Cameras-n- Stuff

Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens

Good surprises are not an every day occurrence. So when they happen it is a time for celebration and, perhaps reflection.

Finding out about the 70-300mm Canon zoom lens was kind of like that. (This is not about the “DO” model.)

Photographers love to share their success stories about gear and cameras, yet this lens has been one of the better kept secrets. The praises are there about this lens, but they are quietly subtle. There is nothing about this lens that screams “I’m beautiful.” It is rather ordinary. However, when you take your eyes off the hype of some of the other more charismatic lenses, you begin to see something very subtle and special about the Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens.

The reason may be that the lens is not that impressive or glamorous in appearance, and “real” photographers want an attention-getter on the front of their prized digital SLR.

Perhaps it’s even because there is nothing special about the price. It’s not too high or too low, it’s just right.

No matter the reason, the 70-300mm Canon lens is well worth taking a look at.

When you look for impressive, the first thing that draws attention is the image quality. This should be the number one consideration for any lens. And this one is rated as good, or nearly as good, as the Canon “L” lenses.

But that is not what you find when you start looking for reviews and forum comments about the lens. Instead, you see that at first sight, the lens looked rather unimposing. You may observe comments like, “I thought it was a toy.” These are more likely to show the first impressions of many first-time users.

You have heard that first impressions are lasting ones. But that is not necessarily true with this lens. Their opinion quickly changes once they try out the lens for the first time. This is because the features include IS (image stabilization) and USM (ultrasonic motor) added to the fantastic image quality already alluded to.

Many photographers choose to do their shooting with a hand held camera. These two exceptional features make this much more of a possibility with the 70-300 lens.

A True Story About the 70-300 Canon Lens

After glancing at many comments about the 70-300 Canon EF Lens, my favorite is from a photographer who came across the lens at a yard sale. He was not familiar with the lens, but he decided to get it for a relative who was just getting into photography. He figured because of the price and the feel of the lens that it was not a great lens. The seller knew nothing about the performance of the lens. Without any useful information at all, the photographer decides to buy the lens. Price was not mentioned, but under those circumstances, it was probably the deal of the century (except for those Ansel Adams photos that were valued at $4 million).

Just to see if it even works, he puts it on his Canon 5D to take a few shots. The rest is history – The relative never got the lens. He deemed the lens too good for his relative and kept if for himself.

I can only dream that something like this would happen to me. There are so many surprises hiding at garage sales, thrift stores, and liquidation sales. Wouldn’t you like to be surprised like this?

For more about the Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM (and other Canon lenses), visit www.canoneoslenses.org.

Happy Shooting!

Canon 17-55mm Lens

Once you have decided on the right Canon EOS camera, your decision making process is not over. Now you must choose the right Canon Digital SLR lens.

It was probably a research and decision process just to decide on the correct Canon EOS camera, right? As you consider the situation, you perceive that there is a vast potpourri of lenses, literally hundreds of them. And you are not limited to just Canon lenses, there are others who create lenses for Canon EOS cameras as well.

You have to pick one.

It’s possible to avoid this whole issue and go with the package deal that includes the kit lens. And, yes, there are even package deals that have two or more kit lenses. Then there would be no choice to make.

But getting the lenses for your digital SLR is half of the excitement of owning a camera like this.

There are those who make a science out of this piece of the selection process, taking long periods of time to research and evaluate. If you go online to some of the camera forums, you will see how totally involved some photographers are in lens selection. Sometimes it is a bit extreme.

At the end of the day, you want this decision to be the right one. The one that gets just the right lens onto your camera.

This brings up the question, “Why not just go for the kit lens?” The answer is a simple one. You could purchase the kit lens and be quite satisfied with it. Lot’s of do that. But it just is not best lens manufactured for a Canon EOS digital SLR camera. Its purpose is to get a lens on that camera so you can get started taking pictures right out of the box. You may want to consider what lots of new camera owners do. Get the camera body only, without the kit lens. Then you have the freedom to get a lens of your own choice separate from the kit lens.

Here are some questions that will aid you narrow the field.

1. What’s in your wallet?

Once you answer this one, you may not have to answer any of the ones that follow. If your budget simply includes the camera and a kit lens, then you are done. If, however, there is some cash allocated for a lens, you can think about the remaining questions. A limited budget of $500 or less will put you in one area, whereas $1000 will give you much more flexibility in your final decision.

