[jhv]

for the record, im a complete photography n00b. ive taken a basic class (it was an elective) at CSUN and it only taught the basics. so my knowledge of cameras and lenses is severely limited. i have a rebel xsi and its my first dslr. ive been using the stock lens for a while and its treated me well. however, im now looking at picking up a new lens. id pretty much only use it for car meets, photoshoots, and events, with a little bit of other things on the side. i was looking at a Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens from newegg and was wondering what you guys thought about it. will it be useful for what im trying to shoot? what are the pros / cons of the lens? what other recommendations can you give for a n00let such as myself? any advice will be more than helpful. thanks for reading this long ass post btw

[Russian325is]

Here...stick to this http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=342049
and this http://www.the-digital-picture.com

[Vudoo4u2]

Being the the XSI is a crop frame body, you would multiply your focal length on the lens by 1.5

if youre doing car photo shoots and basic photoshoots (and just want to pick up 1 lens)...the 17-40 F4 L will be a great lens. It is the cheapest (monetarily) L lens you can buy, and your effective focal lengths would be ~25-60 which is a pretty decent range for car shoots and such. Most of the time with car shots etc you are relatively close to the subject, so the 70-200 would not work well, since its minimum focal length is ~1.4 meters or 2.8 meters (two dif settings). The wider angle lens will do better for the types of things it seems you plan to shoot.

the 17-40 should cost ~=to the 70-200 F4 L

[asdflkijd]

Originally Posted by Vudoo4u2

Being the the XSI is a crop frame body, you would multiply your focal length on the lens by 1.5

if youre doing car photo shoots and basic photoshoots (and just want to pick up 1 lens)...the 17-40 F4 L will be a great lens. It is the cheapest (monetarily) L lens you can buy, and your effective focal lengths would be ~25-60 which is a pretty decent range for car shoots and such. Most of the time with car shots etc you are relatively close to the subject, so the 70-200 would not work well, since its minimum focal length is ~1.4 meters or 2.8 meters (two dif settings). The wider angle lens will do better for the types of things it seems you plan to shoot.

the 17-40 should cost ~=to the 70-200 F4 L

+1 to the 17-40 f4L.. I'm actually looking to pick this one up soon. Either that or the 10-22mm..

jh, I think you should also consider the 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS.
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/R...ns-Review.aspx

[BMW F22]

If you want a walk-around lens I HIGHLY recommend the Canon 24-70mm 2.8L. The lens is sharp and it's fast. If I could only bring one lens on a trip it would be that lens. While it won't give you that wide angle, it gives you more reach. It is the best all-around lens for the things you mentioned above (car meets, events, general photography, etc.).

If you main focus is on automotive stuff (car meets, shows, etc) then the 17-55 is also a good lens (it's not an L series lens though). The 17-40 L lens is also good. Again those are good if your main focus is to shoot things that are close by. The 70-200mm lens IMO is not a good lens for automotive stuff because it's simply too long. Think about how far you would need to stand away in order to capture a picture with several cars in it. Also it's gonna be a PITA for events (lugging that lens around is no fun).

So if you want a lens SOLELY for automotive stuff then get the 17-40 or 17-55. If you want a very nice and sharp walk-around lens then get the 24-70mm. The 70-200mm is good for sports, tracks, as well as wild life (in which case you might wanna get something longer like 100-300mm).

[jhv]

you guys are so helpful, honestly. if i could somehow send you freshly baked cookies, i would. thanks so much for the advice. just goes to show how much of a novice i am any more advice is welcome! you guys just saved me from making a potentially costly mistake

[jhv]

seriously though, thanks a lot

[asdflkijd]

Originally Posted by jh valley

seriously though, thanks a lot

So, did you decide on a lens yet?

[Vudoo4u2]

we need pix jh....pix...and decisions

[jhv]

Originally Posted by Vudoo4u2

we need pix jh....pix...and decisions

im strongly considering the Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM. the Canon 24-70mm 2.8L is way out of my price range. im nowhere near that serious and im living off a college students income (aka im poor ). ill look more in-depth into similar lenses, but price is a huge factor in my decision. ill keep you guys posted

[endofanera7]

John and his cam....

[jhv]

Originally Posted by endofanera7

John and his cam....

[dcstep]

The EF 70-200 f4L IS is an incredible lens. I think it's one of Canon's very best zooms, with sharp picture quality at all focal lengths and apertures. I'm using it on a full-frame 5D MkII, so my camera has much higher ISO performance than yours and it shoots full-frame vs. cropped. I think that the f4 is ideal for everything but high speed, indoor and certain sports photography. For scenics, portraits, travel and auto photography it's wonderful.

You say that you're supplementing your kit lens. I'm assuming that's also a zoom from wide angle to portrait length. If not, then that would be my suggestion. My walk around lens is the 24-105 f4L IS. If you don't have something like this already, then I'd suggest this type lens as a next purchase.

BTW, DxO's Optics Pro 5.5 will sharpen many of Canon's top lenses further, with lens-specific geometric and sharpness correction. I highly recommend it to anyone investing in Canon's top lenses.

Dave