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Author Topic: Cheaper long lenses  (Read 8250 times)

mahleu

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Cheaper long lenses
« on: June 08, 2007, 05:31:43 am »

Why doesn't canon make a cheaper 500mm that is only 5.6 and without IS? It would make it far more accessible. Like the 400 5.6
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Ken Alexander

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Cheaper long lenses
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2007, 06:20:58 am »

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Why doesn't canon make a cheaper 500mm that is only 5.6 and without IS? It would make it far more accessible. Like the 400 5.6
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=121756\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

First of all, did you ask someone at Canon...assuming you can find someone there involved in that kind of decision making?  Because unless someone at Canon reads this Beginner's forum (unlikely) then I think you're out of luck for a real answer.

However, so as not to make this a complete waste of your time, why not get the 400mm f5,6 and a 1.4x teleconverter?  That'll give you two useful options:  a 400/5.6 and a 560mm.  You'll lose an f-stop or two because of the teleconverter, but if you're shooting digital you can try using a higher ISO to buy it back.

I'll leave it to you to do the math on the prices.

Just a thought,

Ken
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Ray

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Cheaper long lenses
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2007, 07:37:15 am »

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Why doesn't canon make a cheaper 500mm that is only 5.6 and without IS? It would make it far more accessible. Like the 400 5.6
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A major consideration in trying to get a sharp image is not just the quality of the optics but the speed of the shutter. IS is extremely useful with long telephotos. A 500/5.6 with no IS would require use of a tripod most of the time. Also, use of a 2x extender would disable autofocus in all Canon DSLRs with such a lens and use of a 1.4x extender would disable autofocus with cropped format cameras such as the 400D, 20D & 30D.

It's not an attractive proposition, in my view.
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mahleu

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« Reply #3 on: June 08, 2007, 09:39:18 am »

I will not be able to afford a 500mm F4 for a long time, and i don't want to have to use a 400mm with a 1.4X as it will end up being an f8. People survived for a long time without IS and with slower lenses. You can still find 500 F8 mirror lenses around.
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Ray

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« Reply #4 on: June 08, 2007, 10:26:14 am »

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I will not be able to afford a 500mm F4 for a long time, and i don't want to have to use a 400mm with a 1.4X as it will end up being an f8. People survived for a long time without IS and with slower lenses. You can still find 500 F8 mirror lenses around.
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You're not a prefessional photographer trying to survive, are you? 500mm mirror lenses generally have lousy performance towards the edges of the frame of a FF sensor.

Maximum performance without regard to convenience factors can produce exceptional results. Anyone with an el cheapo 400D can outstrip the performance of an MFDB P45 through a process of stitching images. All that's required is that the subject be completely stationary.
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mahleu

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« Reply #5 on: June 09, 2007, 11:06:09 am »

No i'm not pro yet, will be next year. I'm just saying people managed with slow non-IS lenses not too long ago. I would rather be able to get something i can afford whilst i work up to getting the best.
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Ray

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Cheaper long lenses
« Reply #6 on: June 10, 2007, 01:07:57 am »

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No i'm not pro yet, will be next year. I'm just saying people managed with slow non-IS lenses not too long ago. I would rather be able to get something i can afford whilst i work up to getting the best.
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People also managed with non-autofocus lenses not too long ago. The cheap options are available. The Canon 400/5.6 prime has no IS. With a 1.4x extender it becomes a 560/f8 with no autofocus (except on the 1 series cameras).

F8 might seem rather slow, but the low noise of Canon's latest DSLRs makes this much less of a disadvantage than it was just a few years ago. Apart from the autofocus issue, a 560/f8 would be just as useful on my Canon 20D as a 560/f4 would have been on my previous D60. That's because the 20D produces images at least as sharp and clean at ISO 1600 as my D60 produced at ISO 400.
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mahleu

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« Reply #7 on: June 10, 2007, 07:10:20 am »

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People also managed with non-autofocus lenses not too long ago. The cheap options are available. The Canon 400/5.6 prime has no IS. With a 1.4x extender it becomes a 560/f8 with no autofocus (except on the 1 series cameras).

F8 might seem rather slow, but the low noise of Canon's latest DSLRs makes this much less of a disadvantage than it was just a few years ago. Apart from the autofocus issue, a 560/f8 would be just as useful on my Canon 20D as a 560/f4 would have been on my previous D60. That's because the 20D produces images at least as sharp and clean at ISO 1600 as my D60 produced at ISO 400.
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Thanks i've been considering the 400 5.6 quite seriously. When i'm in the uk later this year i'm going 2nd hand lens hunting.

Does anyone have any experience with the older Canon EF 500mm f4.5 L
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