2. What is your favored photographic category?

Tamron 17-50mm lens for Canon

Most photographers tend to move toward a particular favored genre. Most photographers establish a favorite style even before they buys to their first digital SLR. For shooting photos of family and friends or vacation, the focal range of 18-70mm (or something within those parameters) will be perfect. You will have to regard a different main lens if your photographic focus is on nature, or sports, or even portraits.

3. Will you be purchasing more than one lens for this new Canon Digital SLR camera?

Buying more than one DSLR lens is really the second reason why most photographers move into Digital SLR photography, the first reason being their desire to get a more sophisticated camera. If you budget allows for another lens or two, then the first lens choice can focus more on getting the best image in the 17-75mm range. Your second lens should be one of the 70-200mm or 70-300mm lenses.

4. The final question is this: Which Canon EOS camera did you decide on?

Depending on your answer, you may not be able to get some of the Canon or third party lenses simply because they will not work on your camera. Oddly, there are more choices for the cheaper, entry level digital SLRs. All of the Canon lenses and third party lenses will fit on your camera. If, on the other hand, you buy a more professional “full frame” camera, you can not get any of the lenses that are designated at EF-S lenses, as they are for only the crop frame models such as the Rebel series.

The choice to move to a DSLR camera is an exciting one, but it is not without its exploration and challenges. You really need to do your homework before making this buying decision.

The worst case scenario is that you have a low budget, and you make the wrong choice for your first Canon camera lens.

Fortunately, there are resources available to help you decide which Canon digital SLR lens is right for you.

Go to www.canoneoslenses.org to continue your quest for the best lens for your Canon EOS camera.

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L for Canon EOS Digital Cameras

Canon is in the Digital SLR market in a huge way. Their commitment to quality has produced many fantastic photography products, including cameras and lenses. The Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L lens may possibly be one of their highest quality products to date. This rather bold statement is based on the reception of this lens by the photographic community, including expert reviews and reviews by professionals and enthusiastic amateurs. They are practically unanimous in their praise.

This remark is typical of the users’ comments about the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 lens for Canon EOS cameras: “…since I got the 85 prime, I haven’t looked back. The 85 1.2L simply smokes the zoom..” The “zoom” he was referring to is the 70-200 f/2.8, which may be the most popular (at least in the top 2 or 3) Canon lens on the market.

When you first see this lens, especially if you are comparing it to a similar one of the same focal length, your first impression would definitely be “Wow”, this is quite a piece of equipment. It is massive and impressive at the same time. You can tell that you hold quality in your hand.

Then, after attaching it to your digital SLR, you will know that your first impression was an accurate one. It truly handles like a professional lens. Your other lenses will feel like toys by comparison.

So, what is it good for – what type of shots are best taken with the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L?

Start with the most popular shots taken by all photographers – people. People in all settings. Family shots will turn out better than you could have imagined. Portraits will have the wow factor that you had always hoped for. Street photography or photojournalism will get better.

Weddings? A huge YES. Reports from wedding photographers have widely praised the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L lens for two reasons.

First, the sharp, high quality images are so much better than the ones from their other lenses. Second, the f/1.2 aperture allows shooting in low light settings better than nearly any other lens available on the market.

Video – Oh my, Yes. The video quality produced by this dynamic lens will give your video a new level of professional.

A Couple of Guys Opening Their New Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L Lens

But sports? Not so much. You will want to stick with a longer, quicker focusing lens for sports. Even though this lens has HSM, it is not quite fast enough to capture shots with the speed you need for sports.

This comment is really great: “I know it is crazy expensive. But go ahead and buy it, cry for 5 minutes, and don’t tell your wife the price. She will love the pictures at the end!!!”

Is it the best choice for every type of shot? Of course not. There is no one lens that can cover the entire gamut of picture taking scenarios.

And price may be an issue for you. But this is one lens that you might consider trading in your teenage son for. It’s that good.
Take a look at the ratings, specs, and a few sample pictures at www.canoneoslenses.org. I think you will agree with all the others who are so impressed with the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L lens.

One more thing. It is compatible with all current Canon EOS digital SLR cameras, including Full Frame and APS-C formats. Just one more plus for this amazing lens.