Please help me choose first Lens!

Adam-T · Nov 12, 2002

Two prime examples are the 35-135USM which it rates at 3.1 (the 28-70L only scores 3.9 !!!!) - 1.1 is closer, it's one of the worst lenses canon made - also it rates the 20-35USM only slightly lower than the 20-35L, from EVERY report I've read both here and elsewhere, these lenses are night and day..

I guess there was some bad testing going on there producing very skewed results.

--
Olympus C2100UZI +B300, Canon D60.

My Ugly mug and submitted Photos at -------->
http://www.photosig.com/viewuser.php?id=27855

stevez32 · Nov 12, 2002

I've been unable to find any other sites that have similar analytical testing of their lenses. Most other sites I've come across seem to be based largely on opinions. I'm not saying photodo is gospel, I am still looking for other testing sites, if you can point out some that would be helpful.

Thanks in advance.

Adam-T said:
Two prime examples are the 35-135USM which it rates at 3.1 (the
28-70L only scores 3.9 !!!!) - 1.1 is closer, it's one of the worst
lenses canon made - also it rates the 20-35USM only slightly lower
than the 20-35L, from EVERY report I've read both here and
elsewhere, these lenses are night and day..

I guess there was some bad testing going on there producing very
skewed results.

--
Olympus C2100UZI +B300, Canon D60.

My Ugly mug and submitted Photos at -------->
http://www.photosig.com/viewuser.php?id=27855

--
Minolta F100 Gallery: [ http://www.backroadsracing.com/minolta/]
Nikon N80 Gallery: [ http://www.backroadsracing.com/images/n80_scans/]

Adam-T · Nov 13, 2002

http://www.cmpsolv.com/photozone/lsurveyEOS.htm

It DOES seem to be based on use input as well as magazine tests but it's the only other game in town I know of

--
Olympus C2100UZI +B300, Canon D60.

My Ugly mug and submitted Photos at -------->
http://www.photosig.com/viewuser.php?id=27855

Eduscho · Nov 13, 2002

And here another one:
http://www.photozone.de/2Equipment/canonFAQ.htm

It seems to me, the D60 itself doesn't generate as mutch perplexing questions, as choosing "THE" lenses for it.
BTW the forum is great, helped me a lot. Thx.

Adam-T said:
http://www.cmpsolv.com/photozone/lsurveyEOS.htm

It DOES seem to be based on use input as well as magazine tests but
it's the only other game in town I know of

--
Olympus C2100UZI +B300, Canon D60.

My Ugly mug and submitted Photos at -------->
http://www.photosig.com/viewuser.php?id=27855

hyslopc1 · Nov 13, 2002

So on a D60, you are choosing between:

28-135IS = 45-216IS
28-70 = 45-112
24-70 = 38.5-112

In other words, none of these lenses will go as wide as your G2, which can do the equivalent of 34mm. This is why I said earlier that you WILL need wider than 28mm (ie 45mm). If you are not into landscapes or wide-angle at all, then you might be able to get by with the 24-70, but I tend to doubt it: 38.5mm is still pretty constricting.

You can search this forum to see the wide-angle options. Some cheap options are the Sigma 15-30mm (=24-48), the Tokina 17mm prime(=27mm), and the Soligor 19-35mm (=30.5-56mm on a D60).

Brian Smith said:
Bryan Lin said:

You'll need to keep in mind the multiplier factor of the D60's
smaller sensor compared to a 35mm frame of film. It's 1.6, so the
28 at the wide is really 45mm, and the 135 goes to 216mm.

The smaller sensor is great for making your lenses longer, but
getting wide angle becomes a challenge.

Still saving for a D-SLR,
Bryan Lin

Brian47366 said:

--I am coming from a Canon G2 and the lens is only 34mm at is
widest (I believe) so the 28mm should be fine for now. I'm pretty
sure I'll want more zoom than the 70mm though.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

--
Does that mean the lens I purchased, 28-70mm, will really be like
45-112mm? Seems like that would make it a decent zoom w/ a fairly
narrow angle.

Juli Valley · Nov 13, 2002

Thanks for posting the photozone lens material.

TonyK_in_Texas · Nov 13, 2002

My suggestion?

Get the 28-135 and with the $500 savings, get the 550EX flash. You get 2 toys for the price of one very good piece of glass.

And my understanding that IS, when properly used, can help compensate to 1 or 2 F stops. I know folks who swear by it and if I had the cash, it is the lens I would get.

There are some operational issues to deal with on any IS lens, such as turning the camera off before removing/installing an IS lens. Failing to find and read about these issues could result in a dead battery when you least want or expect it. It is not a bad thing. It is something to be aware of and work with.

