Give up speed to go wider than Tamron 28-75?

[busyone]

I am now on the fence. After reading all the Tamron 28-75/f2.8 reviews, I was set on purchasing it as my starter lens for my 20D. I went to B&H today to check it out, and I started having doubts...wonder if it's wide enough because of the 1.6x factor.

Original plan was to start with the Tamron (good price, great speed). Maybe a year later, I was going to contemplate the Canon 16-35/f2.8 and one day add the 70-200/f2.8.

After researching here, I had made up my mind never to go slower than f2.8, even if that means being very slow and patient with lens purchases over time.

HOWEVER, now that I wonder if I should start wider, my current budget will only allow the cost of the EF 17-40/4L. (My absolute max.) Should I go here, or was my original instinct to not go slower than f2.8 correct?

Appreciate some advice from you knowledgable folks...

[tim]

What do you take photos of? I mainly take photos of people, the 28-75's ideal most of the time, if I had the choice of having it a bit longer or a bit wider i'm not sure which i'd choose. Since I like to take very tight shots i'd probably go longer, not wider.

I too never go slower than F2.8, at least not without good reason.

[gasrocks]

Work toward 3 great zooms: 10-22 efs, 28-75 Tamron and any of the Canon 70-200 L's. No overlap, great range, quality, and faily fast. Then we can discuss primes!

[tim]

The 10-22 EF-S lens won't work on a 1 series body, if you think you're going to go that way one day i'd avoid it. If not, great :)

[Pb2Au]

I have little use for a fast (<f2.8 ) lens under about 40mm. What are you taking pics of with such a wide lens that either requires very shallow DOF, or good low-light performance (without a tripod?). Most landscapes are shot at >f14 with lenses like the 17-40L or EF-S 10-22mm. The speed just isn't needed with wide angle for me, but I have a 50 1.4 and 85 1.8 for the times when it is on a bit longer lens.

[tim]

Wide lenses are also used inside in small rooms, that's where fast lenses may be helpful, but more likely you'd want a flash and the lens stopped down anyway.