Canon 18-200mm zoom lense

[jazzman1]

I'm new here.  I have a Canon T3i.  Two kit lenses came with it in a bundle...18-55mm, 55-250mm.  I am considering getting the Canon 18-200mm.  Would the Canon 18-200mm be a good choice to replace both lenses, or are there better choices to replace them with and keep the 18-200mm also?

[ebiggs1 · Accepted solution]

I would not buy one for a few reasons.  One and formost, it is more difficult to make a zoom lens when the zoom range gets very extreme.  18 to 200 is a 11x range and very ambitious to say the least. Not solely in optics but in build quality, too. It will be in the same quality level as the two lenses you have so the only advantage is having just the one lens.  Is that what you require? The top benefit of a DSLR is the ability to have the right lens for the right job.  That usually involves several different lenses.  So you will be defeating that concept somewhat!

I would rather see you get a different level of lens for instance the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens.  Directly replacing your 18-55mm kit lens. Of course this is in case what you have is not working for you. But this move is into a better built, better optics and a little faster lens all of which can be very useful.  Make no mistake the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens is a very good lens and offers a constant aperture.  A super plus in my book.

Unfortunalely these lens upgrades are expensive and replacing the 55-250mm is going to be more so.

[jazzman1]

Your pics are really nice.  One day you must tell me your secret.  I know you used a tripod.

Anyway I quit for tonight.  Every time I tried to post pic they were either too big, or too small.  The settings you showed me aren't correct.  pics come out too small.  Can't remember how I did the pics yesterday.

[jazzman1]

[jazzman1]

Biggs I finally got it.  I wanted to quit when I told you, but I just coud'nt stop till I got it.  I used your 72 number for DPI but i had to put pixel at 1,000.  Even then many pics were still too big.  I think 800-900 pixels would be good for all my pics.  You know some make the 1,000 pexel limit, and some are still a tad too big.    But 900 pexels or less will work for all my pics...I think.  I'm tired but I do feel good I finally figured DPP out.  I'm not intimidated with RAW anymore at all.  Talk tomorrow my friend.

BTW...My white balance with those 2 pics was "sunshine", picture mode: landscape.  ISO: 800. I used 24-105mm lens for all park shots.  I used 75-300mm lens for all distant on the water shots.  Also used Dolica tripod with distance on water shots.  My pics have more color saturation when I set white balance to "Shade" or "Cloudy".  I like the color saturation better with either.   I will show you other park pics with that setting later today.  I used those settings for park shade shots.

                      Goodnite my friend.

[jazzman1]

[jazzman1]

this is the couple I told you about.  See the closeup looks too bright.  No settings was changed, same settings for all 3 pics.

[ebiggs1]

You certainly have me confused about how you are u/l but it is good you finally figured out how. 

Right off, we can not take problems that number in the 1000's if we are going to learn anything.  You must concentrate on one ot two at a time.

I hardly know where to start.  With RAW first I guess.  On top I am going to recommend you get PSE or better yet Lightroom.

They are far more user friendly that what you are trying to use.  Anway, with RAW, none of your camera settings matter.  RAW does not use them.  You tell it what you want in post.  The camera is telling DPP what the camera settings were and it is applying them but that is not the end.   You may decide to keep that and use it or do your own.  You want to, "do your own."

This is what I meant by talking just a few or just one photo instead of a ton. That way you can learn how to post edit.

Do you have the EOS Utility installed?  It should recognize your camera, if it does not satrt, just start EOSU yourself and it will see the camera.  When it gets through it should start DPP. I can not help with Image Browser.  I never use it.  Maybe someone else can.  Again I strongly recommend you get a better post editor preferably LR.

If these Canon provided softwares do not work like I said, you have something else wrong with your computer or installation.

They should work.

[jazzman1]

Gotta run out, will be short.  Sorry to confuse you.  The 1,000 number I mentioned was the pexel number I set in DPP.  You told me to set  12 for pexel number, but the pics were too small as you saw when I posted them.  The pics I last posted was set at pexel # 1,000.  Even then, some pics were still a tad too big.  I figure 950 is a good pexel number for me to set in DPP for all my pics now.  You're confusing me as to what you thought I meant.  Sorry if I was not clear.  I certainly was not talking about uploading 1,000 pics to this site LOL.  I only load the pics I want you to see so you can see my results and give me suggestion for better settings or whatever....as in the couple I met.   Be back later, have a good one.

[ebiggs1]

I actually just showed the page to do the settings. You probably had it set to pixels instead of inches?  Right?  10 or 12 inches would have been good to go.  Its all in the details!

I am starting a new thread called DSLR 101.  This is getting a little long in the tooth.

[jazzman1]

Sorry we mis-understood eachother.  But all is well that ends well.  The illustration you posted said 72 for DPI and you said 12 (I thought you meant pexels)  but that number is too low for pixels.  Had no idea you meant inches.  Besides if you look closely at your screenshot, you pointed at pixels.  But I got the hang of DPP now, even did other edits.  Have'nt used all the features yet but I know where thef eatures are, what they are for, and I now know how to use them.   The perfect settings for me now is:

72  DPI

950 Pixels.

The pics come out fine at those settings.  As you see they looked fine when I posted them.  You know, you were right, RAW is where I should be.  And I do have Canon software to get started.  I was a little intimidated with the RAW process at 1st, and glad you pushed me along.  I probably would'nt have done it for awhile otherwise.  I struggled trial and error for hours, but it paid off and now I'm fine with RAW.  I will be getting lightroom soon as I can.  You say it's better for me than PSE.  Is that all I will need???

I deleted all the pics I posted, was'nt posting them just to show them off.  I was hoping you would tell me what you saw, and any suggestions to change my settings.  I did want you to get a feel for the park where I do most of my shooting.   But we can go from here.

Those are some really nice shots of the birds you took.  One day I hope to do some like that as well.  What camera and lens did you use???   How far away were you???

Ok, you're starting DSLR 101.  Let me know when you do it and what topic it'll be in.  I start Photography 100 tomorrow.  The 101, and 102 the following saturdays.  It'll last all day.  We'll do classroom stuff in the morning, and go in the field in the afternoon.  Some of my club members are pro's or simi pro's and do these classes for the club several times a year.  I feel real good about my progress and feel I'll get better in good time.  Things are beginning to not feel so overwhelming.  I'm beginning to find my comfort zone.  Send me a heads up when you start your DSLR 101 class. 

[jazzman1]

BTW...Yes, those are the with and length number where your screeshop pointed to in my DPP program.  But changing the size changes the amount of pixels.  And the change you make is only shown in pixels, not inches, either more pixels or less.  .  We really need to get more in sinc with direction if I am to progress taking your instructions.  We have to make sure we're both plain in what we say, make sure we're on the same page.   Much harder to be clear in email, not like talking in person.