Lenses:Which one will you choose?

[grGreg]

Greetings
I'm a newbie and got my dRebel ( 300D where ) 2 months ago with the kit lense.

I love landscapes, portrait and occasionally i shoot indoors in low light conditions.
What i mostly want out of a picture is sharpness and live colors.


I am about to replace of the kit lense with a new one. Unfortunatelly where i live ( Greece )

it is not possible to rent them and try them out. Also i was unable to find side by side
reviews and samples.


I would like to ask for your advice and knowledge to pick one of the following.

Thank you in advance for your help.

SIGMA
24-70mm F2.8 EX Aspherical DF
24-135mm F2.8-4.5 Aspherical IF
28-70mm F2.8 EX Aspherical

Canon
EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM
EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

[evilenglishman]

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[ijohnson]

This question has been asked about 1000 times in this forum and it might be valuable to look in to other threads for the answer. It is not an easy one.

The EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM and the 50mm Prime 1.8 are the two stars of the budget lenses.

Keep looking and reading. Everyone has about 20 different opinions on lenses.

Amazing that no one here has told you to spend $1500 on L glass yet.

[Morden]

I think its considered one of the best "budget" lenses.
Indeed, as many (myself included) have testified in several recent threads.

(By the way, for "budget" I read "non-L". :) )

[sds4kst8]

Being on a budget myself, I decided that the Sigma EX models were the best bang for the buck. I have (and am very happy with) the Sigma EX 28-70/f2.8 and the 70-200/f2.8. I was able to pick up MINT versions fo these lenses for under $700...for both! From what I read (and tried in the store), the 28-70 was a little better than the 24-70, but I'm not sure the difference is that great. For the money, the 70-200 can't be beat.

In my mind, if I wasn't able to pick up "L" glass I decided that: 1) the Sigma EX line was a great value and, 2) I wasn't going to feel bad about it!! These forums are great sources of info, but they can give us "non-L" shooters a bit of an inferiority complex if we're not careful.

I'd also recommend picking up a Canon 50mm/1.8, either the plastic or metal mount. Everything you read is true...this is another good value and a great lens to keep in the bag.

Good luck.

[Jesper]

What about the 17-40 f/4L ? It's great for landscapes, because a wide angle lens is often most useful for landscapes. It's range, 17 to 40 mm, is also close to the range of the kit lens (18-55mm) that you intend to replace. Also, it's an "L" lens, so you can expect great quality, and it's not too expensive (I've just paid $700 for it in New York).

I also have the 28-135, it's a very nice lens, I love the IS, but I've bought the 17-40 because 28mm was often too long on my 10D.

[kahfluie]

Just last week I got the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 EX Aspherical DF , and I haven't looked back. Great lens, sharp photos. If you can't get Canon Glass, this will be one you'll definately want to get.

[Andy_T]

Why do you replace the kit lens? Lack of sharpness? Wrong focal range? Too slow???

(BTW, how do you 'replace' a lens? Sell it on eBay? Give it to the shop where you buy your new one? Throw it away in anguish? :lol: )

As you mentioned that you like to photograph landscapes, maybe you would need the 17-40/L to have the same wide angle as you currently have with the kit lens.

Otherwise, the Tamron XR 28-75/2.8 keeps getting rave reviews (there's one by J.A. Doorhof on this forum comparing it favourably to the Sigma 28-70 for its sharpness). However, 28 mm might not be wide enough on the Rebel.

Best regards,
Andy

[fishingjts]

and don't forget the Canon 50mm f1.8... great for portraits especially in low light... :wink:

[fishingjts]

and don't forget the Canon 50mm f1.8... great for portraits especially in low light... :wink:

[grGreg]

Thanks a lot for your help.

I will think about the 50mm f1.8. I keep reading a lot about it.

About the 17-40 f/4L or 24-70 f/2.8L i would love to have one. Unfortunatelly the prices here are crazy. 1200 and 1800 euro so it is beyond my reach for now.

The good news is that i talked with a friend and he owns

EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM
EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

He promised me that we will do both indoor and outdoor test together with my EF-S 18-55. We will set up a subject and go thru the same settings with all 3 lenses. The test range i was thinking is f3.5, f5.6, f8, f16 and f36.

Do you have any suggestions for that test?
Any ideas where i can put the results so you can have access too?

I hope this will be done soon.

Best regards Greg

[Tom W]

Thanks a lot for your help.

I will think about the 50mm f1.8. I keep reading a lot about it.

About the 17-40 f/4L or 24-70 f/2.8L i would love to have one. Unfortunatelly the prices here are crazy. 1200 and 1800 euro so it is beyond my reach for now.

The good news is that i talked with a friend and he owns

EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM
EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

He promised me that we will do both indoor and outdoor test together with my EF-S 18-55. We will set up a subject and go thru the same settings with all 3 lenses. The test range i was thinking is f3.5, f5.6, f8, f16 and f36.

Do you have any suggestions for that test?
Any ideas where i can put the results so you can have access too?

I hope this will be done soon.

Best regards Greg

You need subject material with lots of colors (to check color accuracy), some things high contrast borders (to check for fringing), and some square or rectangular subject material that will show any barrel or pincushion distortion.

These don't all have to be in the same picture.

Don't bother with f/36. I don't think all lenses have that available. F/22 might be tops, depending on focal length being used.

[davekone]

I'm going to go a different route here, Look hard at the new Tamron 28-75 f2.8 lens. Great for low light and has been getting excellent reviews.

The canon 28-135 or 105 wont be to great in low light.

David

[Vegas Poboy]

If you're looking for a general all purpose lense go with the 28-135 IS, I'm not sure of the Drebel settings but you can adjust the ISO for the low light shots or shoot RAW and use the software to open the photo up 2 stops. I hear the IS is great from one of my instructors and it's also a sharp lense.
Hopefully soon I'll have one in my bag just to carry around from day to day if I would have done my research better I would of had it in my bag already. I have the sigma 28-70 f/2.8 and it's a good lens but again it looks like you want to cover a large area of shooting with one purchase & I believe you can't go wrong with the 28-135.
Just another opinion
Good Luck

[Jesper]

Thanks a lot for your help.
I will think about the 50mm f1.8. I keep reading a lot about it.

Unfortunately I don't have one, but the 50mm f/1.8 is cheap, small, light and very sharp... can't go wrong.

About the 17-40 f/4L or 24-70 f/2.8L i would love to have one. Unfortunatelly the prices here are crazy. 1200 and 1800 euro so it is beyond my reach for now.

Consider buying them in the USA, even with shipping & European taxes it will be MUCH cheaper than 1200 to 1800 Euros. The 17-40L costs $700 (€ 560) at B&H (http://www.bhphoto.com) in New York.

[jalafer]

You can buy the 17-40 from Spain at less then 600€, and you don't have to pay more taxes or duties. Try this shop in Madrid, FotoBoom or contact them in javier@fotoboom.com

[evilenglishman]

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[marksw]

Consider buying them in the USA, even with shipping & European taxes it will be MUCH cheaper than 1200 to 1800 Euros. The 17-40L costs $700 (€ 560) at B&H (http://www.bhphoto.com) in New York.

Does anyone in the UK have any information on how you go about this?

How do you sort the import tax out? Who do yo pay?

Thanks :)

Mark

[evilenglishman]

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[evilenglishman]

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