Need advise on what to get wife for Birthday

[Freeze Frame]

Hello all
I need some Advise on what to get my wife for her birthday
She is an active photographer, shooting around 500 pictures a week.
Most of her shots are kids sporting events. Indoor and outdoor Soccer, Football, Basketball etc. She does alot with her telephoto and complains about shotting in low light.
She also does alot of portrait shots of family and freinds

Equipment today
Canon 20D
Canon IS 75-300
Canon EFS 18-55
Canon speedlight 580 es Flash

What would you recomend for me to get her next
I have a $1000 budjet
Thanks up front

[NewTekBuzz]

check out the 70-200 f/2.8 (non-IS) that is a nice zoom lens in your price range... ok its 1139.95 with rebate check it out i the lens review of this board. or the 24-70 f/2.8 for about the same price... the 24-70 will be better for indoor use (as far as zoom range) she has a nice flash already.
the 70-200 might not be enough zoom for her but would be much nicer for the type of lighting she wants to shoot in.

just my 2 cents

[timmciglobal]

Well...

The 70-200 is a heavy lens and you probably would want to keep with the IS, you could sell the 70-300 IS for 500 and invest that into a 70-200 F2.8 IS.

Your other choice is a nice prime. Where in 70-300 range is she shooting at? I've thought of using the 135 F2L as a "low light telephoto" the downside of which is of course the fixed focal length.

Another low light choice, but with less reliable focus, might be the 70-200 F2.8 macro from sigma. Goes for around 650 I think.

Tim

[DonSchap]

Personally, I'd toss that EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 hunk of... well, let's just say that it is not worthy of a 500-shot/wk photographer and leave it at that.

Consider looking at one of the finest lens to come around in the past 6 months, the

TAmROn SP AF17-50mm f/2.8 XR DiII LD Aspherical (IF) (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=423714&is=REG&addedTroughType=search). <-- Use this link

Yes, it has a long name... so just call it the "TAmROn 17-50" and they will know which one you mean. Anyway, this lens is perfect for what you have announced and asked for... useful and low light. You already have a decent flash, too, so there should be no need to revisit that.

As far as a cost saving, low light telephoto, to match... consider the SIGMA APO 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG MACRO (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=435163&is=USA&addedTroughType=search) <- use this link

This would be a terrific low-light set, that would save you a ton of cash and deliver the goods. You'll have everyone in the room saying, "What a pair!"

Good luck and tell your wife, "Happy B-day!" from all of us at the DCRP! ;)

BTW: KEEP the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM (if that is REALLY what she has. You need to look at it, to be absolutely sure. If it is the cheaper EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 USM w/o IS... it can follow that EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6... into never-neverland or to some kid looking to start into photography. Nice "gift" for him/her...).

The EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM for outdoor sports stuff is a great lens, as it is lighter than that f/2.8 70-200mm and adds a little more reach to her shots.

[boog]

Canon 17-40L or the Canon 17-55 IS. For sports, the Canon 70-200 2.8. Depends on which one she does more. The 70-200 can be used for portraits as well.

[Rhys]

Hello all
I need some Advise on what to get my wife for her birthday
She is an active photographer, shooting around 500 pictures a week.
Most of her shots are kids sporting events. Indoor and outdoor Soccer, Football, Basketball etc. She does alot with her telephoto and complains about shotting in low light.
She also does alot of portrait shots of family and freinds

Equipment today
Canon 20D
Canon IS 75-300
Canon EFS 18-55
Canon speedlight 580 es Flash

What would you recomend for me to get her next
I have a $1000 budjet
Thanks up front

Personally I'd get something on the wide end for her.

24-70L?
17-55 IS?
28-135 IS?

And then something feminine for her like a bunch of roses and a pair of theatre tickets.

[BonjiB]

Has anyone suggested flowers yet?

[boog]

See Rhys post above you. Still a few hopeless romantics out there. Flowers die but an L lens lasts forever.:D

[DonSchap]

Look, take a picture of a bunch of roses, print it on legal size... then, wrap the two TAMRON and SIGMA lens suggestions in it. :D

[BonjiB]

Flowers die but an L lens lasts forever.:D

LOL. That one gave me a good chuckel. I'm such a nerd.

[adam75south]

Look, take a picture of a bunch of roses, print it on legal size... then, wrap the two TAMRON and SIGMA lens suggestions in it. :D

damn this guy is good....and i like his earlier suggestions as well. get her the low light combo with the tamron and sigma. also wouldn't hurt to get her some type of nice diffuser for the flash...maybe the lightsphere($50)?(i've been eying that for a while now)

maybe think of the 50mm f/1.8 or f/1.4 for the portraits?? for only $80 for the 1.8 and $330 for the 1.4...but if she really likes the portraits then skip on one of the other lenses and get the 50mm f/1.4 for sure, it is an AWESOME portrait lens.

