Caroline Woodley writes, > > Basically to answer a couple of queries: I'm using an EOS 5 body at the > moment but I may well trade it in for an EOS 3 or secondhand EOS 1 (not sure > which variety) within the next 12 months.
I would say keep your EOS 5, and use it as a spare body. The camera is very cheap in the shops now, and you might not get much for it as a trade-in. I have just bought an EOS 1v, and while it is wonderful, I do have issues regarding AF and low-contrast subjects with any lens below an f/2.8 aperture. A rudimentary test shows that my 300/4 fails to lock on LC subjects unless I turn the camera to a portrait format. There are no such problems with the 100/2.8 macro on the same subject. > 1) What is the best focal length prime to look at (assuming I can afford > it), for wildlife photography in particular? The obvious glib answer to this is the longest one you can afford, but staying in the real world I would suggest the 300mm f/4IS would be your best bet. You can add converters to make a 420/5.6 and if you wish, a 600/8, both with IS. The 400mm f/5.6 is cheaper but has no IS for those occasions when you might have to use handheld, or with only a monopod. The other best choice I would say is the 70-200/2.8 in either guise. > 2) Is IS on the Canon primes worth the extra money? IS is one of the reasons I just switched from Nikon to the EOS system. Imagine a situation where you have one long tele on a tripod (say a 500mm), but you wish to also employ a shorter lens for a wider view (say 300mm). The IS avoids your having to dismount and remount lenses as you change focal lengths. For stalking it also comes into its own. > 3) There seems to be a mixed reaction to using teleconvertors but as I can't > afford a very long lens currently I will probably have to make do with one > initially, so which one is better (optically or in any other way), the 1.4x > or the 2x? 1.4x converters are always better than more powerful ones IMO. Regards, Tim * **** ******* *********************************************************** * For list instructions, including unsubscribe, see: * http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/eos_list.htm ***********************************************************
