[sweet_sac]

SIGMA 28 - 90mm MACRO ?

There's one going on ebay just now,I dont have any other lenses and just wondered if anybody has used this before?

Thanks!

[Dave]

Must admit I haven't heard much about this lens . Remember unless the lens has a "Buy it Now" price , the price wil inevitably shoot up in the last few minutes of auction.

[Foxesbrew]

What i make of lenses on E Bay is that it is a good place to sell but a bad place to buy. the prices seem to reach close to discount prices from other sources.

[Rob Barron]

I agree partly with foxes on this one. Watch the price and don't go mad. I have saved literally thousands of pounds buying lenses on Ebay so I don't agree that you shouldn't buy them on there but I definitely know a lot of people see a lens and forget to check out the cost of one new so they end up paying more than necessary.

A good example was when i sold my Canon 75-300mm USM lens which was one year old though in perfect condition (I treat my lenses like babies!) but the point is I only paid £129 for the lens brand new. I put it on Ebay because I had bought a 100-400mm L series.... says it all!

The first couple of days it went up slowly. The last day I thought, great, i am going to get back half what I paid (perfectly reasonable in my book) as it was on £65. With 15 minutes to go it was on £78 and I was delighted. Then it just went ridiculous. It finished on £124, just £5 less than I had paid a year before! I sent it to the guy and he gave me lovely feedback and even a letter telling me how delighted he was with his new lens... so I guess we were both happy :o)

So set your top limit after checking at parkcameras.com as they are a good price mark in the UK. You could also check onestop-digital.com as they are great prices based in HK but very reliable and trustworthy.

I can't find a price for the lens you mentioned so I am guessing it has been discontinued. The closest I could find is the Sigma 24-70mm Macro which is £229

Hope that gives you some idea. I make it a general rule to not go above 60% of the new price for a cheaper lens and not above 75% of new for an expensive lens. In reality I have usually paid much less.

Cheers,
Rob

[sweet_sac]

Thanks for the insight Rob. I didn't make any bids in the end because I was just looking and pondering a purchase for the sake of it really. These things happen around exam time!

After seeing Dave's mono pictures he posted the other day I am now thinking the sigms 10-20mm could be a stunning lens to get!

There's just so much choice isnt there? Ideally a 10mm-400mm 100% sharp lens capable of 1:1 macro would be perfect lol.

But seriously, im thinking i either go for something with a bit of range or something like the Sigma...*ponders*

[water]

Originally Posted by sweet_sac

Thanks for the insight Rob. I didn't make any bids in the end because I was just looking and pondering a purchase for the sake of it really. These things happen around exam time!

After seeing Dave's mono pictures he posted the other day I am now thinking the sigms 10-20mm could be a stunning lens to get!

There's just so much choice isnt there? Ideally a 10mm-400mm 100% sharp lens capable of 1:1 macro would be perfect lol.

But seriously, im thinking i either go for something with a bit of range or something like the Sigma...*ponders*

Maybe the question to ask is,if money is tight, what are my photographic aims.What type of photography do I do most and what size [and quality] print is acceptable to you.
In the past I spent a bit more on wide angle lenses [as I mostly do landscapes] and got a cheaper end 70-200/70-300 type lens later.
As a newbie to Digital,and Canon,I bought a Sigma 18-125 lens and it does a good enough job of what I ask of it.By no means a great lens,it would be great to have 'the best',but A4 prints look ok and I have read of A3 being adequate too.
Define your aims and take it from there?

[sweet_sac]

Yeah I'm just not sure what I want to start taking photographs of yet.

Definitely not portraits, because I dont know anybody that would let me take lots of photographs of them posing!

I should have a better idea at the end of the month because I will be able to get out & about with my camera then. Im stuck indoors just now and seem to have lost some inspiration......

[Rob Barron]

Sweet, don't even think about what type of pictures you want to take: that is irrelevant in the early stages, i promise you. I love wildlife and macro but I didn't specialise on those for years and years. It means I am competent in a range of pictures even if I am not an expert in one area.

There is plenty of time to target your photography when you have had a lengthy 'play' and see what you get a feel for most. Sure some of us have now got very expensive specialist lenses but let me assure you, at least for myself, I didn't own a single L series lens until less than three years ago so for the previous 35 years, I took pictures with a reasonable degree of success using lenses that ranged from the 'not bad' to 'cheap and almost nasty'.

You can set yourself up with a telephoto lens very simply, doesn't need to be expensive. You can do macro using close-up filters which you can by for your main lens for less than £20.

Just remember, it is not the lens or the camera but the person in control of them

I promise you, if you keep reading on here, keep looking at pictures and learning about what makes a good and less good picture, and then go on out there and let your eye pick up on the many shapes, forms, angles, lines and so forth that might make a picture. If you think it might, snap it and see! Nobody on this board is ever going to pour scorn on anyone's photos, no matter what. We are here to help each other, support and encourage each other and perhaps along the way offer a thought or two that might prove constructive :o)

Cheers,
Rob

[Foxesbrew]

You can set yourself up with a telephoto lens very simply, doesn't need to be expensive. You can do macro using close-up filters which you can by for your main lens for less than £20.
I agree with Robs comment. Igot a set from Ebay ,less than £20 including postage.
Fox close up filters +1, +2 ,+4 &+!0.I am pleased with them.
The shot reflections in a brass door knob in my gallery was taken using them.
The actual dtameter of the knob is 1 inch.

[sweet_sac]

Thanks for the info again guys, invaluable as ever.

Just a quick Q, what do you mean by setting up a telephoto lens 'very simply' ?

I'll get out and about at the end of Jan and try and take some photos and get them up here for c&c!

I just had 3 exams in 3 days so my previous stress levels have decreased a little!