Opinions on my 'wishlist'

[Jaymz]

These are on my realistic wishlist, may be purchased within the next couple months.
All I have at this time is a 20D and the kit lens. Is this a decent selection of stuff? What would you change and why?

Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Autofocus Lens (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=WishList.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=149629&is=USA)
Normal EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Autofocus Lens (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=WishList.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=12140&is=USA)
580EX Speedlite (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=WishList.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=348457&is=USA)
Zoom Telephoto EF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 EF IS USM Autofocus Lens (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=WishList.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=102854&is=USA)
Telephoto EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Autofocus Lens (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=WishList.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=12182&is=USA)
LumiQuest Softbox for Shoe-Mount Flashes (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=WishList.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=32690&is=REG)
Stroboframe Bracket - VH 2000 Stroboflip (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=WishList.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=52784&is=REG)

[Sean-Mcr]

As i have two of your lenses i can tell you you've picked two great lenses there

The other lenses you've picked are not for me, but that does not mean they're not for you.

[tim]

I would get the Tamron 28-75 F2.8/Sigma 24-70 F2.8 instead of the slower 28-135 lens. I like F2.8 better than IS, every time. Good choice on the 50mm and 580EX. I'd replace the 75-300 with the Canon 70-200 F4 or Sigma 70-200 F2.8, but not if you really need the reach of the 75-300 IS. The 85mm is very close to the 50mm F1.4, i'd probably not buy both - buy the one that suits your needs best. You could get the 100mm F2.8 macro instead of the (apparently excellent) 85mm F1.8, the macro does well as a portrait lens. I got the Stroboframe Pro-T because then the flash and camera are oriented the same way, plus it's light. You'll need the Canon off-shoe cord 2, or an equilivent, too.

[Sean-Mcr]

I guess budget is sending you in the direction you're going, right?

[Jaymz]

I guess budget is sending you in the direction you're going, right?

Yea my budget is limiting my choices. I know I need a flash, besides the on camera one, and the 580 is raved here.

Reviewing the suggested lens and getting a few opinions. Here is my update lens list. Thoughts?

Sigma 24-70 F2.8
Sigma 70-200 F2.8
Canon 50mm F1.4

This should cover almost any range I can think I would need. Everyone I have talked to(IRL) gives me the same basic advice, the Sigma lenses are good but they are not Canon. Whats everyones thoughts on that?

[condyk]

Everyone I have talked to(IRL) gives me the same basic advice, the Sigma lenses are good but they are not Canon. Whats everyones thoughts on that?

If you want L and want to spend the extra cash then you won't regret it.

BUT, I advise that you forget brands. Canon L, Sigma EX, Tamron SP and Tokina Pro are all ranges worth looking at seriously. Do the research, be clear about your budget and get the best you can afford. You make the picture, the lens is secondary. We see great pictures posted all the time with gear from all the brands ... and we see rubbish as well from all the brands.

You're safe with the L's as they all seem to perform well or exceptionally well, but if you want to save a significant amount of money and get most or at least equal performance then research the other options and shop around.

Look here: www.fredmiranda.com for user real world reviews and collated scores.

The Sigma lenses you chose are very good. I had the Canon f4 and then the Sigma f2.8 and preferred the latter as it was more flexible. I like the Canon tho' as it is smaller and more portable. It produces colourful, sharp 3d images and offers great value. People say get a TCon for it if you need more length, but you can get the 100-300mm f4 Sigma for the same outlay and that's a better lens anyway in my own experience. Do you need the f2.8 in the Sigma? If not, get the Canon f4.

The standard zoom Sigma, the 24-70mm DG Macro (make sure you get the DG Macro, not the previous variations) is also getting lots of good user reviews and I think it is a great buy. I am tempted myself having sold my Tamron, but it's not a range I use that much normally. Shame as I really need one for this weekend ... but then afterwards it will stay in my bag unused again for the next three months :lol: The Tamron is great and lighter, if that's an issue. It's maybe a whisker between the two and who would judge one better than other?

[EOSAddict]

Everyone I have talked to(IRL) gives me the same basic advice, the Sigma lenses are good but they are not Canon. Whats everyones thoughts on that?

As you can see below I'm not a great lens gatherer (yet). But I did own exclusively Sigma lenses for my old EOS 100 for 14 years and the 75-300 APO knocked spots off anything in the proice range (and it wasn't cheap either when I bought it in 1991).

I agree with condyk, don't get too wrapped up in brand names. Remember Canon make fax machines and pocket calculators as well..... What else do Sigma make? Personally I like the fit/finish of Sigma lenses best (but the Tamron was better for what I wanted...)

I like the look of the Sigma 10-20 personally!

[Jaymz]

Thank you for your input so far.

I personally am not concerned with brand names of the lenses at all. But I can't help but think about my experience with my job. I can buy 5-6 different brands of water pumps for almost any given vehicle, all will do the same job. But the quality of construction and length of operating life vary greatly. Not to imply that OEM parts are the best, but generally parts from CSK or any of the "cheaper" suppliers are generally poor quality, they will function just fine for a while but usually alot shorter lifespan.

So I was mostly thinking about the quality of the lense construction etc... Sorry I did not make myself clear in what I was asking. The fredmiranda site is very useful, thank you again.

[EOSAddict]

An anecdote on build quality..... for what it's worth.

Dropped my old Sigma 75-300 APO on the ground at the Grand Canyon 4 yrs ago. Fortunately, I had the lens hood fitted back to front (it smashed) and a filter on. It did drop right on the top corner however so I was amazed that it still worked fine (smooth as anything zoom) and the pics I took after came back just as good as before.