Canon EF 70-200 F4L new or s/h?

fowler002

fowler002

fowler002

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Currently I have(may/may not have read in my other thread/s) a canon eos 300d with canon ef-s 18-55(non-is) kit lens and canon ef-s 10-22, now I'm looking for a general purpose walk about lens(from what I read it's usually 17/18-x range. been recommended the tamron 17-50 in my previous thread(but other suggestions welcome). 24-70 & 24-105 well out of my price range), a canon ef 70-200 f4l(non-is) and a macro( which is better tamron 90mm, sigma 105mm or canon 100mm f2.8? all 3 seem to be £300 - ~£400).

would like a lens with longer reach than the 70-200 for wildlife/bird photography but that'll have to wait for the time being due to the cost of the lenses in that range(seen a canon ef 100-400 for £887.95 s/h with 6months warranty(new is £1200+) but that didn't last very long before getting sold).

at the moment I don't have a job so can only really afford one of the lenses I'm after, which would be better to get general purpose(would replace the 18-55) or 70-200?

if I was to get the 70-200 as the title of the thread says, is it better to go new(~£500) or s/h(~£400)?

I found 1 for £412.95(inc delivery, with 6months warranty) but put it off to long to order(been umming and ahhing since I saw it few days back) and it's been sold(went to order today just before 1pm to try to get the delivery for tomorrow, but it wasn't on the site any more. almost ordered it last night but thought I'd wait till this morning).

there is another which is £20 cheaper(£392.95 inc delivery) but doesn't come with the hood, is a missing hood a big issue or can you do without it(especially with the sunshine)?

I have a s/h(canon) battery grip with additional battery(jessops brand) and a refurb(from the canon outlet store on ebay) speedlite 430ex mk i and a gorilapod slr(looking for a 'proper' tripod for landscape shots, not a pro so not looking for super expensive ones).
 
Personally I have never bought a new lens, get them used and you can normally sell them on a few years down the line for the same price you bought them for. The other thing with used lenses is that unless they have been physically damaged they are unlikely to actually break. One of my lenses is around 20 years old and only just been replaced by a new version (I haven't had it for 20 years) and it still works fine.

The other suggestion is whatever you do don't get used lenses from shops (unless they have a stonking deal) as they will usually be way over priced. Go and sign up to Talk Photography and have a look at their sales forum, best place for lenses. :)
 
Get the 70-200, it's fantastic. That was my first lens too over the kit lens, it's very solid, insanely quick to focus, sharp, and just fits nicely in your hand! Definitely my favourite lens. Don't replace the kit lens, you'll still just have a one lens kit which wont change your photography style.

I bought my 70-200 (built in '99) in 2006 for £350 secondhand. Prices have gone way up since then so £400 secondhand sounds about right. L lenses hold their value very well so don't feel bad about shelling out what seems like a lot of money on old kit.

Also, as above, sign up to forums to see whats for sale. Another place to go is www.photography-on-the.net, very active canon only forum.
 
any comment on the lack of the hood? will I be ok without it or will it need it? replacement hood seem to be little under £10(non-canon) - like £40.

stupot replacing the kit lens with a better quality lens, better iq and build quality. might not effect the 300d too much but will show the difference when I finally come to upgrade it, was thinking about getting the 50d but have decided to go with a new lens and get a new body later.
 
tripod... RS-283 + RH-12 - superb quality, great price, still not as good at the Gitzo's and some of the manfrotto but generally considered better than an 055 with a 484RC2. It's about £100 and worth every penny.
 
p0ss3s3d said:
tripod... RS-283 + RH-12 - superb quality, great price, still not as good at the Gitzo's and some of the manfrotto but generally considered better than an 055 with a 484RC2. It's about £100 and worth every penny.
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one of the ones I've been looking at, with tripods/heads what is the max load figure you use(the legs or the head? the rs 283 leg says 8kg while the rh-12 head says 10kg).
 
fowler002 said:
one of the ones I've been looking at, with tripods/heads what is the max load figure you use(the legs or the head? the rs 283 leg says 8kg while the rh-12 head says 10kg).
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That would be 8kg max load of the set-up. I now use the RSH-12 on my monopod and the 488RC2 on the tripod (just prefer the feel- nothing wrong the the snapper head) but because of this I plan to change the RSH-12 to a manfrotto RC2 head in the near future though - just for the QR plates.