[Scott6]

damn this guy is good....and i like his earlier suggestions as well. get her the low light combo with the tamron and sigma. also wouldn't hurt to get her some type of nice diffuser for the flash...maybe the lightsphere($50)?(i've been eying that for a while now)

maybe think of the 50mm f/1.8 or f/1.4 for the portraits?? for only $80 for the 1.8 and $330 for the 1.4...but if she really likes the portraits then skip on one of the other lenses and get the 50mm f/1.4 for sure, it is an AWESOME portrait lens.


only if 50mm is enought for portraits

I think either the 85mm or 100mm for prots..

[adam75south]

only if 50mm is enought for portraits

I think either the 85mm or 100mm for prots..
the 50mm is about right with the 1.6x crop...turns into an 80mm FOV. i'm no portrait master, but what i've done with mine looks great to me.

the 85 would be nice too though. just if i were to pick i'd go with the 50 because you can use it for all purpose low light..and the 1.4!

[DonSchap]

When using a prime lens (50mm or 85mm), I find that it usually comes down to the tightness of your studio.

On an APS-C digital body (such as the 20d, 30D, Xt, & XTi), a 50mm is effectively an 80mm and an 85mm is effectively a 135mm.

The 135mm on a 35mm-flim camera was known as the "standard protrait" focal length, so it only makes sense that the 85mm on a digital APS-C body would be the recommended standard prime for this purpose.

That be said (I hate using that cliche')...

The cost of an EF 85mm f/1.8 USM and an EF 50mm f/1.4 USM are really close. So much so, that it is actually hard to chose which... and some photographers just buy both. Either way, when you tighten up on your subject... will you do it from six feet away or ten? That, my friends.. is the real choice.

Personally, I have hesitated buying these two lens because of the quality images I am already getting from the TAmROn SP AF17-50mm f/2.8 XR DiII LD and the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM. It kind of covers the range, plus if I do have to go for the prime, the EF 50mm f/1.8 II ("Nifty fifty") seems to hold its own. Oh, to have such problems with choices... :rolleyes:

BTW: Do you have any idea how tight a 200mm-shot is on someone's mug, from only ten feet away?

[Rhys]

See Rhys post above you. Still a few hopeless romantics out there. Flowers die but an L lens lasts forever.:D

But you miss entirely what's important to a woman. The things that are important to women are not the material things. Their family and friends and relationships are important to them. Their experiences are important to them also. Give a woman a wonderful experience and she will really appreciate it. Give her a diamond ring and she'll love it but it's not the same as a wonderful experience.

For a birthday/anniversary you need to give her a wonderful experience. Christmas is the time to give material things.

[adam75south]

But you miss entirely what's important to a woman. The things that are important to women are not the material things. Their family and friends and relationships are important to them. Their experiences are important to them also. Give a woman a wonderful experience and she will really appreciate it. Give her a diamond ring and she'll love it but it's not the same as a wonderful experience.

For a birthday/anniversary you need to give her a wonderful experience. Christmas is the time to give material things.

lump of coal?

[adam75south]

When using a prime lens (50mm or 85mm), I find that it usually comes down to the tightness of your studio.

On an APS-C digital body (such as the 20d, 30D, Xt, & XTi), a 50mm is effectively an 80mm and an 85mm is effectively a 135mm.

The 135mm on a 35mm-flim camera was known as the "standard protrait" focal length, so it only makes sense that the 85mm on a digital APS-C body would be the recommended standard prime for this purpose.

That be said (I hate using that cliche')...

The cost of an EF 85mm f/1.8 USM and an EF 50mm f/1.4 USM are really close. So much so, that it is actually hard to chose which... and some photographers just buy both. Either way, when you tighten up on your subject... will you do it from six feet away or ten? That, my friends.. is the real choice.

Personally, I have hesitated buying these two lens because of the quality images I am already getting from the TAmROn SP AF17-50mm f/2.8 XR DiII LD and the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM. It kind of covers the range, plus if I do have to go for the prime, the EF 50mm f/1.8 II ("Nifty fifty") seems to hold its own. Oh, to have such problems with choices... :rolleyes:

BTW: Do you have any idea how tight a 200mm-shot is on someone's mug, from only ten feet away?

i have a good friend who's a professional photographer that i assist/annoy every once in awhile. i helped him on a shoot of all the news anchors and reporters of one of our local stations and he actually used a 70-200 f/2.8. i didn't ask why he didn't use a prime, but the marketing team and design teams were more than happy with the images. he shot them at about 105-115mm on a 5d...said the farther away from them the more relaxed they are. of course, we had a HUGE studio to work in a a psych wall big enough to fit a couple of cars. it was too cool..and i actually met people i've seen on tv. got to see the entertainment lady shoot a spot talking about a new ben affleck movie, those people are incredible talkers. anyway, one of the coolest experiences i've had. kinda off topic, but i'm bored.