I am new to the advanced photography world, and I just purchased Canon Rebel XT because it seems to be a great entry level camera with good features. I am mostly interested in taking photos of dogs at dog park and events, etc. I want to be able to take clear photos of them running around. What are the lenses that would fit my criteria? I would like something on the cheaper side that does the job. Thanks a lot!
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I’ll give you some criteria used in choosing a lens, and then suggest a few that I would use for this purpose.
1. Zoom or prime
Zoom lenses are lenses that cover multiple focal lengths. Prime lenses cover a single focal length. Zooms should NOT be confused with telephotos (lenses for shooting far away things), as telephotos can be either zoom or prime. Zooms give you greater flexibility, but primes offer superior image quality at a given price point. Primes are also available in larger apertures (see below).
2. Focal length
Remember that your DSLR is a "crop" sensor DSLR. This means that your sensor is significantly smaller than 35mm film, and only uses the center of the image circle created by a standard lens. The simplified result of this "crop effect" is that you need to multiply the focal length on the lens by 1.6 to get the effective length on your camera. (No, the lens doesn’t magically change, but the crop will make you move YOUR position, which will change the perspective rendered by the lens.)
The classic ranges for 35mm film are (give or take)
14-24mm = Ultra Wide Angle
24mm-35mm = Wide angle
40mm-70mm = Normal Perspective
70mm-135mm = Short Telephoto/Portrait
135mm-299mm = Telephoto
300mm + = Supertelephoto.
So take the lens’s focal length and multiply by 1.6 to figure out how the lens will work on YOUR camera.
Note that EF-S lenses are lenses designed for your reduced image circle. This doesn’t mean that you gain any optical benefits (quite the opposite in most cases), but some of these reduced-circle lenses represent great values, or at the wide end (EF-S 10-22) offer perspectives not available in full-frame lenses.
3. Maximum Aperture
When you see a number like f/2.8 or f/4-5.6 on the side of a lens, it tells you the maximum aperture that the lens is capable of achieving. Larger apertures give you a few capabilities. They allow you to shoot in lower light without flash (more light coming in = faster shutter speed). This is VITAL for sports photography, or any situation where the subject is apt to be moving. Larger apertures also allow you to shoot shallow depth-of-field shots, where the background and foreground are blurred to isolate the subject. A larger aperture lens can be stopped down for more depth-of-field or slower shutter, but a "slower" lens cannot be opened up. Larger apertures also offer faster auto-focus (with a few exceptions), as lenses slower than f/2.8 disable some of the AF sensors on your camera.
4. IS
Some Canon lenses offer IS. IS is a gyroscopic device that lives in the back of the lens and tries to correct for lens movement. This is extremely useful when you are shooting hand-held, but still can be useful on a tripod or monopod (although some older lenses require that you disable IS on a tripod). IS is great for shooting STATIC subjects in low light, as it will allow you to use a slower shutter speed than you would otherwise be able to. Some IS lenses offer "pan mode" which will stabilize the lens vertically, but allow you to pan the lens horizontally (think racecars with the background blurring as they move). IS is almost useless for most sports, as the key issue is not camera movement, but getting a shutter fast enough to stop the subject’s motion.
5. Little red rings
The Canon "L" series of lenses is the "L"uxury lineup of optics, and they all have a little red ring around the front. In reality, this designation has more to do with being designed for professionals than for use as a luxury item. The L series lenses are *typically* of higher optical quality AND build quality than their consumer grade cousins. For zooms in particular, there are VERY few offering really strong quality in the consumer lineup (EF-S 10-22, EF-S 17-50IS, 70-300IS being the most notable exceptions).
6. Third party lenses
Tamron, Sigma, Tokina…. people take sides on the "are third party lenses ok" debate as vehement as their stances on major political issues. In my experience, some third party lenses offer an excellent value for the money. That said, ALL lenses have a certain variation in quality between copies of identical lenses. Test 3 copies of a Canon 50mm 1.4 in the store, and you will likely see a difference in performance. This tends to be even more pronounced in 3rd party lenses! So I recommend that you only consider purchasing a 3rd party lens from one of the three manufacturers I listed, and only if you can test it in store, or if the store has a fair return policy.
There ARE other concerns when buying a lens, but this should be more than enough to get you started.
That said… for your stated purpose:
You need a focal length where you can shoot at a bit of a distance… so telephoto is where its at here. If it were me, I’d be looking at the EF85mm f/1.8 or EF100mm f/2 primes for a value option with this purpose. If you feel you need more reach, the EF200 f.2.8L is superb and value priced at about $500. If you decide that you need a zoom, the least expensive telezooms I recommend are the EF70-200 f/4L or the 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS. The non-IS 70-300 is not very well built and offers a different (and much inferior) optical design from its IS brother.
For the budget conscious shoppers and your stated end use, I’d say the 75mm-300mm f 4 > f 5.6 III, or the same lens w/ USM (ultrasonic focus motor). They sell for 159.00, and 189.95 respectively @ B+H Photo Video. With your digital crop factor, that puts you out beyond 450mm, so look into a mono pod or some other support device, and remember to keep your shutter speed up to stop action, and reduce the effect of camera shake.
Good luck and have fun, WOOF
EDIT: Primes really aren’t a good choice for fast changing situations…and an image stabilized DO USM lens is hardly affordable…NOTE "On the CHEAPER side"…
You most definitely want to get a prime.
I would recommend the 300mm F/4 USM. It is almost two stops faster at the 300mm focal length than the zoom. And much sharper.
Sigma makes a 55-200 which would get you into the tele-zoom world without breaking the bank.
http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-55-200mm-Telephoto-Digital-Cameras/dp/B0001VQ12Y
Try this out and if you want a better one later, you won’t be out much $$$.
Hope this helps.