Lenses for new 30D

I had one for a year or two, but I wasn't using it much and sold it. I decided I could get by with an extender and the 70-200L IS.
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Juli
http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/galleries
Canon FiveDee, Canon 2oD, Canon Gee3, and Canon S7o, Fuji Eff30.

with http://www.resellerratings.com . It will give you the info you need. Be wary of any very low price. They are scam artists out there. I'd rather pay a little more from B & H or Canoga Camera than chance others.
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Juli
http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/galleries
Canon FiveDee, Canon 2oD, Canon Gee3, and Canon S7o, Fuji Eff30.

try to sell you the battery and charger as separate items when they come with the camera. Another thing is jacking up the price of CF cards or other accessories. You don't end up with a bargain. If you don't go along with their little games, they will suddenly tell you the camera is not available.
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Juli
http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/galleries
Canon FiveDee, Canon 2oD, Canon Gee3, and Canon S7o, Fuji Eff30.

Both the camera and the lens have to be sealed. Since a 30D is not sealed, it makes no difference if the lens is or not. The 24-105L IS is a great walkaround with FF and better than 28mm, but for wide angle on the 30D, I'd suggest the 17-40L.
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Juli
http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/galleries
Canon FiveDee, Canon 2oD, Canon Gee3, and Canon S7o, Fuji Eff30.

I don't think there is any need to drain BP-511 batteries. I use third party, much cheaper, batteries with no problems. I'm on my fifth Canon DSLR, so that's my experience. The battery for the 1 class cameras does require draining before charging.
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Juli
http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/galleries
Canon FiveDee, Canon 2oD, Canon Gee3, and Canon S7o, Fuji Eff30.

Thanks,

You are a wealth of information.

I'm cutting and pasting everything that you are writing so that I can create the perfect package for myself before I call the next salesperson, and then just stick to exactly what I've said... I thought that I had done most of that when I had decided exactly what lenses I had wanted before I picked up the phone, but that sales guy really whambuzuled my brain with talking about the exact same charger that you were talking about, about the high speed memory card, about carrying cases, and warranties. I now see that you really have to have every last deal worked out to the tee before you pick up the phone or else they talk circles around... well me anyway... and make sure that I stick to my guns! I guess if I had went to a more reputable company in the first place I, hopefully, wouldn't have been pushed around like that, but now I know, and have noted everything that you have told me and will make sure I know every detail. I think I'd rather get that Canon certified digital chargers though, because I can't see myself draining the batteries manually!

Thanks again,

Erick

Hey Juli, if I already have my heart set on the Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM as my telephoto... would you sugest that the better walk around to complement this would be the 24-105 f/4L IS USM or the 24-70 f/2.8L USM? You seem to really know your way around a canon SLR and I guess you would after owning so many. This post has been great, I have been copying everything concerning what to get, although my initial instincts after reading many reviews was that the best combo would be the 24-70 f/2.8L USM with the 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM, although instincs can not replace experience of which you are abundant in.

Thanks so much for yours... and everyones assistance

I can't wait to get my camera eventually

Cheers,

Erick

Yeah, I have learnt that the hard way, but it looks like I will escape relatively unscathed thanks to this forum pointing out the scam and I will be using a reputable dealer very soon, just as soon as it takes me to get my money back at least and then I will get my camera... I guess it is giving me a little more time to work out the nitty gritty details, like batteries, chargers, memory card specifics... etc... Do you usually get those 3 year or 5 year warranties, or are those not warranted for the cost? That sales guy was really pushing warranties, and I kept telling him that I was not even sure if my camera could be serviced once I moved back to Kenya, so I wasn't sure if it was warranted on those grounds alone?

