I think i decided on a lens but now getting confused now

Hi All,

I have been trying to make up my mind on what kind of lens to get, however I think my requirement are as follows

General purpose, but less on the telephoto side
Suitable for low light shots and indoor
Wide Angle
Good build for portraits and group of people

I think i have settled for TAMRON SP AF 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II LD A16, however I see an expensive option which is the VC option, and its getting me confused. I'm still learning and an amateur, and will getting a non VC lens punish me in a way especially if the lens shakes etc. I really dont know and will like to get the opinion of others. I like to have a lens that allows a lot of light in and I hope this is it. Also, I see a general purpose lens like that of TAMRON AF 18-200mm XR Di II LENS, for things like my requirements, will this be a suitable lens to have ?

I spoke to a mate who has the 17-50 Tamron and he said that with hindsight, he would have bought the canon make. Also is there a good place to buy lens in USA apart from eBay ?

Thanks in advance.

platforminc wrote in post #14406774
Hi All,

I have been trying to make up my mind on what kind of lens to get, however I think my requirement are as follows

General purpose, but less on the telephoto side
Suitable for low light shots and indoor
Wide Angle
Good build for portraits and group of people

I think i have settled for TAMRON SP AF 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II LD A16, however I see an expensive option which is the VC option, and its getting me confused. I'm still learning and an amateur, and will getting a non VC lens punish me in a way especially if the lens shakes etc. I really dont know and will like to get the opinion of others. I like to have a lens that allows a lot of light in and I hope this is it. Also, I see a general purpose lens like that of TAMRON AF 18-200mm XR Di II LENS, for things like my requirements, will this be a suitable lens to have ?

I spoke to a mate who has the 17-50 Tamron and he said that with hindsight, he would have bought the canon make. Also is there a good place to buy lens in USA apart from eBay ?

Thanks in advance.

Many good places to buy lenses in the US - Adorama, B&H, Amazon and if you're buying Canon the refurbished store is good.

If you do want image stabilization and faster focusing I would reccomend the Sigma 17-50mm 2.8 OS over the Tamron VC version.

rick_reno wrote in post #14406974
Many good places to buy lenses in the US - Adorama, B&H, Amazon and if you're buying Canon the refurbished store is good.

Hi,

I sometimes see you advising people about the refurbished store. No offence, but as i check Canon store's refurbished section from time to time prices are close to the brand new Amazon-BH prices. So, is it because you trust in refurbished as it's already checked out by Canon service or are you talking about finding a good deal over there?

What camera do you have? I've heard good things about Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS, but it's $1100 and the Tamron is $650. We don't know your budget. I would highly recommend IS/VC (whatever it's called) because you said you need low light and indoor. The IS will help a lot when you have less light than bright sunlight. You don't want to say, "I saved $100, but I can't get a sharp shot inside."

I don't recommend the 18-200mm because it is a very wide range, but not good at all focal lengths. As you get progressively smaller range you get sharper lenses. For example, a prime lens (one single focal length) is much sharper than zooms (usually).

www.bhphotovideo.com and www.adorama.com are the best places to buy online in the US.

Robinson Crusoe wrote in post #14407165
Hi,

I sometimes see you advising people about the refurbished store. No offence, but as i check Canon store's refurbished section from time to time prices are close to the brand new Amazon-BH prices. So, is it because you trust in refurbished as it's already checked out by Canon service or are you talking about finding a good deal over there?

Both.

Robinson Crusoe wrote in post #14407165
Hi,

I sometimes see you advising people about the refurbished store. No offence, but as i check Canon store's refurbished section from time to time prices are close to the brand new Amazon-BH prices. So, is it because you trust in refurbished as it's already checked out by Canon service or are you talking about finding a good deal over there?

If they ever had it in stock I would jump on their deal for the 85 1.8 over there - it's $330 compared to what it is usually $419. But right now there is a sale on the 85 anyway which makes it 389.

I've also heard from some people that buying refurbished were actually better quality than a brand new lens - since the QC line is way more strict. Maybe that's bunk, though.

Nevertheless, a 10-22 refurb is $687 down from $800... Not bad...