20D...what lense?

[Chris G]

I'm getting a 20D and not sure what lense I should get with it. I have a Elan with 28-80 (not sure which one, but it was the one that came with the Elan) and a 100-300 4.5-5.6.USM. I was thinking about getting the new EF-S 17 - 85 mm F4.5 - F5.6 IS USM. But after reading through the forum I was wondering if that is the best choice. Should I being paying extra for the IS or put my money somewhere else, like a faster lense? I willing to spend the money on the 17-85 so that really isn't an issue. But that is my limit.

Thanks,
Chris



ps....sorry for the newbie questions.

[Medic1]

What kind of photography do you do? What I mean by this, is that you should ask yourself whether you will get more use out of another telephoto zoom, prime or something shorter.

[tim]

F4.5-F5.6 is way to slow for me, IS only compensates for shaky hands, it doesn't help if the subject's not still. I don't buy lenses slower than F2.8 any more.

[Chris G]

After reading through some of this forum last night, its looks like my 2 lenses I have are OK.
EF28-80 3.5-5.6 USM
EF100-300 4.5-5.6 USM

What I thought would round out my lenses would be getting a 50 1.4 or a 85 1.8. I have no prime lenses and thought that might be the way to go. Maybe even get both.

Oh...one more question. Do you find you miss some of the wide angle of the 28-80 when using it on a 20D?

Thanks for everyones help.

Chris

[Lucky Forward]

Oh...one more question. Do you find you miss some of the wide angle of the 28-80 when using it on a 20D?
Absolutely. I bought my 20D a little over a month ago, figuring I'd continue to use the 28-105 3.5-4.5 that I had on my Elan IIe (I also have the 100-300 USM). After a week of shooting with it, I missed the wide end so much that I bought the 17-85 EFS. I shoot a lot of landscapes and family events, and 28mm X 1.6 just wasn't letting me pull back enough.

I know many feel the 17-85 is somewhat overpriced for its quality, but it has the range I need in an every day lens. I figure that over time I'll get some higher quality more specialized lenses at various focal lengths, but for me the 17-85 is the ideal starter lens.

[Andy_T]

My suggestion would be to get the 18-55 kit lens with the camera.

It really is a decent lens for the price and you can always sell it on when you upgrade it for something better.

Also, take a look at the recommended starter lenses (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=56752) thread.

Best regards,
Andy

[Bill Ng]

After reading through some of this forum last night, its looks like my 2 lenses I have are OK.
EF28-80 3.5-5.6 USM
EF100-300 4.5-5.6 USM

What I thought would round out my lenses would be getting a 50 1.4 or a 85 1.8. I have no prime lenses and thought that might be the way to go. Maybe even get both.

Oh...one more question. Do you find you miss some of the wide angle of the 28-80 when using it on a 20D?

Thanks for everyones help.

Chris

If spending $650 on the 85 1.8 and 50 1.4 is a bit too much, go for the 85 1.8 and the 50 1.8 The 50 1.8 is only $70.

As far as the 85 1.8 goes, if you only had the 20D .. I would say "Get it", but seeing as how you have an Elan as well, look into the Sigma 105mm 2.8 Macro. Same price as the 85, but would be a great portrait lens on the Elan as well (though some consider it too long for portrait work on 1.6 body, I shoot more head shots than full body shots so I find it damn near perfect), comes with a great soft case, a lens hood, and has built in macro capability ... considerably more bang for the buck than the 85.

Bill in Brooklyn

[Mike2005]

I am very new to all this......and recently purchased 20D with EF-S 17-85mm kit. Prior to getting the 20D I had a Rebel 2000 with EF 28-80mm and 80-200mm cheapie lenses. I agonized a bit over which lens to buy with the 20D, 18-55mm; 17-85mm or 17-40mm L. I knew definitively that I wanted to get rid of the "cheapie" lenses because I was not very pleased with their performance. Moreover, I am determined to get much more serious about photography then I was several years prior when I purchased the Rebel 2000. Considering my budget, I opted for the EF-S 17-85mm lens. I think it was a great choice for a starter lens considering my needs/abilities. It is a really good "walk around" lens providing a decent range from moderate wide angle to short telephoto. As I live in Alaska, this is a paramount feature for everyday photography...hiking around town or wilderness backpacking (people, landscapes, wildlife/nature). I have been very pleased with the performance of this lens, notably in comparison to the cheapies that I had been accustomed to. It's not very fast, although the IS feature compensates for low-light situations to a certain degree and perfroms very well. Anyway, consider your abilities and needs. For me, this lens is a huge improvement and I am very pleased with the quality of images I have been producing. Also, the resale value on Canon lenses is unbelievable...whether cheapie or L glass. Just check e-bay. If your needs change in time, you can always sell it (or your current crop of lenses) and opt for something else that suits you better.

[Mike2005]

P.S. You definitely miss the wide angle perspective with a 28mm lens being the shortest focal length on a 20D.