Hey Sam,

I have been copying all the posts regarding product and dealer recomendations to a word document for me to refer to in order to get a good camera once I have resolved my current debacle that I have gotten myself into. I am currently residing in New Jersey, USA. The consensus seems to be B&H, Adorama, or Canoga Camera, as far as internet dealers go. I figured that because of reductions in overheads that the internet would be cheaper, and after I told my wife what happened she told me that I should just go to a walk in store, but I think that once I get my money back I can approach an internet dealer once more... After I check the bbb this time of course, and also with many recomendations from the kind people in this forum

Thanks Sam,

Erick

Yeah, I actually went in head strong asking for the 24-70 f/2.8L USM... and he turned me on my head convincing me of his inferior product... and yes after I read the bbb page for that company they are VERY guilty of the 'bait and switch', just they swithched my dream lens for a bs one... lesson learnt.

Eric

I've read all the postings so far and it looks as if you are on the right track, but I'll throw in a little bit to confuse you some more.

I have a 20D and my three main lenses are the 17-40 f/4 L, the 24-105 f/4L IS, and the 70 - 200 f2.8LIS.

The 24-105 is an excellent lens and gives a little more range than the 24-70 and unless you really need the f2.8 and the IS won't compensate for the extra stop in the pictures you take, I really suggest the 24-105; it is an excellent lens. The only problem is that 24 is not wide angle on a 1.6 crop and I take a lot of architectural pictures where I need the extra width, so I bought the 17-40. I think the suggestion of a TC with the 70-200 down the road is a good idea.

I buy all my gear at my local photo store. I can usually get them down close to B&H prices, then I eat the sales tax, but if I have any problems they are fixed, sometimes instantly.

I don't know where you are, but if you are in the US and don't have a nearby Canon dealer, I would suggest B&H for Internet mail order. Their prices aren't the lowest, but they have a wide stock and good service, and I 've never heard any bait and switch stories about them.
Just my .02
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Galleries at http://photos.strassoc.com

Yeah, they were actually the second company I called... the first added on the battery and charger seperately so I ended that conversation after a lot of haggling as that did not seem right. I guess that they tired me out enough arguing about batteries and chargers for my next inevitable step into the abyss of my next call This will put me back a week... but I will get my camera!

I'm in NJ,

I plan on moving back to Africa in about 1 year and a couple of months, so if I did buy from a local store I'm not sure if the higher price would be worth it seeing as the relationship that I built with the store would be severed when I left. I'm not even sure if warranties can be accessed easily when living in Kenya, so I'm not sure if it is worth my while to invest in extended warraties? The slick guy on the phone was trying to tell me that these cameras need professional cleaning on an annual basis that the warranty covers for, but, at this point, I think that he was just blowing smoke out his you know what.

The Lens issue...

I was also very attracted to the 24-105mm f/4L IS USM vs the 24-70mm f/2.8L USM and spent a lot of time reading through reviews on fredmiranda.com and some how came out of it... ever so slightly in favour of the 24-70mm f/2.8L USM. But as I really have very little practical experience, ie none, with either of these lenses it was very hard to make the decision. One problem is that when you look up these great L lenses every owner raves on about how good it is but as far as I can tell there is very little cross comparrisons being done between lenses of each genre. Well, maybe there is somewhere in fredmiranda.com, but I didn't stumble upon it? The overall rating was 9.0 vs 8.8 respectively... which is negligable. It would be nice to hear from a few people that have owned both of them and to hear which one ended up staying on the camera all the time and which one went to be sold on ebay? But yes, I have seriously considered your lense suggestion as well.

Thanks,

Erick

Erick,

I'm delighted to help.

Don't worry about getting the digital battery charger immediately, the free one that comes with the camera will suffice for now, it takes about to 2.5 to 2.75 hours to fully charge a Canon BP 511A battery and you can time it and set an alarm on your watch or cell phone.

A friend of mine uses a digital charger and I can always find out what it is and let you know at a later stage so that you can get it eventually.

As far as the Compact Flash cards go, which is what you need, I would recommend SanDisk, either the Sandisk Ultra II or the Sandisk Extreme III, the difference between them is writing speed. In my opinion the former would be good enough for you.