Good luck and welcome.

Brian Smith said:
I have a D60 on order and need a lens. After reading this board
I've narrowed it down to 2 lens:

Canon EF 28-70mm f/2.8 USM L $900.00
Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 USM IS $400

Since I'm new to this hobby I'm not sure which lens would work for
me. I want the best all round lens (i.e indoor shots, landscapes,
family pics, etc). Budget is a huge factor. I don't know if I
would like the extra zoom of the 135 or the higher (much??) quality
of the 28-70.

If you guys were starting out and only wanted ONE lens for know
what would you go for? Would you be happy with the lower priced EF
28-135 to start out w/?

Thanks in advance folks!

-Brian

--
TonyK

Juli Valley · Nov 13, 2002

TonyK_in_Texas said:
There are some operational issues to deal with on any IS lens, such
as turning the camera off before removing/installing an IS lens.
Failing to find and read about these issues could result in a dead
battery when you least want or expect it. It is not a bad thing.
It is something to be aware of and work with.

Thanks for mentioning that.

DigiDaan · Nov 13, 2002

I'd recommend the 28-135. Especially as a first lens.

I've waited quite some time for the 24-70 to come out, because people speculated it would feature IS... It didn't. So I bought the 28-135 (after testing the 28-135 from a friend). It's a great walkaround lens. The IS compensates pretty much for not having the 2.8... But the best would have been both 2.8 and IS of course. Perhaps in the (not so) near future?.

--
DigiDaan
[email protected]
http://www.DigiDaan.nl

stevez32 · Nov 13, 2002

Good links, unfortunately I'm currently still a Nikon owner, just surveying life on the other side (Canon) and debating the switch, so photodo.com seems to be still the only game in town for lens to lens comparisons with Nikon glass that I'm familiar with. Not that I expected anything different from a Canon forum, but good links for if I switch to Canon.

Eduscho said:
It seems to me, the D60 itself doesn't generate as mutch perplexing
questions, as choosing "THE" lenses for it.
BTW the forum is great, helped me a lot. Thx.

Adam-T said:

http://www.cmpsolv.com/photozone/lsurveyEOS.htm

It DOES seem to be based on use input as well as magazine tests but
it's the only other game in town I know of

--
Olympus C2100UZI +B300, Canon D60.

My Ugly mug and submitted Photos at -------->
http://www.photosig.com/viewuser.php?id=27855

Click to expand...

--

--
Minolta F100 Gallery: [ http://www.backroadsracing.com/minolta/]
Nikon N80 Gallery: [ http://www.backroadsracing.com/images/n80_scans/]

hyslopc1 · Nov 13, 2002

There are a LOT of negative reviews at http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1938.html including the word "scammers". There are some positive words there, too, but personally I wouldn't touch these guys.

hawkeye said:
Juli Valley said:

Be sure to check your merchants at http://www.resellerratings.com/

Click to expand...

--
photography is my passion.

hyslopc1 · Nov 13, 2002

IS is a fantastic feature, but only in rare cases is it a substitute for a fast f-stop. I shoot concerts quite a bit, and the dark conditions there make a fast f-stop a must: IS won't help you at all. Where IS does definitely help is on long zoom shots - it's great.

DigiDaan said:
I'd recommend the 28-135. Especially as a first lens.

I've waited quite some time for the 24-70 to come out, because
people speculated it would feature IS... It didn't. So I bought the
28-135 (after testing the 28-135 from a friend). It's a great
walkaround lens. The IS compensates pretty much for not having the
2.8... But the best would have been both 2.8 and IS of course.
Perhaps in the (not so) near future?.

--
DigiDaan
[email protected]
http://www.DigiDaan.nl

David Lawson · Nov 13, 2002

I think you need to go wider on D60 than 28mm, my point of view. If the Canon24-70 is too much sigma do a decent 24-70 f2.8 £300 UK. There is also a Tamron 24-135 that a lot of people rate. If your not a pro you may well be happy with a cheaper lens Check reviews on photographyreview.com david

Brian Smith said:
I have a D60 on order and need a lens. After reading this board
I've narrowed it down to 2 lens:

Canon EF 28-70mm f/2.8 USM L $900.00
Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 USM IS $400

Since I'm new to this hobby I'm not sure which lens would work for
me. I want the best all round lens (i.e indoor shots, landscapes,
family pics, etc). Budget is a huge factor. I don't know if I
would like the extra zoom of the 135 or the higher (much??) quality
of the 28-70.

If you guys were starting out and only wanted ONE lens for know
what would you go for? Would you be happy with the lower priced EF
28-135 to start out w/?

Thanks in advance folks!

