7D and lens conundrum

[mxshooter]

Hi all, I've just moved over from a Nikon to the 7D and have only one lens to work with, a EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS....it's a bit on the cheap side so i would appreciate some advice and suggestions at to other more suitable quality lenses...pleeeze

I shoot motocross and equine mainly and find myself with a choice of lenses, some of which are pretty expensive...

If i get a good price for all my Nikon gear I should have somewhere in the region of £1200 to play with.....

I want a 24-105 L IS as it would be perfect for closer shots, weddings and Portraits etc but would eat up half my budget..unless there is a suitable alternative?

Which leads me to the big zooms....

The 70-200 F4 L IS is around the £900+ mark where as the non IS version is nearly half price.....is IS really necessary especially at shutter speeds of 1/800 and over? (considering it has 'L' glass) I rarely used VR on the Nikon lens.

The 70-300 F4 L IS is around the £900 mark as well with the non 'L' version considerably cheaper at £300 but how does the quality compare?

I know the adage that we would be better off buying quality glass but it isn't always possible...

So thats my conundrum

The Nikon lens i used was the 70-300 F4-5.6 VR and gave great results, but wasn't overly sharp at 300mm...

What does the panel think? I could spend hours reading reviews but i would prefer to hear it from someone who actually uses one of these lenses regularly...

Cheers, Martin

[MX5]

Re: 7D and lens conundrum

If there's a bit of flexibility in the budget ...

The 24-105L works fine on the 7D (I use that combination) ... but lacks wide. Paired with a 70-200L f4 none-IS provides a good start (I use the 2.8 on my 7D).

If you need wide ... Try a 17-40L, 70-200L f4 none-IS and if the gap bothers you add a 50 f1.8 'nifty fifty'

The Canon 70-300L from what I've seen is very good ... even at 300.

[colintf]

Re: 7D and lens conundrum

I would try the 17-55f2.8 and either the non L 70-300 or the 70-200Lf4

[mikep]

Re: 7D and lens conundrum

Hi Martin - and welcome to the forum!

I have a 550D (so a 1.6 crop - like your 7D). I used to have the non-L 70-300, and for learning (being a beginner) it was great for the money, but I moved up to the 70-300 L 5 months ago, and I have noticed a jump in quality! It also focusses faster than the non-L, and is more robust, but also heavier for it! If budget allows, the 70-300 L is a great lens, and yes, still sharp enough at 300. It also takes the Kenko DGX 300 Pro 1.4 converter with loss of 1 f-stop, but no loss in focus ability. I don't think it takes Canon's own converters though - strange that!

I agree the nifty fifty would be a good addition for little comparitive outlay.

Also, if you're shooting at the shutter speeds you mention, you don't need IS! Rule of thumb generally is for hand held, use shutter => as focal length. i.e. shooting at 300mm, use at least 1/300.

Hope that helps. All the best, Mike.

P.S. Don't know where you're based, but you can try both my L and non-L 70-300's if you're near Epsom, Surrey! Let me know!

[hughbie]

Re: 7D and lens conundrum

15-85 and a 70-200f4.

[jonesgj]

Re: 7D and lens conundrum

Hi Martin,

I have a 7D. I'm not an expert, but here are a few of my offerings using some of the lenses you mention.

Here's a few with the 70-300 IS USM

http://www.eos-magazine-forum.com/showthread.php?7158-Owl-and-Falconry-Day

Here's a few with the 70-300L IS USM

http://www.eos-magazine-forum.com/showthread.php?7906-Harris-Hawk-70-300L

http://www.eos-magazine-forum.com/showthread.php?7909-Lady-Rider

http://www.eos-magazine-forum.com/showthread.php?11040-British-Historic-Motorcycle-Racing

Please feel free to visit my Flickr where I have a few more examples.

Graydon

[mxshooter]

Re: 7D and lens conundrum

Thank you all for your suggestions, quite a lot to consider....I've found approximate prices for them all and now need to do some serious thinking......

Some very interesting combinations.....if I choose wisely i can cover most of my range and then sell the 55-250 and put the funds towards a tele converter maybe :O)

I'll let you know when i've finally sold all my 'other' kit

@mikep, sorry, don't live near you whiich is a shame.....

Do Canon make a 70-300 L non IS?

Martin

[Woolley]

Re: 7D and lens conundrum

I've got the non-IS 70-200 f/4 and I'm happy to recommend it. For horses and bikes you can safely push the ISO up if shutter speeds drop for hand-holding. Very rarely I think the IS would be nice but I don't think it's worth the price difference unless you can comfortably afford it. On a budget, don't bother. There are often good examples of this lens on e-bay which will save you £100+ - it seems to be one that people upgrade to the 2.8 versions from so they crop up often.

Consider the Sigma 1.4x to go with it. £100 or more cheaper than the Canon for results that aren't markedly different. Those two will set you back around £700, possbily £600 with the second hand option, leaving you enough for the 15-85 IS which is often highly recommended.

[Les McLean]

Re: 7D and lens conundrum

One of the best decisions I ever made was to ditch a 70-200mm F2.8 zoom and buy a 200mm F2.8L lens, it's as sharp as the zoom, weight and size around half the 70-200 F2.8 so nice and comfortable to carry around, add a 1.4TC and you have a great combination. My 200mm +1.4TC is almost a permanent fixture on my 7D.

Price wise, second hand they go for around £450 .

Obviously, it hasen't got the flexibility of a zoom, but I can honestly say I've never missed it.

I did a review of the lens here:

http://www.eos-magazine-forum.com/showthread.php?2396-Canon-200mm-F2-8-L-Lens

And it's a very capable lens, this image taken with 200mm F2.8L on a 7d



It's a

[mxshooter]

Re: 7D and lens conundrum

Thanks Woolley, i was thinking along similar lines, i rarely used the VR on the Nikon lens so could manage without it...plus the addition of a 1.4 x TC would be useful....

I see Canon have announced the imminent arrival of an EF-S 18-135 F3.5-5.6 IS STM and at under £500 it looks to be an ideal lens, giving me a reasonable wide angle and decent mid zoom and with my meagre budget i could afford all three, but only just LOL I look forward to some user reviews first though...

Les, a smashing shot, obviously a superb lens, unfortunately for me a tad restricting...with equine, particularly the Showing, the handlers/riders use the whole ring (section of field more like) to show off their skills and i have to careful where i stand...the judges get annoyed if you're in the way hehehe! but thanks for the suggestion anyway :O)

OH, and i ordered the nifty fifty today, could use it at my cousin's wake next Wednesday......

[colin C]

Re: 7D and lens conundrum

Welcome to the light Martin.

The 55 - 250mm is a surprisingly good lens, much better than its price would suggest. I have often been pleasantly surprised at the quality this lens can produce.

For the sports you are shooting IS isn't a necessity, so the non IS 70 - 200mm f4 will do you well. The 70 - 300mm L IS isn't available in a non IS version, but still well worth considering.

Colin

[erniethemilk]

Re: 7D and lens conundrum

Take a look at a 15-85mm which offers great flexibility and for longer focal reach the 70-200 f/4 is a solid performer :)