The heaviest I've put on it is a 500mm f/4 with my 1D. 6.5kg's (I only extended one leg becuase I was in a two-man pop-up hide. (Tight sqeeze - two people + three 1D's plus a 500 f/4 and 300mm f/2.8!!!!) It felt fine - a little 'ooozzzy' but that it 6.5kilograms!!!!!!!!! (It felt better on the Gitzo with a wimberly head but being a student...)
 
but then a gitzo + wimberly is like £1k, not the sort of setup I need as I don't make my livimg from photos.

no answer regarding the lens hood?
 
fowler002 said:
but then a gitzo + wimberly is like £1k, not the sort of setup I need as I don't make my livimg from photos.

no answer regarding the lens hood?
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If you're going to be out and about in the sun and not always able to get the sun at your back, you'll be wanting a lens hood. Flare can really wash out your pictures, or even destroy them.
 
It's not a particularly nice hood... It's very bulky, I don't bother using it.

However... Nearly £400 is a bit cheeky for that lens without the hood. I'd rather spend £500 and get it new with warranty and £40 worth of hood...
 
the one I missed out on was £404 and this one without the hood is £384, the delivery is £8.95. it's from http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/ incase anyone is interested.

couldn't resist, have just ordered it. should get it thursday, gives me a day to have a little play with it before I go off to newcastle on friday for the weekend.

what are the compatible hoods like? do they provide much protection?
 
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hmm the lens came today, I thought it would come in the box but was only in a grey canon pouch(I thought the 70-200 etc came in a white bag/carry case.

the 2 photos I've take of it so far:

57e93c76-1.jpg


f171890b-1.jpg


will post some photos later that I've taken with the lens(once I've taken them :) ).
 
70-200 doesn't come in a carry case, no. Mine came in the canon box, then it was in the pouch inside.
 
fowler002 said:
hmm the lens came today, I thought it would come in the box but was only in a grey canon pouch(I thought the 70-200 etc came in a white bag/carry case.

the 2 photos I've take of it so far:

will post some photos later that I've taken with the lens(once I've taken them :) ).
Click to expand...

Only the 2.8 versions come in white cases.

Though you actually uses either the grey pouches or the white cases? It takes too long to get anything out of them imo.

Blackvault
 
Kol said:
70-200 doesn't come in a carry case, no. Mine came in the canon box, then it was in the pouch inside.
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so the grey pouch is the correct item? so missing the hood and the official canon box. the lens hood and box are missing, lens pouch and manual came in a brown box packed in pollychip and bubble wrap.

a few of the pics I took earlier:

IMG_5734-1.jpg


IMG_5733-1.jpg


there were a couple of bees, they kept flying off to another flower just before I took the photo. only managed to get a couple with a bee on a flower.

IMG_5714.jpg


took about 50 photos today, will be taking more over the weekend dependent on the weather as off to newcastle tomorrow and coming back home on monday.

didn't see any birds while I was outside :(
 
Blackvault said:
Only the 2.8 versions come in white cases.

Though you actually uses either the grey pouches or the white cases? It takes too long to get anything out of them imo.

Blackvault
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till I get a camera bag that can hold the lenses I have(kit lens, canon ef-s 10-22 and canon ef 70-200 f4l so far), I'm going to have to use the pouch for the 70-200 or canon 10-22(dependent on which one I'm not using at the time) so they get damaged. my current camera bag can't hold the 300d with the 70-200 attached, it's ok with the kit lens or the 10-22 attached.

looking for a bag that can hold the 300d with battery grip(tho looking to upgrade in the future, xxd series or if the price has reduced the 7d), 18-55(till I get a better quality replacement for it, seen the 24-105 f4l for £664 but can't really afford it right now), 70-200 f4l, 10-22, speedlite 430ex. looking at getting a macro lens, the 50 f1.8 and maybe something like the 100-400(tho that at the moment is just a for the wish list but not currently feasable).

sods law always comes to haunt me, mpb now have a 70-200 f4l with the hood and a uv filter for £404(~£413 in delivery) :(

similar thing happened last year when I got the 10-22 for £410(minus the box or manual as the seller had got them out the attic), couple days later I saw a s/h 10-22 in my local london camera exchange for £400(think it was £400, might have been £410. tho a short while later I saw a s/h 10-22 for closer to £500, not sure if it was the sameone) and it included 6months warranty(thing the guy in the shop said it came with the box).
 
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