Photo kit tips please
 

Some years ago I got into photography but what with bikes, marriage, kids, cricket etc etc, it fell of the end of my hobby list. A few weeks ago we bought a Canon EOS 400 mainly because I had a stack of kit from my 35mm EOS.

I would like to get back into it, just as a hobby photographing bikes, parked and racing, particuarly IOM TT.

I have a zoom lense with the following:

Ø 55 Sigma Zoom AF-λ
1:4.5 ~5.6
F = 75 - 300

My thinking was to get something longer and have looked on line at a SIGMA 170-500mm f/5-6.3 APO (CANON AF) but as its over £500, I need to be sure its going to be what I want and its going to be much better than the old one.

Any assistance or guidance would be appreciated.

Don`t forget that a longer zoom lens is not the be all to end all in terms of stills photograpy. The longer the focal leanth the narrower the field of view and hence stability if your trying for that magic action shot.

If your in a possition of being near the action, you wish to shoot, you may well find that you require a wide angle lens to capture all the detail.

If possible can you borrow a selection of lens to try out before making a purchase?

Regards

Bob.G

try here . . .
 

www.fixationuk.com

Khushy

That 170-500 also has a correction factor of 1.5 to be applied because of the the 400s smaller sensor doesn't it? That means you be getting a 250-750 zoom (1.5 correction?). That's piggin' huge... You'd have to be using a tripod to be getting anywhere near sharp pictures, which takes away the spontaneity a little. Lot of money to be spending if you get a real high proportion of blurry shots...

Modern tele-converters are supposed to be real good and would have to be a lot cheaper, plus lighter. Just a thought...

Darren

I found this site invaluable in comparing Canon lenses (plus a few others)

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/R...s-Reviews.aspx

Is the correction factor of 1.5 only applicable to the lenses that were on the old camera ? or is that EF lenses and should I be looking for EFS lenses to get the best results ?

What is the difference between EF & EFS lenses

Top link!!:) :)

I think the factor is 1.6 and gives the apparent focal length of any lens on the digital body, when compared to the same lens on a 35mm film body. So a 50mm appears to be 80mm, a 300 appears to be 480 ( and my 17mm acts like a 27 @rse! ).

The newer digital canons have a smaller mirror set further back into the body and can take the EFS lenses. These are physically longer and so can use smaller rear lens elements and so are a bit cheaper to make. But they wont fit all cameras- my 30D takes them but my 10D won't.
HTH

so what happens if i use my old zoom lense, is it better/worse than before, do I need a longer lense for motor racing and if i do how do you tell whether its the old type or new. sorry for somany q's

Your zoom on the 400D will appear to be a 120mm - 480mm , fine for motor sport. You probably wont want anything longer. What costs is when you want wider appeture lenses- then it starts to get expensive.
EFS are always marked up as such and simply wont fit the older bodies.