HELP!

[zina]

I bought the Canon EOS Rebel T3  for someone and want to buy another lens for it. The camera came with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Type II Lens.

I want to get a lens that is good for action shots but easy to use. Is anyone out there that can steer me in the right direction???

Thanks in advance because I know nothing about photography!

[JimR]

Are you looking for telephoto/close-up capability?  The lens on it is pretty decent on it's own.

[zina]

I'm looking for a different lens. I want to buy it as a gift. He's getting into it so I'm trying to add to the collection.

[omega lambda]

What's your budget?

For sports, you typically want a telephoto lens so you can zoom in on the action.  You would probably want something in 70-200 or 70-300 mm range.

[JimR]

My inclination is to not add a second lens.  The kit lens already gives a wide range of functionality and they're plenty decent on their own for a while.  The issue with augmenting the kit with, say, a telephoto/zoom is that decent ones cost a lot of money and you have to decide to either spend more than you may want for a good lens (i.e. $800 and up) that he may end up no using much, or go with a lower end lens more in budget that might not be fast enough or capable enough to give good results.  This is a case where I'd say find a kit that comes with both lenses, which will save money.

But since you've already bought the kit, you could throw in the Canon 55-250 IS lens,  you should be able to find it for 300-400.  It's a lens that's designed to augment the 18-55 kit lens anyway.

[zina]

What's your budget?

For sports, you typically want a telephoto lens so you can zoom in on the action.  You would probably want something in 70-200 or 70-300 mm range.

I have no clue what to budget. I seriously have no clue when it comes to this topic. I do want to get something he will use. Jeez, maybe I need a personal shopper.

My inclination is to not add a second lens.  The kit lens already gives a wide range of functionality and they're plenty decent on their own for a while.  The issue with augmenting the kit with, say, a telephoto/zoom is that decent ones cost a lot of money and you have to decide to either spend more than you may want for a good lens (i.e. $800 and up) that he may end up no using much, or go with a lower end lens more in budget that might not be fast enough or capable enough to give good results.  This is a case where I'd say find a kit that comes with both lenses, which will save money.

But since you've already bought the kit, you could throw in the Canon 55-250 IS lens,  you should be able to find it for 300-400.  It's a lens that's designed to augment the 18-55 kit lens anyway.

Okay, so the Canon 55-250 IS would be good for lets say...kids baseball games etc...?

OR is there another gadget I could buy to make his new hobby complete?

Thanks 

[Eco Ellen]

I am a nikon user, so can't comment specifically on the canon lenses.  That said, I have a couple of super nice & expensive lenses, and for kid sports like baseball and soccer I bought a $125 70-300 lens that I think is just fabulous for exactly that purpose.  I wouldn't use it for weddings or portraits but it is perfect for the reason I brought it.  I would look for the canon equivalent.

Have fun. 

[sonet]

I have no clue what to budget. I seriously have no clue when it comes to this topic. I do want to get something he will use. Jeez, maybe I need a personal shopper.

Okay, so the Canon 55-250 IS would be good for lets say...kids baseball games etc...?

OR is there another gadget I could buy to make his new hobby complete?

Thanks 

I do quite a bit of sports photography and the 55-250 would be excellent for well lit action shots. Like a baseball game in the daytime. The lens will not be fast enough for any indoor sports action or even outdoor action shots at or around dusk. It just doesn't let enough light in to give you shutter speeds that will freeze the action. For indoor and low light you would need something like the Canon 70-200 f2.8 but that would set you back between $1500 and $2200 depending upon whether you get the IS version or not. If you don't need a lot of reach, get a mid-range prime lens. Let your feet do the zooming :-) I have the 85mm f1.8 and it's only around $400. Excellent for low light. I take a lot of indoor gymnastics shots with that. If you won't be doing any low light action, the 55-250IS is an excellent lens.

