What is the best Canon telephoto and macro lens??

Question

I purchased a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi and I want to go all out and buy ONE great lens. I want super mind-blowing macro and telephoto so I can get amazing photos of flowers and bugs and also things like the moon or other things that happen to be farther away. Is there such a lens?? If not, what would be the best macro and telephoto lens (separately)?

Answer 1

Congrats on your new camera.

The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro is a great lens it's modestly priced at about $500 ..

The Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L macro is their most expensive dedicated macro at about $1300

You mention shooting the moon and things further away, there are a flew lens which would fit into what you want to do.  But they are rather expensive.

One to consider is the:

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM .. that is about $4000

If you want to spend a bit less, consider the,

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM .. it's about $1600 and with the Canon 2x converter on the crop sensor of the XSi you should get some rather good wildlife and moon shots.

Answer 2

Great choice of a camera!

Now, how much do you want to spend? Cameras come and go, but optics usually are on a "you get what you pay for" and light doesn't change, so a good lens will last you longer than your camera will.

the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM is a good choice- If you want the best go with the f2.8 rather than the smaller-sized, cheaper, f4.0, it has good reviews if you're willing to part with $1500+. These are the white lenses you see the pros shooting at sport events with.

On the lower price range, try Sigma or Tamron. I own 3 Sigma lenses and find them to be among my best lenses (I can't afford L glass, but have used them before - I'll get to that in a bit) the latest Sigma 70-200 is supposed to be pretty good, but no image stabilization, and it's not out for the Canon yet. It'll give you some time to save up the 800 bones or so it costs.

and for criminy's sake, use a lens hood! it protects your lens and enhances the contrast !

If you want to make a careful decision, go to your local camera shop and rent a lens, if you can. It's not too expensive, and will let you practice for a day or two to figure out whether you really like the lens for what you want to use it for.

Good luck.

Answer 3

I also have the XSi (450D). I didn't buy the kit lens, but an 85mm f/1.8 prime and a 17-50mm f/2.8 lens. Unfortunately, there's no such thing as ONE great lens that will do it all.

For Macro, I would recommend the excellent, EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro. It's super sharp and rates very well. It also makes a great portrait lens.

For telephoto, I would recommend the EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM. It's a great lens with the added benefit of image stabilization. It's a lot cheaper and lighter than the f/2.8 version and makes a great choice, especially for shooting in good lighting.

Or for super telephoto, the EF 100-400mm f4-5.5 L IS USM is a great choice.

I wouldn't recommend the cheap, EF 70-300mm lens...it's not the best.