A few Questions from 20D newbie

[shoey]

Hi all,

This is my first proper post on the forum(the others were just in the gallery). hope this is in the right place!

Im hopefully buying a canon 20D from my gf's dad and i'd just like to grab some of the wealth of knowledge from this forum.

As well as having a few lens questions, the first main question is about the 20D. It is still not confirmed as to whether I can buy this camera off him yet and was wondering about the 400D/xti. I really love the extra features of the 20D over the 350d and was wondering if the 20D would still be better than the 400d? I am getting the 20d for £500 (approx $1100) with the kit lens and a Tamron 28-300. and even if the new features on the 400d are great, i'm not sure i can beat the value of the 20D:confused:

Secondly, i'd like to know your thoughts on a few lens lens. I've read so many reviews and threads on this forum that i think i've narrowed it down a lot but i'm still a little confused. My budget per lens is approx £200, although if its a really great lens, i could push to £300.

I'd ideally like a telephoto and a walkaround lens, maybe even a prime but don't know what i'd use it for as it has a fixed length, are they very usefull?

Here's the short list:

Telephoto;
canon 75-300 f4-5.6 USM mkIII
sigma 70-300 f4-5.6 APO

Walkaround;
canon 28-105 f3.5-4.5 USM
sigma 24-135 f2.8-4.4

Primes;
canon 50mm f1.8
canon 50mm f1.4 USM
canon 85mm f1.8

I know the last 2 primes are on the expensive side, are they really worth the extra over the 50mm f1.8?

Thanks for anyones help. really appreciate it.

[coldrain]

Which of the extra features of the 20D the 400D does not have do you really like?

Of the telephoto zooms, I do not know which one is preferrable.

The EF 28-105 f3.5-4.5 USM II to me is the clear winner between those two "walk around" lenses, with its accurate USM, good colour and contrast, it is a steal for the money.

Single focal length lenses are just that... they do not zoom but have a fixed focal length. That makes them easier to engineer, and that is partly the reason why they most of the time have a bigger maximum aperture compared to zoom lenses. This in turn makes them more usable in lower light conditions and if a very shallow depth of field is wanted.

The 85mm f1.8 is a traditional portrait lens on 35mm full frame. The slight tele gives a flattering effect on faces. It is of very high optical quality.

On a 1.6x crop factor camera like the 20/30D and 350/400D the field of view gets a bit narrow and you need to take a lot more distance to your subject. 85mm x 1.6 = 136mm.

Still a nice lens for portraits, but you need distance.

The 50mm lenses are on 35mm full frame "standard" lenses, they give the most natural distortion, like we are used with from our own eyes.
But in 1.6x crop factor sensors, 50mm gets to be 80mm. So, in essence they take over the role that the 85mm portrait lenses have on full frame.

The f1.4 version is one stop more light sensitive, good in low light when it is absolutely needed. Also its focussing motor is more reliable, its optical quality is a little better still, and its build quality is better. The increased price is not for nothing, and it is personal whether you want to go for the more expenisive one or make do with the cheaper 50mm f1.8.

[shoey]

wow, that was quick!

The main 2 features i really prefer on the 20D are the size of it (i have big hands) and the jog wheel on the back. I love how quick it is to change all the settings of the camera, granted i've had more time to play with the 20D than the 350d, but thats what stands out, and the 9point af. The main thing that would attract me to the 400D is the anti-dust sensor but i'm not sure the 10mp bothers me at all.

Are there any other lens out there besides the ones i've mentioned that may be worth a look? or have i covered all bases as far as my budget goes?

I think the canon 28-105 f3.5-4.5 will be a definate buy, unless anyone has any better suggetions. and i'm sure i will get a prime, just not sure whether i can stretch for the extra cost of the 50mm 1.4 or the 85mm 1.8. My main reason for a prime i guess, is not having to use a flash. i'm not a fan of flash photos, plus i love depth of field.

I think so far, for the short time i've had it, i've mainly been using the Tamron on either 28mm or 300m, not too much variations in between, so i guess my focal lengths at present would be between 30-70 and 200-300 approx.

[coldrain]

The alternatives for the Canon are a bit more expensive, in your 30-70 range.

They mainly are the Tamron 28-75 f2.8 XR Di and the Sigma 24-70 f2.8 EX DG. Both have their share of fans and some people that don't like them.
They are both quite a bit more expensive though, the Canon is very cheap.
All 3 are good lenses.

The reasons for the 20D are hard to argue with, so it probably is a good choice to go for the 20D. How many photos has he made with it?
Only if you like the 28-300 the price is fair, else it seems a bit high to me for a 2nd hand 20D + kitlens.

[shoey]

Thanks for the extra info, looks like i'll get the canon lens then:)

If i don't want the Tamron lens he said i can have the camera and the kit lens for £400 ($760) but i thought the Tamron was worth £100 ($190).

Current exchange rates makes the whole thing $948.75 for the 20D the 2 lens(both have cheap UV filters on them) 2 batteries and a 340mb microdrive. I thought it was reasonable value, although he has taken 1000's of pictures with it.

I didn't realise that made a lot of difference:confused: Would i be better with a newer camera? The 30D over here is approx £750 for body only ($1425) and the 400D is £650 body only ($1233). Both are out of my price range. For a new camera i'd have to look at the 350d and lose the grip size and jog wheel:(

[noyjimi]

Get the 20D and shoot with the Tammy 28-300. Then discover what you like to shoot the most. Of the lens choices that you listed, none are really wide enough, so you might find out that you want to fill the 17-XX void sooner than any of the focal lengths covered by the lenses you've mentioned.

Also, at the price you're getting, it's a good deal unless the 20D is beat up or has >20K actuations. One thing you need to spend on though is the memory card - forget the microdrive and get one that's solid state.

[coldrain]

Get the 20D and shoot with the Tammy 28-300. Then discover what you like to shoot the most. Of the lens choices that you listed, none are really wide enough, so you might find out that you want to fill the 17-XX void sooner than any of the focal lengths covered by the lenses you've mentioned.

Also, at the price you're getting, it's a good deal unless the 20D is beat up or has >20K actuations. One thing you need to spend on though is the memory card - forget the microdrive and get one that's solid state.
That 20D does come with the 18-55 kitlens, so he has that covered too.

[shoey]

Thanks alot guys.

The camera is about 12-18months old and was bought brand new. The body is in very good condition and before lending it to me had the sensor professionally cleaned. The only downside i can see is that he has taken about 8500 pictures. is that too much:confused: What kind of number would be resonable for a second hand? and what effects do lots of images have on the camera?

Cheers

[noyjimi]

That 20D does come with the 18-55 kitlens, so he has that covered too.

I missed that, my bad... thanks coldrain.


The only downside i can see is that he has taken about 8500 pictures. is that too much:confused: What kind of number would be resonable for a second hand? and what effects do lots of images have on the camera?

Shutter wear. With 8.5k actuations and everything included and in excellent condition, $760 without the Tammy, or $950 with the Tammy and extras, is a fair, if not, great price. The going price in FM marketplace is 800-850ish, with some in the 750-800 range lately.

Remember it is out of warranty so if it breaks you would have to pay to get it fixed. That said, there's no guarantee that a new camera won't break after the 1st actuation, or that a 10 year old camera will break after the 123,478th actuation.