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General discussion

Both lenses?

by deineria Feb 18, 2010 11:59AM PST

I just bought the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 lens on ebay, and I wonder. . .I'd had the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 in my cart on amazon, too, but I saved it for later after I won the above. Would I really still have a need for it or will the 70-200mm accomplish enough that the EF 50mm wouldn't get much use? Some people suggested in another thread I had it wouldn't be needed it I bought the 70-200mm f2.8.

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4 Posts
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no you still need it
by kalel33-20416052469708587370302374692233 Feb 18, 2010 12:36PM PST

It'll work great for shots inside of homes where a 70-200mm is too long for those instances. Also a question, did you make sure to buy the most recent Sigma 70-200 F2.8 HSM. There is a difference between them and the newer one is better.

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Not sure
by deineria Feb 19, 2010 2:35AM PST

I won it on ebay for $520, but I do not know if it is the newer version. How would I tell?
The auction stated:
"Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 APO EX HSM -
This lens has seen little usage and is only being replaced because I just purchased a new Canon 70-200. It is in excellent condition."
That was it, but since the least expensive used option for over $700 on amazon, I bid and won it at the last minute.

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That's the older one
by kalel33-20416052469708587370302374692233 Feb 19, 2010 7:20AM PST

But you got a decent deal on it. I think that's why it went so low. The new one is the 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG APOMacro HSM II. It came out in 2008. Your lens should work just fine. The newer one is better but it doesn't make the old one bad.

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lens purchase
by hjfok Feb 18, 2010 4:50PM PST

You should probably try out the new lens and see whether it is what you hope for. Then you can decide whether your next purchase will be another wide aperture zoom with wide angle to normal perspective, or a 50mm prime. I find a wide aperture general purpose zoom to be more useful and flexible than a 50mm prime, but it costs more.

But if you find f/2.8 is not fast enough for you, then a 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 may be a better choice for you. I prefer the 50mm f/1.4 which has better image quality and build than the 50mm f/1.8 lens.

I have the 50mm f/1.4 lens and like its image quality and sharpness. But I use the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS and EF 24-105mm f/4L IS far more often than the 50mm lens. The 50mm lens is often not wide enough for night scenery. And f/2.8 is generally adequate for most of my photos.

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