need help choosing 1 of 2 lens

[inferno]

Originally Posted by ve2vfd

Other than price, one of it's big plusses is that the front element does not rotate... thats pretty important when you use a polarizer!

By the way, check out cameracanada.com (or their brick and mortar store "Forest City Image Center" on Dundas), the DA 50-200 is $169can there. It's $199 at Henrys.

Pat

sweet thanks for the find! do you have the exact store location ?

ps noob question what do you mean by polarizers?? i know polarized sunglasses have like a mirror finish where you can see a reflection on one side.

[ve2vfd]

They are at 217 Dundas in London 519-661-0325. You may wanna call them first to make sure they have the same prices in store as online.

A very basic explanation is that a polarizer eliminates certain reflections and "aligns" the light coming into the camera. You have to turn it to ajust how the light comes in (which is why a non-rotating front element is important!), and when you get it just right you get nice dramatic effects like a deep blue sky, or eliminate reflections on water, snow or thru glass.

Here is an example:



Pat

[inferno]

unfortunately that's to far for me , i guess i'll have to get the 55-200mm at Henry's

[inferno]

HENRYS DOES PRICE MATCHING!!!!!

im gonna go buy it now, get it price matched from cameracanada for 169.99 instead of 199.99 !!!

[k100d]

too bad you didn't need it earlier. henry's had it for 149 a while back

[Stratman]

Originally Posted by Ailurophile

Is the Tamron 70-300 that much larger/heavier than the DA 55-200? I'm in the same boat as the original poster (photography novice, just picked up a k200d...) and I'll be traveling to Australia in a couple weeks and need a telephoto lense to complement the 18-55 II kit lens. Obivously lighter and smaller is better for my immediate needs, but I'm wondering if I'll miss the extra range of the larger lens.

I have never used the DA 50-200, but I do have the Tamron, and for a 70-300 zoom, it isn't that heavy. I have used mine quite a bit, and took a walk through the woods with it for several hours, and it didn't weigh me down at all. Here are some of the photos from that walk, most of the shots were with the Tamron, and a few with the Kit lens

Babler Park Hike 5-4-08 - a set on Flickr

[kjao]

Originally Posted by Ailurophile

Is the Tamron 70-300 that much larger/heavier than the DA 55-200? I'm in the same boat as the original poster (photography novice, just picked up a k200d...) and I'll be traveling to Australia in a couple weeks and need a telephoto lense to complement the 18-55 II kit lens. Obivously lighter and smaller is better for my immediate needs, but I'm wondering if I'll miss the extra range of the larger lens.

Yes, Tamron (and Sigma) 70-300 is relatively bigger/heavier than DA50-200. I used to have the Tamron (non-Di version), DA50-200 and now Sigma 70-300. I sold the Tamron 70-300 (non-di) because it was bulky and PF. I sold the DA50-200 because I needed a little further reach. I bought Sigma 70-300 instead of DA55-300 because Sigma is significantly cheaper.

cheers
Kenny

[inferno]

i checked at visitek, cameracanada and henry's, henry's does price match and cameracanada has it for 169$, are there any other stores i should check out?? im going to go buy it in about an hour i got held up and didnt have enough time yesterday

[k100d]

downtown camera is close to yonge and queen too
www.downtowncamera.com