Canon lens options

I will soon be purchasing my first DSLR - a Canon 350D. I think I will be buying just the body, and then a separate lens. The 'kit' usually includes a 28-55mm lens, which I can buy for around $60, but I would like a 200mm one, and would like to just purchase one instead of having to buy two. What are the common lens sizes that reach 200mm? For instance, is there one that is about 35-200mm? I will be taking everyday photos, and mostly want to be able to zoom a nice bit. I don't know if I'll ever need to zoom out. What do you guys suggest I get in addition to the body? Also, would it be better to purchase 2 separate lenses for some reason? Like, is the 200mm lens usually longer/heavier?

Missy123 said:

I will soon be purchasing my first DSLR - a Canon 350D. I think I
will be buying just the body, and then a separate lens. The 'kit'
usually includes a 28-55mm lens, which I can buy for around $60,
but I would like a 200mm one, and would like to just purchase one
instead of having to buy two. What are the common lens sizes that
reach 200mm? For instance, is there one that is about 35-200mm? I
will be taking everyday photos, and mostly want to be able to zoom
a nice bit. I don't know if I'll ever need to zoom out. What do you
guys suggest I get in addition to the body? Also, would it be
better to purchase 2 separate lenses for some reason? Like, is the
200mm lens usually longer/heavier?

Click to expand...

What sort of lens you should get depends a on your budget, what you will shoot and also to a degree - ergonomics (long lenses get heavy).

Here is a link to the range of Canon lenses http://www.canon.ca/english/index-products.asp?lng=en&gid=2&sgid=7

I like a longer lense on the camera than 55 and use the 24-105 mostly. Canon do have a 28-200 (see above link) but I suggest you go to your local camera store and try a few out to see what best suits you.
--
David

Missy,

the sales packages on the 350XT (now discontinued) and 400XTi are either body only or body with (kit) 18-55mm (28-90 in film terms) lens...

often there is a package with the 75-300/4-5.6 telephoto zoom lens.. this lens is inexpensive, and often gets poor reviews here, but is a decent performer even on my 5D.

another option is one of the 18-200 zooms from third party manufacturers like tamron and sigma - these are decent lenses, but optically, not up to quality of the shorter range zooms..

cheers,
S.
--
My XT IS Full Frame -- APS-C/FF of course!
So is my 5D -- 35mm/FF

I would suggest the kit lens (18-55) and an inexpensive medium telezoom as a starter kit. I used to have the Canon 55-200/4.5-5.6 USM, and it was an excellent performer for its very low price -- fast-focusing and optically very respectable. It's also very compact and lightweight.

I also used to have a 90-300/4.5-5.6 and have tried a 75-300/4.5-5.6, and would advise you to avoid them; both are fine up to about 200 mm, but performance goes down significantly between 200 and 300, so IMO you're better off with the 55-200 that gets the job done all through its range. (Also, 200 mm on the 350D is quite a lot of reach; it's not that easy to hand-hold a 300 mm lens on it anyway.)

A superzoom (e.g. 18-200) is somewhat more convenient in that you don't need to change lenses, but it's also heavier and optically not as good as two separate lenses. So I would nudge you towards the two-lens kit.

I would further suggest that you add the 50/1.8. It costs less than $100, will let you take pictures in very low light levels without a flash, and is optically superb. It's also a very nice portrait lens on the 350D.

Petteri
--
http://www.prime-junta.net/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/primejunta/

Missy123 said:

I will soon be purchasing my first DSLR - a Canon 350D. I think I
will be buying just the body, and then a separate lens. The 'kit'
usually includes a 28-55mm lens, which I can buy for around $60,

Click to expand...

Actually an 18-55 lens which is even better!

Missy123 said:

but I would like a 200mm one, and would like to just purchase one
instead of having to buy two.

Click to expand...

I understand that a single lens option might seem very convenient, and if that is important ofr you then go for it. But I would suggest a real benefit of dslrs is the ability to use different lenses for different jobs. You get the advantage of better image quality.

What are the common lens sizes that

Missy123 said:

reach 200mm? For instance, is there one that is about 35-200mm?

Click to expand...

Canon also does a kit lens that goes very well with the 18-55 kit lens. It is 55-200 and is incredibly good value for money. (In fact if you haven't bought your camera yet, I believe you can get the 400d and maybe also the 350d with the two kits lens bundled at a good price)

Also, would it be

Missy123 said:

better to purchase 2 separate lenses for some reason? Like, is the
200mm lens usually longer/heavier?

Click to expand...

The kit zooms are incredibly light and not that bulky. I recommend that.

BUT if you really want a one lens solution...

Canon 28-200 f3.5-5.6
Canon 28-135 I.S. - not as long but has Image stabilisation
Sigma 18-200 f3.5-6.3
Tamron 28-200 f3.8-5.6

I personally think the quality of the one lens solutions are not as good as the two lens solution kit lenses, and they can be slow to autofocus and can give you a dark viewfinder.

I agree with Peteri, the 55-200 is a very capable lens for the price! Sharp, light, and easy to handle.

I've taken a LOT of pictures with the 55-200, and a lot more with the 18-55. Both are perfectly usable lenses, that can take excellent pictures. The 55-200 will add all of $250 or less to the cost of the camera/kit lens cost. I don't remember the vendor that was selling the body/18-55/55-200 as a kit, and that would be an excellent set to start with.

As mentioned already, Sigma and Tamron both make an 18-200 lens. I have no experience with either, but the range is very tempting. Both have received mixed reviews here... the owners seem to like them, while the folks with L glass don't. Imagine that... (G) Sigma is set to release an 18-200 with an image stabiliser built in... cost will apparently be in the $650 range.

--
Crime Scene Photography
A small gallery of personal work: http://picasaweb.google.com/PID885

I guess it depends on your budget. I got a Promaster which is a re-branded Tamron 28-300. It was around $400 or so and a pretty decent lens. I haven't been too happy with it from 200 to 300 but some of that is I'm a bit shaky and you can only ask so much. I've ended up really liking nature photography and wanted something out at that range that would give better results so I recently got a 100-400 IS. I do like the Promaster for a walk around and again I think it has good IQ below 200. I hear a lot people say you have to have something wider then 28 on a crop camera but I just haven't had a problem there. The Kit Lens takes a lot of heat but I've used it several times in party situations where I needed something shorter and I planed on using a flash so I knew I could stop it down. And with the package it is really cheap. I also decided on the 50 f1.8, it is also very inexpensive good at low light and can be kind of fun to use. Oh, I had an A1 also, gave it to my daughter.
--
Doug
Canon Pro1
Canon 30D
Kit, 50mm f1.8, Promaster spectrum 7XR EDO
http://s130.photobucket.com/albums/p250/douginoviedo/