There's a pretty decent chance that I'll be getting a Canon DR XTi for xmas this year, and I've heard that the stock lens is decent at best (having played with one in the store, I'd agree that it's nothing too special). Of course, new lenses from Canon are incredibly expensive, but there are all sorts of lenses for sale on eBay. I've bought a few odd filters and close-up magnifiers from eBay for my point+shoot which seem decent, but I'm wondering what kind of experience people have had with the cheaper third-party alternatives. Not just lenses, but other stuff as well- you know, flashes, battery grips, and all that good stuff. Are lenses (etc) best bought from the manufacturer, or are there good deals to be had from ebay?
As far as I am aware if you buy a Canon Lens from ebay it should still have a warranty as the warranties on glass are international. However for other stuff like Flash guns which you are likely to need your warranty on it's mostly advisable to purchase within your own country.
I'm not so much concerned about warranty as the quality of off-brand items. For instance, there's a lot of Optika brand items that are MUCH cheaper than original Canon stuff...but of course without using it firsthand, I have no idea if it's actually any good.
It's been said that Optika is the manufacturer for Canon accessoiries (grips etc). If you're going Canon here are some of the big forums: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/index.php http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1029 http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1031 http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/board/2 Lens reviews: http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/ http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ http://photozone.de/8Reviews/index.html Samples of lenses/cameras: http://www.pbase.com/cameras Other: http://www.kenrockwell.com/index.htm http://www.luminous-landscape.com/
You mostly get what you pay for, and a decent lens is worth paying for. I think for flashes/grips etc then the difference is minimal. Perhaps a Canon flash will last longer and be more sturdy than a Sigma or a Sunpak, but that might not be worth the price premium for a casual user.
Okay, good to hear. I figured it wouldn't be as critical with accessories as lenses... by and large, a flash either works or it doesn't (of course, color temp could be off a bit, or not as bright perhaps), but not all glass is made equal. Luckily my dad recently took a job in a company that was acquired by Zeiss, though I don't have the first clue if they make any consumer/prosumer-grade equipment (by the looks of it, some, but nothing for Canon mounts). May or may not help, but I'll see. Thanks for all the links coorz, I'll be sure to check them out (especially if I actually DO get the camera for xmas )
