Digtial Camera Equipment

homejames

I'm looking to invest in a new lens for my digital camera (canon 450d). I was really hopingt o pick one up in a sale, but these kind of products don't seem to be getting discounted at the moment.

Does anyone know of a retailer who is discounting camera lenses at the moment?

thanks in advance

isplumm

Hi,

Well, I used Amazon to buy my lenses recently as they were the cheapest around ...

Mark

trcooke

I also tend to use Amazon for new lenses. The prices do fluctuate a bit so what I do is put the lens that I want in my basket and then move it to 'save for later'. I check the basket every day and it tells you whether the price of any of your items has changed. For example, the 60mm Macro lens was reduced from ~£370 down to ~£290 over the space of a week. For someone like me who has access to the internet daily it's a system that works well.


ebay is also a good place to pick up good lenses at reduced prices particularly if you look for slightly older lenses that are not the latest 'must haves'. For example you can get a Canon 35-105mm EF lens for around £50 - £70. While not being the latest and greatest lens I have read some beaming review about it with some people saying the optics are nearly up to L standards! A bargain for sure.

What kind of lens are you looking for anyway?

f1charlie

This is a useful site for finding lowest prices:

http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/cat5.html

Unfortunately Canon and Nikon have been putting up prices recently, so the best time for buying would have been last year! Anyone got a time machine?

althas

I just recently bought a 105mm sigma EX DG Macro lens for my 400d and every retailer i spoke to said that generally prices have gone up massively in the last couple of months due to weak £ they said. So I hope you can find the last of the bargains. But be careful, I found a site or two with cheap lenses, but after very careful research I decided to steer WELL clear of them. Is it worh the extra £20 or £30 to buy form a reputible place, for me it is

What lens you after btw?

ccsurvival

A great investment is the 50mm F1.8

It has gone up by about £20 since i got mine, but at £80 or so, its a steal.

Look up its reviews on amazon. Great photos for a fraction of the price and will help you with your photography as you have to think more about positioning

hc25036

For reconditioned lenses from Canon, try the Canon outlet (http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Canon-Outlet_Canon-Camera-EF-Lenses_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ4QQftidZ2QQtZkm) - the first place I look. For genuine new Canon lenses, many keen owners buy from Kerso at http://stores.ebay.co.uk/FLASH-CAMERA_CANON-SLR-LENSES_W0QQcolZ2QQdirZ1QQfsubZ5QQftidZ2QQtZkm. E-mail him first to see if he can discount further. Don't forget that some Sigma and Tamron lenses offer good value for money too.

isofa

There are a couple of good dealers one eBay which sell/import new Canon lenses from the US (I've used Kerso before and he's v good). Are you after EF or EF-S lenses?
Also consider Sigma lenses, but it does depend on the focal length / zoom you require.

Try CameraPriceBuster first as mentioned above to get the best retail prices.

I dumped my original kit lens many years ago, before I go really into it and started doing pro work - investing in a Canon L series walkaround lens, best £900 I've ever spent, and now it's still superior on the latest professional bodies - a good lens will last a lifetime. Camera bodies come and go, lenses last. If you plan to stick to the small "cropped" sensor found in the xxxD and xxD models, then you'll save money by going for EFS lenses (which are lighter and smaller), but these aren't compatible with full-frame sensor cameras such as the 5D or 1D. But EFs lenses work on both, but are more expensive and heavier.

The 50mm lens mentioned earlier, is a steal, it's very cheaply made, and the iris is a bit coarse (poor bokeh) but other than that, you'll never find a faster lens for the money.

toymaker

i personally buy from amazon cause i can return it without a fuss. i bought a prime lens but it was a lemon. they replaced it without asking me stupid questions!
as suggested by a previous poster, 1.8 50mm prime is a gem!
apart from the kit lens, i also have the 55-250mm telephoto. its amazing i must say. small, lightweight and takes beautiful pictures even though i am not a pro.