New member needs help

[lurechunker]

I am new to the forum and asking for help. Our granddaughter plays basketball and I would like to photograph her. I kayak and would like to photograph birds. Is the EOS 760D the camera for me? Other? What lens or lenses? How can I protect my equipment form damage from saltwater? Thank you.

[Waddizzle · Accepted solution]

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@lurechunker wrote:
My 80D with 18-55 from Canon store will arrive tomorrow. I think I made a mistake by not getting the 28-135. Should I leave the 18-55 in the box and send it back? I'd like to start with an "all-round" lens and one long enough for back yard birds.

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Do you mean 18-135, instead of 28-135?  The 18-135 lenses are pretty good.  BUT, they will likely cast a shadow when you try to use the flash.  I know that older 18-135mm lenses cast a major shadow on a T5, so I would expect a shadow on an 80D.  The 18-55mm lens has a 35mm equivalent of 29-88mm, which is pretty close to 24-70mm that is very popular for use with full frame camera bodies.

The  STM version of the 18-55mm is a really good lens.  I would hang on to it.  I can guarantee you that whatever plans you have for using the camera, you will find new scenarios to use it.  I would keep the 18-55mm, and pass on buying a 18-135, so that you can budget more money towards your birding lens.  If you can afford to do all of the above, then by all means, buy all of the lenses you want.

[ebiggs1]

"I will appreciate your expert opinions if you have first hand knowledge of one or both."

I can only tell you about my experience with the ef 100-400mm and the Sigma S.

I choose the Sigma S but I warn you it is very heavy.  I have not used the Tamron G2 ...yet.  I am told by the local camera store it is much better than Tamron's first version which I have. The Sigma C and the Tamron G2 are going to be much lighter than the Sigma S.

Before the G2 all these lenses are very close in IQ.  Very close in AF ability with the ef 100-400mm a bit better in AF. Excluding the Sigma S from this.

However, I think the Sigma S is the best of the bunch all things considered if you can handle the weight.

"Canon 100-400 L ll vs Tamron 150-600 G2."      Do you want native 600mm ?  That will answer your question.  If you do, keep the G2 if not keep the ef 100-400mm.

[ebiggs1]

"Canon 100-400 L ll vs Tamron 150-600 G2."

My main reason to not buy Canon stuff is, Canon doesn't offer or have what I want.  I prefer to own Canon cameras and lenses.  Period.  I also prefer Canon accessories.  Most of the time it is just better and I mean it is way better.

In this case Canon does not think it needs to produce a consumer 150-600mm lens.  Rumor is they are testing one and will release it sometime.  Who knows?

Tamron and Sigma saw a need.  Filled it and have been extremely successful.  Canon we are waiting 

[lurechunker]

What about data cards? Which are best? Does using the same data card for two thousand shots degrade the images? Thanks for helping a new guy. Got a bald eagle the other day. I have several crested caracaras. 

[jrhoffman75]

I use Sandisk. Never had a problem. Cards can record many K images w/o a problem.

[RobertTheFat]

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@jrhoffman75 wrote:
I use Sandisk. Never had a problem. Cards can record many K images w/o a problem.

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I buy Lexar, but have never had a problem with occasional Sandisk or Kingston.

If bad spots develop on the card, they should affect the available space, rather than the images themselves. To keep the card in shape, format it occasionally.

[lurechunker]

Is Canon going to make a 150-600?  When?

[TCampbell]

These are community forums and most of the users here are just regular customers such as yourself (no special knowledge of future products).  Canon does have admins and moderators, but internal Canon employees with knowledge of future product plans have, to my knowledge, never divulged such info here (that would ruin the surprise).  😉

However... you can use the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM II with the Canon Extender 1.4x III and this gives you a range of 140-560mm f/6.3-8.

It turns out, those who have evaluated the 100-400 in comparison to the 3rd party 150-600's show that the 100-400 provides better peformance and image quality.  

Ordinarily when you apply an extender, you take a bit of a hit on the image quality.  What's surprising is that even when you use the 100-400 with the 1.4x extender, the Canon gear still ends up outperforming the lenses that can do 150-600mm natively.   The Canon 100-400 and 1.4x are very impressive.  In other words the native 100-400 (no extender) is so much sharper than the competitors that even when you factor in the hit you take for using the 1.4x extender, it still comes out ahead.

[lurechunker]

I own a Canon 100-400 L and would like to own a Canon 150-600 or similar. I hope it happens soon. Hint Hint.

[TCampbell]

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@lurechunker wrote:

I own a Canon 100-400 L and would like to own a Canon 150-600 or similar. I hope it happens soon. Hint Hint.

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100-400L original?  Or 100-400 version II?

If you have the II then just go get the 1.4x extender.  You can use that with lots of lenses.

If you have a newer body (7D II, 5D III, 5D IV, 1D X series, etc.) then all of those cameras have working auto-focus at f/8.  If you have an older body or a Rebel series body then those cameras generally require f/5.6 or lower to have working auto-focus in normal mode.

[lurechunker]

I have the latest version of the Canon 100-400. I tried a Canon 1.4 extender and found that it needed more light and was slow to auto focus. The images were disappointing. I like B&H because they have a good return policy. I tried a Tamron 150-600 G2 but was disappounted in build quality and images.  I will buy only Canon products from now on. I will buy the Canon f/2.8 70-200. Thoughts?