A good size to get would be minimum 2 GB (maybe 2 cards) or just a single 4 GB card to last an entire session. The benefit of having 2 cards is that you could off-load one while using the other. I use one big card so that I don't have to change cards during a shoot session.

Then, you obviously need a SanDisk card reader that you can plug into your computer or laptop, something portable like:-

SanDisk ImageMate® CompactFlash® Reader/Writer
SDDR-92

This is a compact USB 2.0 based external reader that will plug into your USB 2.0 port on the back of your computer. Make sure your computer has a USB 2.0 port as USB 1.1 is too slow.

If your PC or Laptop already has a compact flash reader built-in, like the newer models, you do not need to purchase an external CF reader.

If by any chance you use Apple Mac (recent desktop or PowerBook portable) these machines come with FireWire ports at the back, in this case buy a FireWire based compact flash reader eg. by Lexar. Firewire is blazing fast, but USB 2.0 is also pretty fast.

Sam

I believe it is bad to completely discharge lithium ion batteries, for gases will accumulate at the cathods/anodes. Partial discharges are fine for lithium ions, they have no memory effect that older chemistries like NiCad or NiMH(slight) have.

Does the extender decrease the image quality of the 70-200 IS that much? Or would you recommend that as a possible accessory for me to consider?

Side note... I have been to a dozen National Parks in Kenya and only Tsavo and Samburu (and Samburus neighbouring/connected reserves) have animals that still act wild enough that would require a serious telephoto... otherwise in the majority of the Natioanl Parks, like Nairobi National Park, the Massai Mara... the "standard" parks on most tourists itineraries, the animals are so used to people that you can actually get VERY close before they become agitated and act in any way that would spoil the shot. You could go to most of these parks with a 3mp point and shoot and still get decent photos! I gotta tell you though, those "telephoto required" parks are hard to get to, but the best to visit. Unlike the Mara, the lions do not endlessly yawn in your pressence and at these more remote parks, like when you drive through Samburu and the many red stained elephants (from the rivers mud) you have to keep your eye out, as they are known to charge your truck and keep chasing you for some time! (no telephoto needed at this juncture of your safarri experience!) To finish this thought, the 100-400 may not be used on safaris in Kenya as much as you might think... or the extender with the 70-200 IS for that matter? It is in my humble and inexperienced opinion that with the standard distances that you might find between you and your photographic subjects, that the 70-200 IS alone should suffice? But hey, I'm just a newb... anyone that has been to National Parks in east africa feel free to share your thoughts on telephoto requirements!

So do you think that the digital charger is a warranted investment to increase the lifespan of your batteries, or that Lithium Ions are good even with the package charger?

Useful site for comparing lenses.

http://www.lensplay.com/lenses/index.html

Thanks Jeds,

I really enjoyed this site, although it has made my eventual lens choice even more complicated... users rated the 24-70 f/2.8L higher, but the site rating system rated the 24-105 f/4L IS better, so now the strength of the 24-105 vs the 24-70 has slightly risen. And of course with the 24-105 being slightly cheaper then the 24-70 I could throw in a cheap prime like the 50 f/1.8 II which would likely be a good lens for when I eventually get my underwater housing? Anyone know what lenses are good for use in underwater photography?... My intuition says that this inexpensive little number would be a good bet because it is simple... and small enough to fit in the housing?... I'm not sure if those housings lack space? But a big lens would not be used to its potential under the ocean anyways because of the shorter focusing distances with ones subjects... again I'm speaking speculatively with my intuition here... I have never taken anything more then a waterproof point and shoot under the waves down to no more then 20m, but I would definitely like to try it down there with my 30d!

Cheers,

Erick

It looks like I'm clear of this mess now! By the way, this is a long story, so don't start reading it unless it interests you

I'll tell everyone what happened in case anyone has to deal with a similiar circumstance.