-Brian

Steve13285 · Nov 13, 2002

Brian,

I have both of these lenses, but soon will probably sell my 28-135. Despite problems that a few have had with this lens (there are also people who've gotten "L" lemons) it's a very good general use lens and should serve you well.

The 28-70L is certainly a better lens, but you pay a price for it. You also will lose the reach you can get with the 28-135. If you can have only 1 lens I'm not sure the 28-70 gives you the range you would want.

Lastly I would mention that the 28-70 is HEAVY compared to the 28-135. They are only about 1lb different but it feels like more. Something else to be aware of when making your decision.
Good luck,
Steve

Brian Smith said:
I have a D60 on order and need a lens. After reading this board
I've narrowed it down to 2 lens:

Canon EF 28-70mm f/2.8 USM L $900.00
Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 USM IS $400

Since I'm new to this hobby I'm not sure which lens would work for
me. I want the best all round lens (i.e indoor shots, landscapes,
family pics, etc). Budget is a huge factor. I don't know if I
would like the extra zoom of the 135 or the higher (much??) quality
of the 28-70.

If you guys were starting out and only wanted ONE lens for know
what would you go for? Would you be happy with the lower priced EF
28-135 to start out w/?

Thanks in advance folks!

-Brian

TonyK_in_Texas · Nov 13, 2002

That is why for my first lens I went with a 28-200 (Tameron but it does the job well enough for me).

I looked at the 28-135 and it is a good lens. I needed the difference in $$$ to pay the sales tax on the system. Its a compromise I am willing to work with for the time being.

Thanks,

Steve said:
Lastly I would mention that the 28-70 is HEAVY compared to the
28-135. They are only about 1lb different but it feels like more.
Something else to be aware of when making your decision.
Good luck,
Steve

Brian Smith said:

I have a D60 on order and need a lens. After reading this board
I've narrowed it down to 2 lens:

Canon EF 28-70mm f/2.8 USM L $900.00
Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 USM IS $400

Since I'm new to this hobby I'm not sure which lens would work for
me. I want the best all round lens (i.e indoor shots, landscapes,
family pics, etc). Budget is a huge factor. I don't know if I
would like the extra zoom of the 135 or the higher (much??) quality
of the 28-70.

If you guys were starting out and only wanted ONE lens for know
what would you go for? Would you be happy with the lower priced EF
28-135 to start out w/?

Thanks in advance folks!

-Brian

Click to expand...

--
TonyK

DigiDaan · Nov 13, 2002

The original question of Brian was not about concertpics. So the IS can surely help him. And it will help his budget compared to the 28(24)-70.

It happens to be that I shoot concerts quite a lot, and the IS has helped me there also on numerous occasions I must say...
--
DigiDaan
[email protected]
http://www.DigiDaan.nl

hyslopc1 said:
DigiDaan said:

I'd recommend the 28-135. Especially as a first lens.

I've waited quite some time for the 24-70 to come out, because
people speculated it would feature IS... It didn't. So I bought the
28-135 (after testing the 28-135 from a friend). It's a great
walkaround lens. The IS compensates pretty much for not having the
2.8... But the best would have been both 2.8 and IS of course.
Perhaps in the (not so) near future?.

--
DigiDaan
[email protected]
http://www.DigiDaan.nl

Click to expand...

Tom Melanson · Nov 13, 2002

Jeffrey Behr said:
It's still the best walk-about lens Canon makes. The 28/24-70 is
limited in zoom range and doesn't have IS.

It's a keeper even after one buys the 24/28-70.

--
http://community.webshots.com/user/jeffreybehr

--
D60, Sigma 14/2.8, Canon 16-35/2.8L, 50.1.4,
28-70/2.8L, 85/1.2L, 70-200 IS USM

rita d swinford · Nov 14, 2002

hotbyelectronics.com's lens 28-70mm for $$860 is gray market made in Taiwan with plastic rings.

Calvin Chann · Nov 14, 2002

Todd

You're right. I love my 24-85, which replaced my 35-135. My brother bought one first and as soon as I got hold of it, I fell in love with it.

Thing is, that once it's on a D60, I found I needed to go wider which meant the 16-35.

But you're right. 24-85 = good lens at a great price.

Calvin

Todd Bochner said:
i have the 28-70 and a 24-85 which are in the range you are looking
for. I have to tell you the 24-85 is one hell of a lense also. It
is hard to tell the difference between the two.. It is also alot
lighter then the 28-70 so i wind up using it more often. just
another choice.

todd

Brian47366 · Nov 14, 2002

rita d swinford said:
hotbyelectronics.com's lens 28-70mm for $$860 is gray market made
in Taiwan with plastic rings.

Go to Etronics.com and get it for $900.00.

Please help me choose first Lens!

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