[MoCo]

The T3 has the compact sensor, so take the focal length of any lens you're looking at and multiply it by 1.6 to get the effective focal length.

I'd read reviews.  Look for something with a lower bottom range of f/stop. 

[JimR]

Okay, so the Canon 55-250 IS would be good for lets say...kids baseball games etc...?

Basically, yep, as long as it's daytime games.  The lens isn't fast enough for indoor or darker conditions, even overcast might challenge it, but bright daytime skies would be no problem.

See also if you can find this one:

CANON EF 70-300MM F4-5.6 IS USM

Longer zoom and the same speed.  Locations up this way (Toronto) have it on sale just a few bucks more than the 55-250.  From what I see on forums, people waffle over which is better but cite the 55-250 because it's cheaper and lighter.  Maybe you can go somewhere and compare them but the 55-250 would be the safer bet if unsure.  250x is still almost 400x full frame equivalent, much longer than I've ever used.

[Mrtambourineman]

Basically, yep, as long as it's daytime games.  The lens isn't fast enough for indoor or darker conditions, even overcast might challenge it, but bright daytime skies would be no problem.

See also if you can find this one:

CANON EF 70-300MM F4-5.6 IS USM

Longer zoom and the same speed.  Locations up this way (Toronto) have it on sale just a few bucks more than the 55-250.  From what I see on forums, people waffle over which is better but cite the 55-250 because it's cheaper and lighter.  Maybe you can go somewhere and compare them but the 55-250 would be the safer bet if unsure.  250x is still almost 400x full frame equivalent, much longer than I've ever used.

I have an old 70-300 Canon that I picked up off Craigslist cheap ($120).  Its adequate.  The updated IS USM version might be better - it certainly does give you a nice reach for wildlife and sports shots.  Mine is slow to focus and because its an F.4 lens I find I need to only shoot on bright days or I need to crank the ISO up (which is pretty limited on my very old Rebel XT).  With the newer processors and the IS that lens or the 55-250 may be fine.  Their sharpness, clarity and colour will be similar to the 18-55 kit lens.  FYI, I don't find that I miss out with the small focal length gap between the 18-55 and the 70-300 and I definitely like the extra stretch of the 300.  In fact when I do wildlife shots I find myself frequently wanting more reach.   

[sonet]

I have an old 70-300 Canon that I picked up off Craigslist cheap ($120).  Its adequate.  The updated IS USM version might be better -

Just for the record. I have tried the new 70-300 IS USM and the image quality is fantastic and much better than the old 70-300. It sometimes even rivals my 70-200 f/2.8 IS. You just can't use the 70-300 in low light and of course the build quality isn't as good as the 70-200 IS (but it is much lighter)

[zina]

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-70-300mm-f-4-5.6-IS-USM-Lens-Review.aspx

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-S-55-250mm-f-4-5.6-IS-Lens-Review.aspx

Thanks to everyone for chiming in. I need to decide between the 2 above. So...which one? I'm thinking one that can zoom to objects at a distance, during the day and action shots.


Thanks again I really appreciate all the help because this is like a foreign language to me. 

[badger]

I have the 55-250. In not much help because I have nothing to compare it to. I purchased it with a deal I got at Christmas when I bought the T3.

[Eco Ellen]

What is the difference in price? How serious is the person about photography?

Without knowing more about how he wants to use the lens, or about his skill level and interest, I would go for something that has the most reach.  I vote for 300.

[zina]

I didn't even look at the price...I think I'm losing my mind! I'll look and report back.

[sonet]

the 55-250 will be about $250-$300 while the 70-300 will be closer to $500 on Amazon.

[OldBaldHippie]

I just pushed the one-click buying button on a Tamron 200-500 lens on Amazon...I blame the margarita...

[Eco Ellen]

I just pushed the one-click buying button on a Tamron 200-500 lens on Amazon...I blame the margarita...

Want to get closer to the birds?

[OldBaldHippie]

Want to get closer to the birds?