Hi

I have seen some negative comments about the quality of the pictures taken with Canon 28-80 mm EF II lens which is bundled with Rebel 2000. I agree with those and also found another suggestion about getting Canon 50mm 1.8 lens. Just thought to get another opinion before actually investing my money. Is it a good selection? How is the quality of this lens compared to 28-80 mm lens? Can I get a significant difference in quality of pictures by using this?

Regards George Mathew

-- George Mathew (george_mathew2k@yahoo.com), November 29, 2001

Answers

Yes. The 50 1.8 is very sharp and will cause very little distortion in your photos. You may not notice this in your 4x6 prints, so if you don't plan to make enlargements you my want the versatility of the zoom, but if you want the better quality glass, go with the 50. Also, with a 1.8 max aperture you are far more versitle when shooting without a flash indoors or overcast/evening situations than with the 3.5 - 5.6 range.

-- Derrick Morin (dmorin@oasisol.com), November 29, 2001.

i shoot for a newspaper primarily with my 28-80 on an ellan iie. it gives me the picture quality i require and versitility- except when shooting sports. then i have to switch over to my 50mm 1.8 and 135mm 2.8 for their speed. you should try to make your decision by asking yourself what you shoot, and how important is image quality. are you afriad of missing that once in a lifetime shot because your lens isn't long or wide enough?

-- jeff nakayama (moonduck22@hotmail.com), December 01, 2001.

The 50 is sharper, but less versatile.Most zooms have a sweet spot you'll have to find.Keep in mind that 1.8 is very shallow. If you enjoy depth, stay with the zoom.One more thing-I used the 28-80 zoom to shoot motocross and used iso400 fuji. At 8x10 the results were good.Choose both on your budget and needs.A "faster" lens sounds good, but test yours with different film speeds and apertures. The results are the only thing that can make up your mind.

-- JASON DURRANCE (BVJD@JUNO.COM), February 17, 2002.