Deciding between lenses for a dslr camera
I am saving to buy my first dslr camera, and so am looking at camera bundles. I have researched third party sellers that frequently sell on Walmart.com and Amazon.com, have seen a few bundles I am interested in, and am now trying to decide which to go with, that would best suit my needs. The camera I have pretty much decided on, is the Canon EOS Rebel SL2. The kit lenses on the bundles I have seen are:
18-55mm, 70-300 mm.
18-55mm and 75-300mm. These first two are from authorized, reliable(so I have heard) third party seller-camera stores.
18-55mm, 75-300mm, and 50mm lenses, from Costco.com
18-55mm and 55-250mm from a local camera store.
I'm finding I enjoy macro photography, especially flowers, butterflies, bees,(when I can catch them with my superzoom Canon Power Shot
XS520HS. I also enjoy landscape photography, and taking photos of my dog.
Any helpful input would be much appreciated.
Thank you very much,
PhotoNat
I think you are on the right track go for it, I’m a Canon user have been for fifty years and they are great company too.
Have you considered a used setup. There is a lot of reliable out lets for good used cameras. I have bought almost all my toys used from Roberts, BH or Key and some local. I would estimate that I have spent about sixty percent of new price. Most resellers have good warranties and you should check on there record of customer service. I bought my Canon 100 macro at about one half price locally that was less than a year old with all the paper work. Craigs list can be a good place but watch out for scammers. I usually limit the sellers that are in few miles of me and where we can meet and I can check out item.
Buying the kit with a lens or two can save you quite a bit of money, provided you actually want those lenses. Saving money on a lens you don't want isn't really saving money. Make sure they are all authorized sellers, and check out their return policies.
Thank you Richard, Good to hear someone else who is an avid Canon fan. I was talking to a retired(and hopefully coming back) Community Ed photography instructor I had, and he had shot with both Nikon and Canon, and said Nikon is good, but he really likes Canon.
PhotoNat
The Costco bundle looks like a good deal. If you’re not going to be shooting a lot of low light in those lenses should be fine. For me I opted to get an 18 mm to 300 mm super zoom because I do not like changing Lenses in the field. Right now I’m looking for a good macro lens but I also like to shoot low light.
I would avoid any bundle that includes the Canon 75-300. That lens is as the bottom of any list for quality and IQ. If you want a zoom, the 70-300 is so-o-o much better if it is the most recent nano model.
Thank you. I have toyed with the idea of used equipment, especially the lenses. I was wondering about the reliability of B&H. Some of the reviews seemed good, and then saw some not so good ones, so shied away. I had not heard of Key before, thank you. I had just looked on the local Craigslist a few nights ago, found a possibility near a friend I was visiting about 50 miles away the next day, and wrote them an email to see if I could come look at it. Either it had already been sold, or I asked too many and too specific questions about the condition of the camera and the included lenses, and they figured they could not scam me LOL. I forgot to ask about a used camera or lenses when I went to a camera store on the way to see my friend. I may call them tomorrow to see what they have. If possible I would like to buy from the most local camera store to support them. The guy and the woman (owner I have talked to before) are very knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful.
PhotoNat
Jerry,
Thank you. I was noticing that when comparing the prices of the lenses with the kits, vs. buying them seperately. I was amazed at how much I could save buying with the kit!
PhotoNat
If you can afford it, get a Tamron 90mm macro, you’ll never be sorry. After that I’d get the kit lens (18-55) and one of the zooms. Compare and research which is the better lens, the 55-250 or the 70 -300 then buy the best of those. Good luck and happy shooting.
Mike,
Thank you. I thought it sounded like a good deal with the three lenses. I especially like that they have the 18-55mm and 50mm lens, however had heard some things about the 75-300mm, as opposed to the 70-300mm that makes me a little nervous.
Thanks for your input.
PhotoNat
Rebecca,
A 90mm, okay, I had not thought about that one.
Thanks,
PhotoNat
B&H is the best! Been dealing with them for years. They are reputable, knowledgeable and customer oriented. I was buying a MacBook Pro from them and was debating between an older version and a newer version that was $500 more. The guy asked me how I would use it and then recommended the less expensive model. I also returned a lens that worked fine but I decided I just didn’t want it. No problems. They did a trade in for me, easy peasy! Can’t praise them enough.
HJ,
Thank you. I had seen a video on Youtube regarding that, where they did a comparison between the 70 and 75-300mm, and showed the results, and the 75 did NOT seem as good.However, I had started wondering if that opinion was just very subjective, and was it valid? I have noticed less and less bundles including the 70, and noticed they are really trying to unload the 75 in the bundles. So, thank you for mentioning this, I will stick by my guns then for the 70 over the 75!
PhotoNat
Mizzee,
That's Great to know, thank you. It can get a little overwhelming out there, wondering which companies are worth their salt, etc..
PhotoNat
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