Is it every Canon user (pro, hobbyist ) want to own a white L lens?

[tecnica]

buying lenses is such a headache!

if only i have the cash to buy them all!

@anson, i had a 85/f1.8 which i just sold away because i find that i only use it on special occasions when i need the absolute sharpness and isolation. come to think of it, i'm getting a bit head over heels over the 135L and overlooked the reason why i gave up the 85. i think i only use it less than 30 times? now i wonder if i buy the 135L, will it suffer the same fate or not.

 

[raydio]

buying lenses is such a headache!

if only i have the cash to buy them all!

@anson, i had a 85/f1.8 which i just sold away because i find that i only use it on special occasions when i need the absolute sharpness and isolation. come to think of it, i'm getting a bit head over heels over the 135L and overlooked the reason why i gave up the 85. i think i only use it less than 30 times? now i wonder if i buy the 135L, will it suffer the same fate or not.

Hmmm.... Both the 85L and 135L are within the focal length of the 70-200mm! I think you've answered your own question. Making a mistake once is bad enough, making a mistake twice...

Buy the 70-200L first. When the time comes and you have the money, then buy the 135L. Both are great lenses. Like the 135L, the 70-200L is also a lens with very few faults, but the 70-200 has so much more versatility.

 

[tecnica]

reason for me wanting to buy the 135L is because i wanted something with longer reach and better IQ which the 85/f1.8 struggles to provide, with it's omg colour fringing at wide opened. and since i already am accustomed to fast aperture, i want the next lens to be as fast too. the 135L's bokeh is superb, no need to mention it also.

70-200L has always been on my list also(side by side with 135L and 580EXII), just that at times the f4.0 will be too slow for certain applications. actually i find that f2.8 can somewhat be slow also, based on my 17-55 and this is when the primes will shine. BUT i find the IS very very useful because it eliminates the variables on my side and let me focus on getting the moment when the subject has less movement. coupled with sample variance(shooting short burst and picking the best), i can somewhat get around the slower f4.0 aperture.

haha, i am full of reasoning.

 

[nathaniel]

reason for me wanting to buy the 135L is because i wanted something with longer reach and better IQ which the 85/f1.8 struggles to provide, with it's omg colour fringing at wide opened. and since i already am accustomed to fast aperture, i want the next lens to be as fast too. the 135L's bokeh is superb, no need to mention it also.

70-200L has always been on my list also(side by side with 135L and 580EXII), just that at times the f4.0 will be too slow for certain applications. actually i find that f2.8 can somewhat be slow also, based on my 17-55 and this is when the primes will shine. BUT i find the IS very very useful because it eliminates the variables on my side and let me focus on getting the moment when the subject has less movement. coupled with sample variance(shooting short burst and picking the best), i can somewhat get around the slower f4.0 aperture.

haha, i am full of reasoning.

since i went through a similar thought process not to long ago (135L + 1.4 extender was one of the options i was looking at when i was considering the 70-200/f4L IS which i have now), here are some of my thoughts:

travel photography: 70-200 (unless its a dedicated photography trip & u are not traveling with a group so you can take your own sweet time)
birds/animals: 70-200 with option for 1.4 extender.
events/weddings/concerts & shows: 135L (add monopod if you are worried about no IS). for me, f/4 is a little slow, maybe your hit rate will be 50% plus or minus a bit. for slow focusing of the 70-200, if the subjects don't move much, you can set the * button for your AF so that you only need to focus once per series of shots.
formula 1: 135L
NDP/airshows/...: 70-200 with optional 1.4 extender
portraits: 135L (70-200 also has nice bokeh especially at 200mm/f4, the question is whether this is good enough for you)
shooting small objects (e.g. big flowers): not much difference - 70-200 has .21x, 135L is .19x however, the 70-200 has IS.
indoor sports: 135L
outdoor sports / children running around: 135L if the subject position is fixed, 70-200 if the subject position keeps on changing (e.g. soccer, basketball).

*for travel photography/birds/animals/NDP/airshow, the 70-300 may be a better choice than the 70-200 + 1.4 extender (which costs about the same), but you lose the f/4 at the further end of the zoom - it will be slightly more difficult to shoot indoor events/concerts/weddings at f/4.5-f/5.6. constant f/4 aperture also makes it easy to shoot manual at f/4. if not for these 2 reasons, I would have thought the 70-200 is neither here nor there, might as well get the 70-300L.

some other observations in my own experience of the 70-200 that you may want to think about:
- i seem to be primarily using it at only 2 focal lengths: 70mm and 200mm with very few shots in between (am using 17-55 + 70-200 combination for travel photography). this might be due to my personal style, though.
- slow indoor focusing (compared to my 17-55), probably due to the f/4 aperture

haha, i am full of reasoning.

oops, so am i

 

[larlarloo]

Resist I must, this thread. It's really nice to read all the opinions of the users n I'd love to own them one day. So far I've tried borrowing the 70-200II n I'm amazed at it! It's super sharp wide open n the focussing speed when paired with 7D is awesome! I can get my distant snapshot within 1sec, from raising shoot n down. One day I will...

