Yup, you have just bought the best digital SLR on the market, value vs price…..Nothing can beat the 450D. I haev previously commented to Merisa Du Plessis that if she cant afford the 450D, that she should not purchase the 350D, but rather hunt down a 400D. The 350D lacked some vital components, dust insulation being the most prominent issue.

About you lense question. The lens that the 450D comes with is great, as it is an original CANON. Without getting too technical about sensor size etc, as I ahev suggested before, you have to consider some issues, and prioritise them according to your needs.

1.Light Conditions : If you are going to take pics at functions, they may be at night, or in low light conditions, so the best would be to get a lens with a low F stop number, F2,8 is brilliant. Some lenses have an increasing F stop number as the lens is zoomed in, so if you had a lens with a 70mm to 200mm zoom range, the lens may start off at 2,8 at 70mm, but as you zoom to 200mm, the f stop could end up at 5,6….or what ever (all lenses are different) You do however get lenses that offer a 2,8 F-stop right through the entire zoom range, which is the best bet, but obviously more expensive.If this is your primary concern, then I would recommend you have a look at the new Tamron SP AF70-200 F/2.8 Di LD (IF) MACRO or the SIGMA 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG MACRO HSM II. These lens have a 77mm Filter Diameter (TAMRON), lets in enough light, so it will give you the speed you want in darker conditions. The F-stop is critical for the speed of the lens in low light conditions. The only problem with this lens is that you cant zoom in below 70mm, but that the sacrifice you have to make to get an F-stop of 2,8, RIGHT THROUGH THE LENS ZOOM RANGE!! These lenses are however not cheap, but you will be absolutely thrilled, and will NEVER regret the money you spent on it.(I personally like the look of the Sigma here.)

2. If you are always going to take foto’s in excellent, bright light, then the F stop would be less of a problem, and you could settle on a cheaper lens with a higher overall F-stop number. This would also allow you to get a lens with a larger zoom range, including rather wide zoom ranges also, which makes for a ideal lens if you only want to fit one lens and use it for all you foto’s. Here I suggest that you have a look at the Tamron 18-250mm. Theis lens have a very wide zoom range, so you can do close up’s, macro pictures, and go all the way up to 200mm zoom range, at the sacrifice of having a higher F-stop number though. So clearly this lens will not focus fast in low light conditions, and will probably give you many out of focus pictures, if used extensively in low light conditions. The great thing is that you can always use a flash (CANON EX430 = GOOD : CANON EX580 MK2 = EXCELLENT) with this lens for photo’s where the subject is some meters away from you (Distance = Flash specific), and you will get clear pictures at any time. The downside is that no flash will be of benefit if you are trying to take pictures of an object far away, as the flash light will not reach the object and surrounding area suffciently well.

PS : So the decision is about light, and your requirements. If you want a cheap lens that covers a very wide zoom range, but may need a flash is poor light conditions, the Tamron 18-250mm is your bet, in combination with the EX430MK2 Canon flash, which is very good and affordable, then it illiminates the poor light issue for closer subjetcs. There is however a few trick on how to use a flash correctly, if you need to know more, just ask.

If you want a lens that will be used only for Zoom applications, above 70mm, in good light conditions(Starts at around the max range of the lens you got with the 450D, so it will be a good match!)the I suggest the SIGMA 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG MACRO HSM II, it is however pricy, but not half as pricy as the original Canon equivalent, and just as good, if not better.

I hope this is not too confusing, and may be of some assistance to you.

Kind Regards,

Herman.

I have recently bought a Canon 450D with the standard lense it comes with. It is a brilliant camera no doubt about it. I mostly use it to shoot my children and office functions. The lense that I have is excellent for close-ups. Which lense would your recommend for good quality not close-up photos?