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What is wrong with the EF-S lens? How would Tamron lenses work? I think I found a couple places that sell the camera with a 28-105 and a 70-300mm Tamrons.
It is as Nomadicus stated...nothing really wrong with the EF-S lens if you stay with the XSi or even the 40d, I believe. It's if you ever decide you are wanting to get into the 1D or 1Ds series that is the dilemma. They do not fit. Could prove costly in the future.
As far as the Tamrons...some people are happy with them, I am one who wasn't. It will be a case of personal preference...the 70-300mm Tamron didn't have the sharpness as a Canon basic 70-300mm. Basically, and what I am learning as I go, you get what you pay for. If you aren't being as 'anal' as I tend to be on focus and aperture, then it would probably work. If you are wanting something for action shots - you may wish to consider the Canon lens. Just my opinion.
I agree with Nomadicus. Read (the manual) and do is the best advice anyone could give you. If you don't understand how your camera works and get hands on experience after you read the directions, the results you get when you shoot will not be as good as they could be and then you may regret having spent all that money.
And for those of us who don't shoot as regularly as we should, we have to read and do over and over.
What is wrong with the EF-S lens? How would Tamron lenses work? I think I found a couple places that sell the camera with a 28-105 and a 70-300mm Tamrons.
There is nothing wrong with the EF-S lenses other than the fact that you can not use them if and when you choose to upgrade to the likes of the better sensor and abilities of the full frame bodies. These include the 5D, 1D Marks and 1Ds Marks. Keep in mind that full frame bodies are coming down in price as technology advances. And other vendors may even introduce bodies that Canon lenses may work on. This has happened before. The lens out lives the body unless damaged. As far as the Tamron mentioned I wouldn't touch. There is one that I have see work out of used on a 20D and it was tack sharp. The 28-75 f2.8 is a pro lens and I would use on if I didn't already have a Canon 24-70 f2.8L. My son bought a 28-300 off brand and it is simpy awful. Even the pro Canon 28-300 is not nearly as sharp from what I read as we would like to see. It's a lens for specfic events where you need the range and can't either change or use 2 bodies and 2 lenses. The 28-105 Canon prosumer lens from what I've have read review on is not the best but still a very acceptable lens for everyday use. A pro will opt for the 24-105 fixed f4.0 lens at a much higher cost but the IQ is better too. I still believe in purchasing a base camera such as the Rebel or Nikon 60D and acculating lenses that one needs before spending a bundle on the body unless money is not an object. It still can be a good plan even if money is no object as some may find their interest waning and it would have been a waste to buy a 1Ds Mark III or Nikon D3 to start. My brother has on of the origninal Rebel 6.3 MP dslr's and it still does all he needs to do. He uses his lenses from his older film camera and does good work for his needs.
There is a lot of sales hype when it comes to 2 things.
1. number of mega pixels. More can be worse on extremely small sensors as more noise will be evident.
1. long zooms that also are extra wide. ie 28x300. Sounds like a cheap way to go and it is at the expense of IQ. Yes they may show up good on the monitor but let me print one out of any size and be prepared for a really bad gut feeling.... The best zooms have usually only a ratio of 1 to 3 or 1 to 4. ie a 24x70, 70x200, 17x40m 24x105.
Remember this: The best photo editors don't make prime rib out of a hot dog...
I hope the mistakes I've made and the one's I've seen others make will help those here on the forums not make the same. Now good luck to all who are in the process of upgrading. Me too. I need some for a change...
Now for my task at hand. New (well new to me cause it's a hand me down) workstation has arrived and I need to go off line and start building. See ya'll later.
It's really hard to predict DSLR trends, so buying lenses can be tricky.
One of my favorite lenses is the Canon EF-S 60mm macro. Pin sharp. But as everyone else has said, you need to stick to the Rebel or 20D-50D series in order to use it - it won't work on the full frame models. Every indication has shown that over time, there will be more full frame models coming out. The tricky prediction though, is just how LONG it will take them to get down to 40D prices - or, if Canon will stop making the smaller DSLR sensors once they do - or keep having two lines of models. If they stop, then all the EF-S lenses become junk once your smaller sensor model dies and there's nothing to replace it with. But then, marketing 101 says they will probably at least for a number of years still be making SOMETHING that will accept the EF-S lenses. If not, they'll probably offer some sort of "loyalty upgrade" program for lenses like they do for cameras.
So, on that note, if you don't mind sticking with a Rebel series or 20D-50D models for a while, the $350 EF-S 60mm macro is an excellent lens. No I.S. function or zoom, but it takes incredibly sharp and colorful/contrasty photos. I use it for stock work and rarely if ever have a photo rejected for technical reasons when I use that lens.
People who shy away from EF-S lenses are missing out on some excellent glass values. True, they are built for the 1.4 crop body cameras. However, they have a price/performance that cannot be matched, even by 'L' lenses. Take the EF-S 10-22 for example. This is by far the widest Canon lens available for these cameras. If you wanted to go with a wide L zoom, you're looking at 16 or 17mm on the wide end, which isn't even close. Another example is the EF-S 17-55 F2.8 which has gotten great reviews. In addition to being a fast, mid-range zoom, it also has IS. It's tack sharp, and there is nothing in the L series that will touch this lens in terms of price/performance and features. And AtlantaGreg above already spoke to the excellent EF-S 60mm macro.
I also don't agree with the contention that we'll all soon be shooting with full-frame sensors. Ain't gonna happen. Full frame sensors are not coming down significantly in price. These cameras will always be priced at twice-the-price of the crop-body cameras and higher. Besides, not everybody wants full frame. Most bird photographers, unless they're exceedingly weathly, prefer crop body cameras because you get a higher effective magnification of your subject. If you can afford 600mm or 800mm glass, then a full-frame camera will yield incredible results. However, most folks don't shoot that way as this equipment takes a big investment in terms of money, and the commitment to hauling around massive gear. There's a reason why almost everybody with a full-frame camera also has a crop-body camera in their collection.
My advice is to select your lens for your needs as they are today, and not on unfounded speculation of what tomorrow may bring. By passing on EF-S glass, you're missing out on the best price/performance lenses that Canon has to offer those of us who shoot crop-body cameras. If and when you do decide to go full-frame, you can always sell your EF-S lenses and recoup the bulk of your investment. As anybody who has ever priced used-glass knows, lenses hold their value extremely well.
The camera comes with a built in flash, when, at all, would there be a need to buying an extra?
Not until you need to light up a large area or have more distant subjects that the built in will not reach. I would not buy one until I saw the need. One thing I forgot to mention is that some lenses have an large hood that can throw a shadow if you use the built in. I very seriously doubt that will be a problem for you in the near future.
I think I'm going to order the Nikon D80 this weekend.
I just checked B&H and Adorama shipping for you. B&H ships to Alaska, Adorama ships to Alaska with extra surcharge.
Good for you and your soon-to-be new D80!
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