Telephoto lens question from a n00b!

[curse10]

hello hello all:

Anyone have an advice for getting a telephoto lens for my fairly new Canon digital xsi? The lens the camera came with just doesn't do it for me. I was thinking about the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens but it's a bit spendy. Any cheaper options out there?

[ManiacJoe]

1. A few questions:

What is the kit lens you have?
What does it not do that you want?
What subjects are you looking to shoot with it? And under what conditions?

http://photozone.de tends to have really good reviews of lenses.

[curse10]

2. answers

1.I have the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens right now
2/3. In addition to shooting everyday friends/family/vacation shots (which the 18-55 does fine at) I like to do wildlife photography. Husband and I are heading to Ethiopia in a few weeks and I want to be able to get some good shots. I've tested the lens I have at the local bird sanctuaries and zoos, and if I'm close enough, the shot is good- but I'm often not near close enough for the shot I want.

That site looks great. Thanks for responding so quickly!

[ManiacJoe]

3. Sounds like you are headed in the right direction.

If the 18-55mm is all you have, then you will be wanting something in the 70-300mm range. The lens you mention seems to be a good one at the price/quality comparison. The $650 prices are what I would expect. The common third-party lenses will probably shave a little off those prices. As a Nikon shooter, I cannot go into details on Canon lenses. :-)

After shooting with that lens, depending on your subjects and how serious you get, you may want to get a more specialized lens, be it longer or wider or both. However, none of those options are cheap! :-)

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

5. Consider renting a monster lens?

I mean, how often do you go to Ethiopia?

just google lens rental, and you will be flooded with options

[curse10]

6. that's a good idea

I can rent it, see if I like it, then decide to make the big purchase later. Husband and I do travel a lot- with the primary goal of seeing wildlife you can't find anywhere else (Gelada monkeys are our goal in Ethiopia)- so I feel like we are going to want the lens eventually.

[JeffR]

4. You might consider the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

This is from photozone's review:

Technically the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS is a tiny lens with a great performance potential. The resolution is very good across the range. Chromatic aberrations are basically a non-issue. The level of distortions remain moderate. The most obvious flaw is, unsurprisingly, vignetting at large apertures. The build quality is fine for a lens in this class and it is one step up from the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS that we've seen here recently. Regarding the target market you may surely forgive the plastic mount. The AF (micro-) motor is pretty fast and silent. So's everything cool here ? Well, the AF accuracy didn't really convince in the field - specifically at the wide-end of the zoom range - but to be fair this is much better on an EOS 40D (e.g.) with its improved AF capabilities. I had some trouble with the image stabilizer in the field but according to early reader feedback this impression seems to be an exception to the rule. If so the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS has certainly the potential to be another hot seller.

I got one a few months back on a whim when I was buying a macro lens. Haven't used it too much, but I have had some decent results, and despite what's mentioned above, I've had no problems with the IS.

It's very lightweight but surprisingly sturdy. Should be available for around $300. Worth a look if you don't want to go for something more expensive.

[curse10]

7. I saw that one

And dismissed it because of some of the online reviews- one mentioned color discrepancies. But maybe I'll take a second look- the price is very appealing.