Hello all! I am back for a more in depth photography post. I mentioned before that I had been searching for a new lens because unfortunately my other one malfunctioned due to sand getting into part of the zoom.
It is something I have been thinking about for a while but had planned on waiting until next year. I think the world wanted me to buy one sooner which I was not too happy about. However, after purchasing my new lens, I ultimately am happy with the result as I really like it and my image quality has improved so much.
Obviously I am nowhere near being an expert but I just wanted to give my opinion, being someone who is a keen photographer/beginner. I will include some comparison shots below also which will show in detail the difference in the quality and the general colour and clearness in each image.
My specific Canon camera has both the red dot and white square on the lens mount. The red circle on the lens mount means your camera will accept EF lenses. If it has both a red circle and a white square it will accept EF-S lenses as well. If you see a white circle it will accept only EF-M lenses.
Lens'
Tamron: 70- 300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD- Macro
My old lens was the Tamron 70-300mm and I purchased it around three years ago alongside my camera. I brought it from Jessops and was recommended this particular one from someone who worked there after explaining what kind of pictures I wanted to take. In hindsight I feel I should of completed more research but at the time I was fairly new to the world of photography and have learnt a lot since then. I trusted the advice from the staff at Jessops as I myself did not even know where to start.
I told them I was mostly into wildlife photography and that it was a hobby that I wanted to begin, and from that they advised the Tamron lens would be the perfect companion to the 18-55 kit lens that came with my camera. I was excited to begin shooting and for the last three years I have used that as my only zoom lens to capture all of my long shots.
For the first two years I did not know any different, I used it with no problem and carried it around wherever I went. It was only over the last year over lockdown where I really knuckled down with research and studying on photography, discovering so much more about lenses and the positive/negatives about them. There are so many different ones you can buy and without knowing much it can be really hard to choose out of such a variety.
I never really explored the Macro setting as I was apprehensive for no apparent reason... but I do plan to still use this lens on a Manual Focus as it is the Auto focus setting that has broken, as well as making the most of the Macro setting as that is something the other lens does not have. It cost me around the one hundred pound mark which for what I was hoping to do with it, seemed reasonable.
Pros of the Tamron lens
Cheap and cheerful for beginners.
Standard image quality.
Compatible with most cameras.
Easy to operate.
Sturdy.
Just an all round perfect lens for someone who is not too bothered with the sharpness of their images and is just using it for a hobby here and there.
Has a long range and can zoom in a good length for wildlife shots, although when at its maximum it can lose some of the quality.
It has a Macro setting for extreme close up photography.
Cons of the Tamron lens (after having it for three years)
It is very noisy when shooting, the noise coming from the camera trying to focus.
It takes a while to focus and sometimes the focus disappears even if you move slightly.
It is very heavy and bulky. It was only an issue for me because of my back I could not lug it around by myself, quite a disadvantage for me.
The image quality after comparing to my new one is certainly not as sharp or clear. Again I only noticed this when comparing and it did not bother me throughout the years as I still loved the pictures it produced.
The colour of the final images to me look dampened, like the vibrancy and true colours of the subject are not present.
Lens
Canon : EF 75-300MM F/4-5.6 III LENS
The new lens I purchased just over two weeks ago was an older and second-hand Canon 70-300mm zoom lens . I did tons of research and still was not entirely sure about which lens I should opt for. I also really wanted to buy a lens with an aperture of 1.8 ideally before the zoom one, but like I said above I was forced to sooner due to the unfortunate situation that occurred. I read many articles on the best lens for Canon 1300d cameras and while doing so, ensured I sourced ones that were written this year or at the minimum, last year. That way I was getting the most up to date information from people who know their stuff about cameras/lenses.
The best article I found was: Best Canon lens 2021. It included a variety of different lens for different prices which I liked because I was willing to pay up to 300 pounds for a new lens as most say it is best to double your money of your previous lens to get your moneys worth. That is what I had in mind when looking to buy my new lens.
Buying the lens
I wanted to actually visit a camera shop but there are not too many in my area and because Jessops has shut down, I actually went to another called London Camera Exchange. I previously went with my Grandad a while ago so I knew of them and that they sold new and second hand items. I went with an open mind and from all of the research I had a few lenses in my head that I would look out for.
I decided the complete opposite when I actually went to the shop! The staff member who we saw was not too helpful but I explained what I required and the old lens I had previously. He then recommended the Canon 30-700mm which was one of my chosen lenses that I had made a note of. I was quite wary that it was second-hand but I was assured that they vetted the cameras before accepting and I would also get a six month guarantee. Although, it was not on the receipt so lets hope if I need it that they actually follow through.....
I also had read thoroughly about that particular one online and discovered that the article did not state many disadvantages, so I was confident when purchasing that I knew enough about it, even though the guy was quite reserved. I will next time make more of an effort to ask more questions but when people are reserved themselves, it makes me feel the same way which is not a very good combination lol
Another reason why I was confident in the purchase of a second hand lens was because the shop I brought it from was well rated. My sister who also dabbles in photography and studies at college for it, was recommended the shop by one of her tutors for camera equipment. That heavily assured me that it indeed would be a good choice. They also gave me the time to test out the lens but I was rather anxious so did not really take advantage of that... seems silly now I think about it but at the time it felt like quite a lot of pressure. It is definitely a plus though if you live in the area and want a visit to the shop.