Oddly enough the conning camera store was open today so I gave them a call. I started off really friendly, because after I had read through the bbb forms if I had wanted to file a complaint I noticed it was much better if I had the salesmans full name to fill out on the forms as well so that there is more accountability from top to bottom. So first of all, if you ever order anything off the internet, ask for a full name first, so you won't have to be sneaky like me in order to get it. Of course, before you do that, check their business with the bbb before you even call! Anyways, back to the story... I started off being really sweet, some small chat, where I had reminded him (peter) that he had told me that he had used his highly recommended 24-135 lens to do wedding photography and if he had a webpage to demonstrate his work. He told me that that was his side business to sales and that he did it through his brother's studio... then he asked me why I wanted to know, so I told him I have some friends planning a wedding and they were shopping around. I'm normally a very honest guy, but you have to fight fire with fire... and I guess I'm not completely lying, my sister is getting married, but I'll never recommend her to this guys brother. Sorry, I digressed again, back to the story... He accepted my bait and then told me that his brother was Scott and his number was 917-586-5523... Great, does he have a last name... Scott Handerson sp? he replied. I know that Peter probably was familiar with the bbb forms as well, so he was probably lying about the whole studio, but I felt good getting something out of him that might be the truth anyways. So. now that we were "friends" and I had some potential business for his part time studio work (in his mind anyways) I decided to start off lightly and see if he'd agree to let me out of this without fighting too much, so I told him that I couldn't afford the camera right now, so that I would have to cancel the order. He rambled on about how it was a great deal, etc etc, and after I became a bit more insistant and told him that I would have to hold off a couple months because of the cost, he put me on hold, very briefly, and then told me that he checked with his manager and they agreed that they could give me 10% off... which isn't hard to do when you create a package misrepresenting a 350$ lens at a $1,399 value! Of course I did not accept and decided to up the anti a bit. So I decided to add on another complaint and point out that I had found reviews for this apparently "new Sigma lens" that he had sold me on and that it reviewed very poorly. He tried telling me that it was a reiew for an older lens and theat this new release had a new chip to improve it, etc. So I offered to email him the url so that he could see the review for himself?

I was going to send him this link:
http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1805.html

if he had accepted my offer of this email because the very first entry is exactly the same scam that he pulled on me, but he refused to see the url and just told me that he already knew the site I was talking about... So I replied, oh maybe it's not the same site could I have the url for the site you think that I'm talking about so that I can see it as well in the event that it is different? Silence on his end... "Well, I already shipped it last friday" came out when he broke his silence. "Really? I thought that you told me last friday that you were going to ship it on monday, plus I called shortly after I made that order last friday to cancel it then, but for some reason you seemed to have closed early because the phones went to a message saying to call back in business hours? So it seemed like you closed right after you took my order?" I replied. "Yeah, well the shipping department stayed open, etc, etc..." he's got quite the mouth so I won't type everything he said. To cut it short I just told him that if it has shipped, I won't accept it and it will come back to them unopened. So he wasn't done, i guess he wanted to see how I would up the anti next, so he started to tell me that if I wanted to cancel the order that I would have to pay the shipping... Um no, I don't think I will pay the shipping. I have already called the credit card company and I Know I can dispute your charge easily because of your lens misrepresentation and I will not pay anything, but I would rather not wait a month to dispute the charge on my bill so lets just get this over with now ok peter? He started to kick up more fuss, so I decided to just throw in the big guns and go all in. "Peter, have you seen the bbb report for your company?" "Yes" he replied. So you know that your company has had 80 sales practice complaints and even points out the practice of bait and switch right in the report!" "I didn't do a bait and switch" he replied. "OK peter, I called you wanting a very specific lens and then you sold me on a lens which reviews at a value of 350 as if it was worth 1,399. What do you call that if it is not a bait and switch?" He put me on hold and then came back shortly and told me that the charges would be reversed on my credit card and promptly hung up..." OK, I thought..., when will that happen?

to be continued... (too many characters in my initial post)