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AdamRock

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 30, 2010
712
1
Toronto
Which lens would be suitable for taking pictures of the moon and stuff...preferably lenses that are somwhat "cheap"
 
Which lens would be suitable for taking pictures of the moon and stuff...preferably lenses that are somwhat "cheap"

What's your list of things in the night sky to shoot?

Honestly the 55-250 kit lens are enough to take shots of the moon and the 18-55 kit lens for wide field astrophotography shots, + study tripod and wireless remote.

Majority of my shots here were taken with those 2, I've also used the 50mm prime f1.4 for some shots, aperture rules for light gathering!

Of course, once you've gone thru the "take moon shots/M31/Milky way/etc phase", then you have to ask yourself "what more do I want to do"?

Depending on that answer many paths to choose.
 
I picked up a cheap ($90 or so) Canon EF 75-300mm II lens to see how it fared for moon photography. I was really satisfied with it. Unfortunately this compressed jpeg doesn't do it justice. Shooting in RAW, this photo was very sharp:

5162289319_9c73998a9c_z.jpg
 
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Going cheap will only lead to replacing in the future. Buy right the first time..

Not everyone has thousands of dollars to invest in "L" glass, particularly for a hobby. I'd advise trying out and buying the best you can afford OR buying the lens that gives you the best result based on what you can afford to spend.
 
I picked up a cheap ($90 or so) Canon EF 75-300mm II lens to see how it fared for moon photography. I was really satisfied with it. Unfortunately this compressed jpeg doesn't do it justice. Shooting in RAW, this photo was very sharp:


thanks for the advice!! but i think im going to stick with the 55-250 mainly because i dont want a gap between lens (i have the 18-55 so the 55-250 fits perfectly)

also im a MAGOR amateur when it comes to photograpghy so i was told that lens is very good for a variety of things.
 
Going cheap will only lead to replacing in the future. Buy right the first time..

That can be weighed against not having the shots until you can afford it. However, in this case, for a specific set of shots that aren't likely to be done over, the OP should consider renting something nice and long.

Paul
 
thanks for the advice!! but i think im going to stick with the 55-250 mainly because i dont want a gap between lens (i have the 18-55 so the 55-250 fits perfectly)

also im a MAGOR amateur when it comes to photograpghy so i was told that lens is very good for a variety of things.

Welcome to the amateur's club! No doubt the 55-250 is a good lens for us amateurs. I would have bought one was I not trying to squeeze as much focal length out of a lens as possible on a budget. Enjoy that lens!
 
Check out this page for a good (albeit somewhat outdated) list of telephoto lenses for Canon SLRs. They list everything from cheap to very expensive. They also mention using a telescope, which can be a cheap alternative. You would need a T-mount for Canon EOS and an eyepiece adapter though.

If you are going to photograph the moon, focal length is your friend. Even a 300mm lens isn't going to fill the frame with the moon. I would recommend a lens that can do 400mm or higher. There are some used Sigma telephoto lenses on eBay (like this one for example) that would fit the bill nicely.

As Compuwar above states, lens rentals are also an option. Here is a place that rents lenses online, and from what I hear they are reputable.
 
Not everyone has thousands of dollars to invest in "L" glass, particularly for a hobby. I'd advise trying out and buying the best you can afford OR buying the lens that gives you the best result based on what you can afford to spend.

Neither do I, and it is a hobby for me also. I have been taking photos for less than a year. I just know for me, it was a lot more hassle having to buy a 55-250, realizing it wasn't that great, having to sell it and then just buy the 70-200 L before I was happy.
 
Which lens would be suitable for taking pictures of the moon and stuff...preferably lenses that are somwhat "cheap"

btw, I did sell my kit lens, however I do stand by my assertion that for what you call "cheap", being less than $400 in my viewpoint is cheap, the kit 55-250 IS can't be beat, $150 - 200 used.

Here is my "best" with that lens
24.jpg



To get better than that you need reach, say 400mm or more - that costs $k's, not $100's via camera + lens.
Even my brand new 70-200 L IS mkII with 1.4 TC (280mm equiv) produces only "this", good but still too much pixel peeping and not enough reach.
IMG_1348.jpg


Possible when the 2.0 TC mkIII is released then I'll have 580mm reach, but of course not just for moon shots either.

as Paul said, renting or finding a friend to borrow a big lens is alternative option.
 
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