Newbie needs help --will be very much appreciated

[BES]

Gian, thanks for your comments.


It made perfect sense. English is my second language as well. To be honest, I have no idea what I am doing so I have ro practive with adjusting zoom and f opening and given that I only have one lens right now and absolutely no skills...well, this is going to be one Sisyphean challenge, LOL. That's OK, my dogs are quite patient and a perfect medium to take pictures of for me at least[]


I do have a question...70-200L F4 IS sounds nice because it is lighter and for me it will be one of those things where if it weighs a ton I will abhore carrying it. I do not know enought (well, nothing really) about the faster speed so I am not sure what decision to make. I need help here...If it makes sense to save and wait for F2.8, then I will do it, but I would hate to do that if I was not using it enough....I do not plan at this point making a living out of these lenses, just want to have a really good quality lens to take great pictures with. At home I am fine with what I have (17-85 IS) and I will be getting 50/1.4, but for walks outside, street, beach, travel pictures...what would be a better option for me? Any advice? Most people agree with 70-200L F/4. What is your take?

[Oren]

Hey BES. To be honest, since you keep saying that you still don't even know what effect the f/number has for example, I suggest that before you are making any buying decisions, spend a bit more time both on this site and with your camera. Read the Bryan's reviews here, read this: http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm


and don't forget to ask all kind of questions.


Lastly, I want to warn you... even though what I said, once you'll know all this stuff better, not only that it won't be easier for you to decide, but it'll actually be much much **MUCH** harder [:P]

[devsalvi]

Oren, that is a wonderful link. Thank you. The weird coincidence is, a year before, my friend had emailed me PPTs from his Photography diploma school, which now seem to be a copy + paste of the website you have mentioned and they charged tons of money for it!


By the way I dont know what the policy for referring external links is for this forum but hope that Bryan won't mind helpful links like these?[]


Cheers!


Dev

[Gian Luca]

<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"]BES,<o></o>


<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"]If you can try the 50 before to purchase it, or just shoot with your 17-85 blocked at 50. You will see that specially at the beginning a zoom is much easier to use. Prime deliver a better IQ only if you do not need to crop the image to resize your picture. If you want to shoot in lower light I recommend a flash rather than a faster lens. This will open another area where you can manage the light.<o></o>


<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"]You will see that even indoor the 70-200 L F/4 IS is a great lens if you have a single subject like your dog. Your pictures will be much nicer. This is a great lens very sharp vide open. The 2.8 in not better in all area, is heavier, less sharp specially on cropped sensor in my experience. I think if you go for the f4 IS you will be very happy.<o></o>

[BES]

Hey BES. To be honest, since you keep saying that you still don't even know what effect the f/number has for example, I suggest that before you are making any buying decisions, spend a bit more time both on this site and with your camera. Read the Bryan's reviews here, read this: [url="http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm]http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm[/url]


and don't forget to ask all kind of questions.


Lastly, I want to warn you... even though what I said, once you'll know all this stuff better, not only that it won't be easier for you to decide, but it'll actually be much much **MUCH** harder [img]/emoticons/emotion-4.gif[/img]
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Agree 100%. I am very new at this and I need all help I can get. I am very confused but I keep reading up like a fiend. The problem sometimes is with (please do not laugh) trying to understand complex technical concept of photography in english with camera settings in english when english is not my first language. So I suck a bit at this technical stuff untill I get comfortable with lingo. I think it is going to be simply like learning another language. Once I get used to vocabulary, I hope it will all come together, like with everything else. But at this point I am making a very s-l-o-w progress as I have to stop and think what the heck I am reading and to translate it in my brain into something that makes sense in "real" world". I may need to look for a forum for morons, LOL.

[BES]

<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; color: black;"]BES,


<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; color: black;"]If you can try the 50 before to purchase it, or just shoot with your 17-85 blocked at 50. You will see that specially at the beginning a zoom is much easier to use. Prime deliver a better IQ only if you do not need to crop the image to resize your picture. If you want to shoot in lower light I recommend a flash rather than a faster lens. This will open another area where you can manage the light.


<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; color: black;"]You will see that even indoor the 70-200 L F/4 IS is a great lens if you have a single subject like your dog. Your pictures will be much nicer. This is a great lens very sharp vide open. The 2.8 in not better in all area, is heavier, less sharp specially on cropped sensor in my experience. I think if you go for the f4 IS you will be very happy.



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Thanks, I will try that with my lens.

[BES]

I get most of my good pictures by accident. Don't knock it [img]/emoticons/emotion-1.gif[/img]


Most of the pictures I take I think will be good, though 15 minutes later my judgement usually kicks in.
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Well, but at least you know" how to take" good pictures. YOU make a decision what is good or not. Not your camera. Right now, not so much in my case, LOL. I have so much to learn, but it is sooo much fun. I love it, love taking pictures so I hope I will eventually learn how to do it right.