Which lens?!

[abood2rude]

im willing 2 buy a new lens for my canon eos 20d, but i dunno what to get.


i want a lens for general purposes like:-

scenes, plants, portraits.

i also want it with IS

THX

[Livinthalife]

Im thinking general purpose lens wont need any IS. I dont know what you have, but I would have to reccomend 50mm 1.8 (or 1.4) great for portraits, and plants (indoors with lowlight).

[ajbalazic]

Scenes, plants, portraits don't require IS. Consider the 50mm 1.8 or 1.4 as your first choice. Then, get a "walk around" lense in the 24-70mm range. Ideal for what you've mentioned. I am very happy with the Sigma 24-70mm EX, but the Canon L products are as good (or better). Those are the two I'd start with based on what you've described.

[peterdoomen]

Don't forget the Standard Tammy: Tamron 28-75 f/2.8. A bit less wide and a bit longer than the Sigma. Both lenses get very good reviews and rightfully so.

P.

[Andy_T]

What lenses do you have at the moment?

My suggestions (my favourites on my 20D) would be Sigma 30/1.4 EX, Canon 50/1.4, and also Camon 85/1.8 (my next purchase).

But as you mention IS, the 17-85 IS might fill the ticket (or the 24-105/4.0 IS, if your budget allows for it)

Best regards,
Andy

[calicokat]

Canon has three general purpose lens with IS. There is the EF-S 17-85, the 28-135 and the 24-105L. 17-85 and 28-135 are very similar, you can get these for under $500.00. The 24-105L goes for around $1,200.00 or slightly cheaper, but its a great lens.

[Medic1]

I have the 28-135 IS and love it for a good walkaround lens. I would definetly recommend to anyone to get the 50mm 1.8 or 1.4...

[RuggerJoe]

Im thinking general purpose lens wont need any IS. I dont know what you have, but I would have to reccomend 50mm 1.8 (or 1.4) great for portraits, and plants (indoors with lowlight).

Actually I think a general purpose lens is just where IS comes in handy. I generally don't go walking around with my tripod everywhere I go. The IS on my 17-85 makes it possible to get some shots that I other wise would have needed to have a tripod to get.

As for my recomendations, I like the EF-S 17-85 IS USM. It spends most of it's time on my 350D. I like having the extra 10mm on the wide end which you might want for scenes (the 28-80 I have just wasn't wide enough with the crop factor). The other lens thats always in my bag is the 50mm 1.8 for when I want really shallow depth of field and for $70 there isn't much reason not to get it (unless you have cash lying around for the 50mm 1.4).

[jjonsalt]

What camera is the lens to be used with?
What lens(es) do you now have?
What is your budget?

[SoaringUSAEagle]

Is the 1.4 better or 1.8? Or is there much difference at all between such a small margin?

[Livinthalife]

Is the 1.4 better or 1.8? Or is there much difference at all between such a small margin?

you get what you pay for.
1.4 has better focusing, more durable body, USM also.
I hear pic quality is virtually the same between the two.
Im happy with my 1.8 though.

[SkipD]

And, the aperture difference between f/1.8 and f/1.4 is more than half a stop. Sometimes that could be significant if you're working in a low light situation with the lens wide open and need the little faster shutter speed.

[cfcRebel]

.....and also tell us your budget. That normally drives the suggestions people give.
IMHO when shooting between 18-75mm focal length, IS is not needed. Most people's hands are steady enough to shoot 1/60 sec at 18mm. :)

[RuggerJoe]

The 1.4 is definately a better lens, not that the 1.8 is bad and for the price you can't really complain. Whether the difference in price is worth it depends on what you want it for. For me the 1.8 is just fine for my needs. I liked using the 50mm on my film camera for taking snap shots and I find it a little long to use for that especially indoors. So I'm not going to get the 1.4 becuase I would rather get a something around 30mm which is about 50mm when you take the crop factor into account.

[RuggerJoe]

.....and also tell us your budget. That normally drives the suggestions people give.
IMHO when shooting between 18-75mm focal length, IS is not needed. Most people's hands are steady enough to shoot 1/60 sec at 18mm. :)

I wish that were tha case for me. I have a ot of nice shots ruined by camera shake in the wide angle range. Granted - I should have had a tripod for what I was trying to get, but I don't carry one around unless I'm planning to use it. I do however carry my 350D with the 17-85 around all the time and the IS has definately come in handy.

[chancellor]

im willing 2 buy a new lens for my canon eos 20d, but i dunno what to get.


i want a lens for general purposes like:-

scenes, plants, portraits.

i also want it with IS

THX

if u r planning to stand far away, here is a gr8 1 (with IS): http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=186153&is=USA&addedTroughType=search

u may wish to provide a bit more details about u (what you already have) and ur needs :D

[Livinthalife]

and I quote form the link above
"• AF speed is the fastest in the world"

now only if money where no object :)

[CyberDyneSystems]

Check the sticky thread labeled "-Read first- before asking what lens" :)