 

[tecnica]

@nathaniel,

thanks for the great insight.

till date, i still cant convince myself to pay nearly 2k for the variable aperture 70-300L, further more i really dislike the extending barrel of the lens. but i must say that the 70-300L does offer good focal length which at times can tempt my mind.

i'm more concern with travel photography, portraits(indoor, outdoor) and streets. current street price of the 70-200 f4L IS is still at around $1.8k? any idea?

 

[tecnica]

i'll be going to HK in nov, wondering if i should hoot my lens there.

checked out the price list:
http://rolandlim.wordpress.com/2009/03/20/camera-lens-street-price-list/

HKD10,000 for the 70-200L f4 IS which equates to SGD$1560 with exchange rate of 6.4. that's like a whole $300 cheaper than local set($1800-ish), while local 2nd hand ones cost $1300-$1600 also.

i have heard of tin cheung and wing shing too, just wondering if they can be trusted?
http://www.tvxb.com/billd/HK/HK shopping-cameras.html

advisable? warranty wise, i'm a bit undecided but if the price is right, i may just bite the bullet.

 

[IsenGrim]

a little late to reply to the thread title, but

i dont have any white lenses and I don't think im interested in any of them at the moment.
Or maybe, just maybe the 200f2

24f1.4 is still my next target...

 

[raydio]

i'll be going to HK in nov, wondering if i should hoot my lens there.

checked out the price list:
http://rolandlim.wordpress.com/2009/03/20/camera-lens-street-price-list/

HKD10,000 for the 70-200L f4 IS which equates to SGD$1560 with exchange rate of 6.4. that's like a whole $300 cheaper than local set($1800-ish), while local 2nd hand ones cost $1300-$1600 also.

i have heard of tin cheung and wing shing too, just wondering if they can be trusted?
http://www.tvxb.com/billd/HK/HK shopping-cameras.html

advisable? warranty wise, i'm a bit undecided but if the price is right, i may just bite the bullet.

In my opinion Hong Kong is one of the best places to buy camera equipment other than a couple of mega-stores in New York. Hong Kong has no taxes and is very competitive. There are only a few stores in Mong Kok and Stanley Street on Hong Kong Island that I would consider for best prices and good reputation. Any other place and you stand the possibility of getting cheated. Shops along Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Chui are definitely to be avoided. The only problem is that the warranty is local to Hong Kong and China. The link you provided lists some of the stores that are reputable. Broadway and Fortress are reputable but they are large electronic stores like Harvey Norman... prices are a little higher usually reflecting list price. Bargaining may be possible at some stores but is limited.

 

[tecnica]

In my opinion Hong Kong is one of the best places to buy camera equipment other than a couple of mega-stores in New York. Hong Kong has no taxes and is very competitive. There are only a few stores in Mong Kok and Stanley Street on Hong Kong Island that I would consider for best prices and good reputation. Any other place and you stand the possibility of getting cheated. Shops along Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Chui are definitely to be avoided. The only problem is that the warranty is local to Hong Kong and China. The link you provided lists some of the stores that are reputable. Broadway and Fortress are reputable but they are large electronic stores like Harvey Norman... prices are a little higher usually reflecting list price. Bargaining may be possible at some stores but is limited.

hmmm, will consider your words.

think if i really wanna buy, i will go for TC or WS. harvey norman-ish stores just don't interest me as per experience in singapore, haha.

i email TC, waiting for them to reply me with the price.

anyway you said that HK has no taxes means no tax rebate liao? pay money upfront that's it? nothing to claim back at airport?

 

[raydio]

hmmm, will consider your words.

think if i really wanna buy, i will go for TC or WS. harvey norman-ish stores just don't interest me as per experience in singapore, haha.

i email TC, waiting for them to reply me with the price.

anyway you said that HK has no taxes means no tax rebate liao? pay money upfront that's it? nothing to claim back at airport?

Correct. Zero taxes... nothing to claim at the airport... no fuss, no head-ache.

I would also advise you to go 4 or 5 reputable shops in Mong Kok. They are all walking distance from one another. That way, you can get prices from each which will provide you with bargaining power. DC Fever usually provides fairly competitive prices. They are also located in Mong Kok in one of the computer centres (not the main Mong Kok Computer Centre but another one that is close by - walking distance). There are a few other photo shops in this computer centre also. But the ones that you listed in your post above are the mains one and are all considered reputable.

I think that you'll find most of the information you need about Hong Kong from this valuable link:

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/threads/635497-Hong-Kong-Camera-Gears-Shopping-Guide

Happy shopping!

 

[sinned79]

i'll be going to HK in nov, wondering if i should hoot my lens there.

checked out the price list:
http://rolandlim.wordpress.com/2009/03/20/camera-lens-street-price-list/

HKD10,000 for the 70-200L f4 IS which equates to SGD$1560 with exchange rate of 6.4. that's like a whole $300 cheaper than local set($1800-ish), while local 2nd hand ones cost $1300-$1600 also.

i have heard of tin cheung and wing shing too, just wondering if they can be trusted?
http://www.tvxb.com/billd/HK/HK shopping-cameras.html

advisable? warranty wise, i'm a bit undecided but if the price is right, i may just bite the bullet.

if u are going HK, dun wait already, its a must buy when u go there! u can refer to the HK consumer guide in this forum for other reputable shops. I have nice experience with Citicall too.

