Best 300mm lens?

[GME]

Hi,

Having just bought a Canon DSLR I now need a decent lens to get some reach on my shots. I am no expert in this area and so am calling on you guys (n gals) who are for help, please?

I am on a limited budget so this is a bit of a priority (hence why only the 300mm length limit - I would love longer but can't stretch to them yet)

I have looked at a few and am now after some advice from people who have used these lenses to help me decide. Obviously, I am after the best quality for images but for relatively cheap. I have seen quite a few at this focal length for around £100 on the net, including the following I am considering:

The Canon 75-300mm f4-5.6 USM III
The EF 90-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM
The Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro
I have also seen the Canons without the USM, is it worth it for the extra cost?

Sorry if this has been covered recently but without trawling through all the threads I couldn't spot one that was obvious from its thread name.

Any advice welcomed...
Thanks in advance

Gareth

[David Hyde]

Hi Gareth
I hope you don’t mind a Nikon user offering a little advice. Hi quality images are for me are the most important factor. If you are looking for quality on a budget I would definitely consider an older 300mm prime lens with an aperture of f4.
It might stretch your budget a bit but the advantages are:- (a) high quality, very noticeable over the lower end zooms built to a price. (b) the extra stop will mean you could ad a 1.4TC giving you a very useable 420mm f5.6 with no drop in quality and (c) You will get all, or most of your money back, when you are ready to trade it in. – I bet you won’t want to!!
David

[HowlinWolf]

David's right, Gareth. Saving for a 300mm f/4 will give you better quality than a zoom, plus the larger aperture will be and advantage. Both the Nikkor and Canon f/4 lenses can be used wide open, and as David points out, using a x1.4 TC will barely be noticeable, image wise.
I have the Nikkor 300mm f/4, and recently upgraded to the 300mm f/2.8, but have no intention of selling the former, as it's that good.

HW

[nightshade]

I agree with the above I bought a Sigma 70-300 but it gives cracking images at 200mm
acceptable at 300mm
Dig deep for quality

[John D]

I have the Sigma 100-300mm F4 EX HSM APO DG lens with a 1.4tc and find it to be very good. It has constant length throughout with internal focusing. There are several very good reviews on this lens. See PhotoZone - review Sigma 100-300mm F4 lens.
John D

[GME]

Thanks guys

I will have a look at primes. I knew they gave a better image quality but don't think they are within my budget yet! I must admit I haven't looked into prices too much for them. I will probably look to get a cheap zoom for now and save up for a new lens later in the year when I have more of an idea of what I will need one for the most. I like taking shots of insects and birds the most so I may swing towards either a macro or a longer zoom/ prime later. Thanks for your help again.

Cheers

[wildlifesnapper]

Hi

I use canon and I use a sigma 300mm f4 HSM macro (discontinued) which has been re-chipped.It's a very good lens and they are reasonably priced secondhand - the problen is you will have to find one that has already been chipped as I think sigma UK are unable to get hold of chips now.
If I didn't have this lens I think I would be tempted with their 100-300 f4.

neil

[eeyore]

while i agree that an f4 lens is possibly more versatile and generally better it is as gme noted more expensive ( okay sh are cheaper but then you dont get a warranty ,you have issues with compatibility, chipping etc etc)

so in answer to the original question when i started out with canon I went with a f5.6 canon 90-300 usm - list price is £189 but it can be had for under a hundred from some ebay traders - this lens produces perfectly acceptable pictures throughout the zoom range and is pretty much ideal for where your at right now

in time if your interest (and financial means )increases then you could look at fleeting up to a f4 300 prime - or even the f2.8 300 prime - tho the latter is 4 figures and the money might be better spent on a narrower apperture but longer lens.

[beckiscott]

Originally Posted by GME

I have seen quite a few at this focal length for around £100 on the net, including the following I am considering...

Not sure if i have missed something somewhere, but how many of the lenses suggested by everyone else below fall within that price bracket £100?!

I had a tamron 70-300 f4 - 5.6 LD and ts done me great for the past year. It retails somewhere around £150.

The others are right - you get what you pay for. After a year the Tamron is really knackered - giving err99 messages quite frequently depsite and i cant see if lasting much longer. I got the Canon 100-400 L IS USM lens a few months ago and my girlfriend has been using the tamron since. We now have to decide what to replace it with - and whether to spend the extra on a 300mm f4 or get a like for like lens but have enough change to go on holiday with!

We all have priorities in life and sometimes its hard to start off with cheap and cheerful kit... but remember - a good lens can improve your shots - but it wont give you awesome shots by itself! Sometimes its worth learning the skills on cheaper kit?!

Good luck!

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by beckiscott

The others are right - you get what you pay for. After a year the Tamron is really knackered - giving err99 messages quite frequently depsite and i cant see if lasting much longer.
Good luck!

that said the 90-300mm f5.6 i mentioned is still going strong after 3 years of hard use - i dont use ity much anymore since i got a 170-500 but it (and my 300D) are out on loan to the daughter of a freind.