zoom lens

[schneidergarret]

im looking to get my wife a zoom lens she has a canon rebel t3i and i have not the first clue on what to look for or what to get she has the basic lens that came with the camera and now she wants a zooming lens can anyone help me out?

[BlueCorn]

The lens she has now is probably a 18-55 or 28-135.

The 70-200 f/4 would be a nice addition.

[schneidergarret]

yes you are right it is the 18 to 55mm lens she has right now, that would be a very nice addition but a little out of our price range im looking to spend max like $ 300 $

[BlueCorn]

There isn't a "new"'zoom I could recommend in that price range.

[schneidergarret]

it doesnt have to be the extra zoom in i will post a link that i was looking at and could you give me your opinion? http://www.amazon.com/Canon-75-300mm-4-5-6-Telephoto-Cameras/dp/B00004THD0/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1361598455&sr=8-5&keywords=canon+t3i+rebel+zoom+lenses

something like this

[BlueCorn]

That's a very mediocre lens.

[schneidergarret]

Ha thanks for the help but thats about all I can afford right now I appreciate all the help bluecorn

[Misled]

There isn't a "new" zoom I could recommend in that price range.

Reread that.

[JaYbIrD1969]

Youre going to be VERY limited at that price range. I could almost bet if you do find something in that price range, youll want to upgrade sooner than later do to poor image quality. Then the budget lens you bought will have been a waste of money. I always say, "Buy quality and cry once, or buy budget and cry every time it breaks"

[schneidergarret]

yeah i hear that i just dont know i have alot of stuff going on and that is about my max range for money that i am willing to spend lens are a pain you can pretty much buy a whole new camera for the prices of these lens

[BlueCorn]

With a DSLR, the lens is far more important than the camera body in terms of image quality.

[JaYbIrD1969]

you can pretty much buy a whole new camera for the prices of these lens

More...much, much more...

http://www.samys.com/p/Lenses---Telephoto/2205/AF-S-NIKKOR-800mm-f/5.6E-FL-ED-VR-Lens/120996.html?origin=product-search&gclid=CPyBlZnNz7UCFYZcMgodf38A8Q

[schneidergarret]

golly jeepers that is alot of money also well instead of zoom lens what about a macro lens what would you guys recomend?

[Misled]

300 bucks probably still won't cut it.

[jroovers]

Have you thought of a prime lens (i.e. lens with a fixed focal length)? What kind of photography does your wife like to do? Are we talking for aquariums, general everyday family photos and portraits, urban life and cityscapes, or landscapes, or some combination? You may want to try and pick up a used prime - it will likely be in your budget range and produce much sharper images than a stock kit lens. That said, you do lose the versatility of the range of focal lengths a zoom gives you.

[schneidergarret]

i am talking about the aquarium but my wife enjoys taking action shots of my daughter playing the dogs and animals outside

[IslandCrow]

It depends on your expectations. The 75-300 really isn't a horrible lens. I used to have the older model (70-300), and as long as you understand it's limitations, and you aren't shooting for Sports Illustrated, it's a very viable lens. This lens is fairly sharp out to 200mm, and even out to 300, I'd say it's acceptably sharp if you stop down f/7.1 or smaller (smaller aperture that is. . .larger f-number).

For the aquarium, I'd much prefer a 100mm (or thereabouts) macro lens for fish or coral pictures or a wide angle lens for full tank shots.

So, in short, the 70-200 is a great lens, outclasses the 75-300 in every way, and I understand why everyone here is recommending it. That said, I'd say the 75-300 is priced appropriately for what you're getting, and although it isn't professional quality, it's certainly better than an equivalent zoom on pretty much any point and shoot camera. So, if that's all you're looking for, I'd say go ahead and get it. You can save yourself even more money if you find it used (probably from someone who has upgraded to the 70-200L).