 

[tecnica]

if u are going HK, dun wait already, its a must buy when u go there! u can refer to the HK consumer guide in this forum for other reputable shops. I have nice experience with Citicall too.

i'm reading the thread now, very very tempted!

70-200L f4 IS hk grey set only HKD8610(ok edit, i realised 9000+ is the normal price)??? SGD$1350!!!
http://www.price.com.hk/search.php?g=&q=Canon+EF+70-200mm+f/4L+IS+USM

even if it is SGD1450 i also don't mind! i might just get the 580EXII over there too~ but flash gun still got intl warranty?

 

[sinned79]

i'm reading the thread now, very very tempted!

70-200L f4 IS hk grey set only HKD8610(ok edit, i realised 9000+ is the normal price)??? SGD$1350!!!
http://www.price.com.hk/search.php?g=&q=Canon+EF+70-200mm+f/4L+IS+USM

even if it is SGD1450 i also don't mind! i might just get the 580EXII over there too~ but flash gun still got intl warranty?

from what i heard, flash still got international warranty.

i am thinking of getting a CZ 21mm in my next HK trip (maybe next year). Then sell off my 17-40

 

[tecnica]

from what i heard, flash still got international warranty.

i am thinking of getting a CZ 21mm in my next HK trip (maybe next year). Then sell off my 17-40

hopefully so.

HKD now quite weak against SGD, time to shop! just checked my hotel address, so near to mongkok area sia, where all the cam shops are.

 

[raydio]

I have nice experience with Citicall too.

Yes, I've shopped at Citicall too. They have a nice shop in Mong Kok. Sometimes they have the best price on a certain item and sometimes not. It pays to shop and walk from shop to shop in Mong Kok.

 

[tecnica]

Yes, I've shopped at Citicall too. They have a nice shop in Mong Kok. Sometimes they have the best price on a certain item and sometimes not. It pays to shop and walk from shop to shop in Mong Kok.

citicall just beside wing shing, no harm walking over to check the stuffs also.

but echo is like 2 MTR stops away, hmm.. jordan -> tsim tsa tsui

 

[nathaniel]

@nathaniel,

thanks for the great insight.

till date, i still cant convince myself to pay nearly 2k for the variable aperture 70-300L, further more i really dislike the extending barrel of the lens. but i must say that the 70-300L does offer good focal length which at times can tempt my mind.

i'm more concern with travel photography, portraits(indoor, outdoor) and streets. current street price of the 70-200 f4L IS is still at around $1.8k? any idea?

no problem. canon recently discounted the 70-200 by about US$50 (I think it maybe because the 70-300L is cannibalizing its market share), so I got mine for about ~SGD1550, roughly the same as the Hong Kong price you mention. while sometimes i'm tempted by the 70-300, I remind myself of the fixed aperture: shooting manual or indoor at f/4 and the bokeh at 200mm/f4 for portraits. furthermore, the 70-300 doesn't accept canon-branded extenders--the 70-200 will accept the new 1.4 Ex III, which from the sample shots on digital-picture seems to have hardly noticeable drop in quality (the only problem is 70-200 plus this extender is more ex than 70-300L, so have to wait a while for price to drop). for travel photography, i find that 200mm is enough reach except for wildlife/safari. indoor portraits with the 70-200/4 of my baby is quite manageable--while tight, I usually just have to wait for the appropriate moment.

 

[whalewhale]

I am still relatively new in the usage of the Canon lens 135 F2 L. When I first try my hand on it, I am rather shock to see my picture - Blur and not sharp. Kind
of disappointed with the 135 F2 after hearing all the good stuff of the lens. At one stage I even thought of sending the 135mm for calibration

But after a while and looking at my own short coming.. I realised that i have been using tamron 17 - 50mm lens non VC and EF 85mm 1.8 on my 40D ( no problem with it) and to change to a slightly heavier lens and longer prime, I find it a challenge - less hand holdable.

Before, I use 1/60, 1/100, 1/125 shutter speed for my 135mm but now I try to use at least 1/160 and 1/200 shutter speed for my pic using 135mm on my Canon 40D. The result is much better and Im still trying to steady my hand to reduce the camera shake. At times, I will increase my iso to 200 or 800 depending on the situation.

I m not sure if it is true if I used a FF camera like 5D, it will be better to improve the hand holdable of the 135mm F2. It seem to me that on the FF camera, 135mm is easier to use compare to a crop camera like 40D.

After overcoming the initial usage of the 135mm lens, I really appreciate the power of this lens - Sharp and really give a 3D kind of effect on the portrait. Amazing and wonderful lens!

Just sharing my little experience with the Canon 135mm F2. Thks.

 

[Lionheart86]

White? Probably yes and no. 'L'? Hell Yes!!