

I am thinking of buying the lens before the camera, so any makes will be good. Anyone have any ideas of lenses? :h?:


Isn't that a bit like putting the cart before the horse LOL.

Actually I can see the sense, maybe more photographers should think about the quality of the lenses before buying into a system.

What about the sigma 50-500, its a "one size fits all" lens (unless you want to shoot wide angle) its available in most fits and is well within your budget.

Just posted links to a couple of pics taken with it in another topic;

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=780127#post780127