Pros of the Canon
Cheaper but in my opinion the best option as the newer version of the lens I got would of been 500 pounds which is quite a hefty sum; it just made sense after some thought as I am not really professional enough to afford spending 300 on a lens.
Extremely quiet when shooting.
Focuses quicker and is very sharp.
Is light so perfect for carrying around.
It may be second-hand but that does not always mean it will be not as good, the lens is in excellent condition.
You save money in the long run and I now have two zoom lens! In the end like I said I did not go with the budget of 300, I spent only 80 pound on the lens which when I thought about it was more productive. It does also gives me the opportunity to buy another for the same amount of money than if I was spent all the 300 on just one lens; I came to the conclusion that it is better value for money for what I need and therefore enables me to get two for price of one.
Cons of the Canon (after having it for a few weeks)
You have to be extremely careful not to move the camera when shooting as it can distort the focus.
It can lose focus just as quick as it focuses, something which I will have to get used too.
Is tough to get onto the lens mount, something I struggle with more because of the fact I have weak wrists. It also is not good if you want to chance lens quickly as it takes at least a minute to remove it.
The lighting adjusts differently to the old lens, it is often darker and I have to change the settings more to adapt to my surroundings more that the Tamron. This is not an issue for me, it just something to bear in mind when shooting.
Compared to the other lens it does not come with a Macro setting, something I am not bothered about but it is worth mentioning and a factor you may want to consider.
Something I mentioned in the pros/cons lists is that the Tamron has the Macro setting but the Canon does not. I have never tested it due to a lack of understanding of how it works, but I do plan to in the future when I research it properly. The reason for this is because I never really required it when shooting and only just found out how good it could be on my course but then arose the issues with the broken zoom! It is the next thing on my list that I want to experiment with.
I also understand I have not had the Canon for long at all but I feel my first impressions are the most important and you always get a feel for how good it is after using it a couple of times. There are still settings and certain things I have to get used too, but I would still say it is worth buying. The only other point I would say is that I would not of purchased it full price at 500, I would of looked for a cheaper version of it on several sites until I found one that was in my budget and if unsuccessful, I would of looked for an alternative.
I will give updates in the future after I have had it for a while.
Pictures
I will now include some example images of the same subjects taken with each lens that have been captured with the same settings on and in the same position. This way you can see for yourselves and can make your own decision on top of what I have already discussed. I would usually edit the pictures if something was not up to my standard eg. the exposure or certain colours were off. However, I am showing you them raw so you can really look at the details. Details which have not been changed since they were taken.
Close up shots
Lilies: taken on the Canon Lens.
Lilies: taken on the Tamron Lens.
Flowers: taken on the Canon Lens.
Flowers: taken on the Tamron Lens.
That is an an overview of both lenses and how I feel about the quality and effectiveness of them when taking close ups. I like both but slightly prefer the newer one. I think it is just a better version of the Tamron and just feels like a step up in terms of sharpness and quality of images it produces. There is not a massive difference but certain aspects in the images on the Canon are clearer, along with the colour of the images also coming out better in the end. The Canon just overall rounds off as a step up from the Tamron.
Long shots
I am now going to include two different long shots for comparison.
Geese: taken on the Canon Lens.
Geese: taken on the Tamron Lens.
Monument to Thomas Coke, Earl of Leicester: taken on the Canon Lens.
Monument to Thomas Coke, Earl of Leicester: taken on the Tamron Lens.
These last four pictures were taken at Holkham Hall and the flowers were captured in my garden :)
That is an an overview of both lenses and how I feel about the quality and effectiveness of them when taking long shots. I believe that there is not too much difference as the changing of the lens results in a slight change of positioning, meaning that I could be focusing on a different parts compared to what I focused on with the previous lens. For example, the Tamron' second image shows the birds in the foreground more clearly, whereas on the Canon' second image the high ground is more in focus with the foreground blurred. Both create different visuals and this is because the slight movement of my position meant it is not possible to attain the same end result.
The long shots also can be different depending on the lighting, factors in the image that may have altered and also my ability.
In conclusion, the Canon certainly is better for close up shots but when it comes to long shots I would say there can be a lot that impacts them so its hard to pick out any prominent differences. I would say depending on the budget if you want to buy brand new, the Tamron is the perfect zoom lens for your needs because otherwise the Canon retails for a couple of hundred more. However, if you would like to purchase second-hand there is really no difference in the price ( depending on where you look, make sure you do a lot of research) so I would opt for the Canon because I find that I have more confidence in the general use of it, so because of that I would say you might as well purchase the better quality one. Either lens in my opinion are a perfect addition to your collection but for me the cons outweigh the pros for the Canon and I am more than happy with my purchase.
Wow! That was a long post but I really enjoyed discussing the lenses because photography really is a passion of mine. I may capture some motion photography and discuss that in one of my next posts, just depends if we get the weather for it!
I hope you got some handy advice from your time here or at least a good read :) Stay safe and well, Lucy xoxoxoxo
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