Best Lens for EOS 7d...

Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 ... I've had that lens on my 600D before upgrading to FF, its the best general purpose lens for any 1.6x crop censor camera.

Lore wrote in post #14495171
Canon 17-55 2.8 IS, as much as I love my primes, when I had the 7D, that lens almost never left my camera. Those 2 were made for each other. & a lens I miss greatly.

agreed!

Sold mine when I also got FF - but still miss it!

She would love the 70-200 f4

The 10-22mm EFs would nicely compliment what she has already, and open up a new area of ultra wide angle photography for her.

5W0L3 wrote in post #14496442
Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 ... I've had that lens on my 600D before upgrading to FF, its the best general purpose lens for any 1.6x crop censor camera.

I cant believe that it took 16 posts for this to come out. I have a 60D and this lens and it is a great combo. And it may not be as wide as the 17-50, but if you want more reach, look into the 24-105L. I just picked one up off Craigslist a few weeks ago and I couldnt be happier. Great range, but also a stop slower with f/4. It does have IS as well so that helps. Another alternative to the Sigma 17-50 or Canon 17-55 is the Tamron 17-50 2.8 non-VC. I personally dont have one, but have heard great things about it. Good luck with your purchases.

Edit- saw that your budget is about 1K, you should look for a used 24-105..

IMHO ... the weakest lens you currently own by far is the 75-300. So depending on the focal lengths you shoot you could get:

- 70-300L used for a bit over $1000 if you look around a bit
- 70-200 f4L IS used for about $1000
- 70-200 f4L (non-IS) and Sigma 17-50 f2.8 OS for a bit over $1000.
- Tamron 70-300 VC and Sigma 17-50 f2.8 OS for about $1000.

The 18-55 isn't *that* bad, replace it eventually but as said I'd upgrade the 75-300 first (assuming you use these focal lengths).

bsmotril wrote in post #14497333
The 10-22mm EFs would nicely compliment what she has already, and open up a new area of ultra wide angle photography for her.

I have to agree. If you are satisfied with the lenses she already has the EF-S 10-22mm would open up some new and fun opportunities. Like lots of indoor pictures including group and family pictures in confined areas. Super senic and great panoramas etc. etc.

Mike

Lore wrote in post #14495171
Canon 17-55 2.8 IS, as much as I love my primes, when I had the 7D, that lens almost never left my camera. Those 2 were made for each other. & a lens I miss greatly.

What he said^^^^^

JeffandOlivia wrote in post #14495140
Hi All!

I'm trying to help my wife to try and figure out the best lenses to have. We are going to purchase her a new Canon 7d to replace her Rebel xti. She has the following lens already:

EF 50mm F1.8
EF 75-300mm F/4-5.6 III
EFS 18-55mm (came with the XTI)

I want to get her the 7d body and another lens. I'm just not sure what lens would best suit her collection. I'd like to keep the price of the lens under $1000.00. Thank you all so much!

Jeff

What are the best lenses for Canon 7D is difficult to answer as It depends on what one is looking for and what type of photography you want to indulge. For example a professional wild life/bird photographer will have a bunch of telephoto prime zoom lenses where as a studio portrait photographer will have a bunch of F 1.4 TO F2.8 prime lenses in the 28mm to 50 mm range.
I am a retired businessman and a serious amateur photographer. I live in a place surrounded by nature and wildlife, especially lots of birds. So I use my Canon 7D for four types of photography:
1. General family and friends gatherings, both indoors and out doors.
2. Some creative and experimental photography.
3. General photography during travels.
4. Wildlife and bird photography.
So the following lenses serve all my needs:
1. Canon EFS 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM - this is an excellent general purpose lens. The EFS 17-55mm f/2.8 is marginally better in sharpness and in low light but the extra wide angle and zoom of 15-85 are more handy when you are sightseeing outdoors- especially landscapes, and buildings etc.. For the difference in price I got a good flash to use in low light!!
2. Canon 35mm 1.4L - A superb lens by any standards. Excellent for all types of creative experiments, in indoors low light, portraits and what not. You can take real sharp quality pictures with it. Better than the Canon 24mm 1.4 or the 50 mm 1.4 primes i tested. A 50mm is said to be the equivalent of how the human eye sees a scene. But on the 1.6 cropped 7d, the 50mm is like 85 where as the 35 mm is like 55mm.
3. Canon 100-400L IS USM - Superb for all telephoto needs of an armature like me. Even birds sitting on trees 100 yards away can be captured very sharply with all details - especially with a tripod and remote trigger.
Hope this helps you.

I have a 17-55 that is excellent! great lens, good color, awesome workhorse! not to mention the full 2.8. basically its the 24-70 of the crop bodied cameras.

my sigma 10-20 is awesome for the wide side. clear, sharp fast focusing, you can't go wrong!

I just upgraded to a 5dmkii so I may be selling my equipment soon.

For me the kit lets on the 7D is not bad. Going to just learn then lens and maybe go for the Sigma since it's been getting a lot of positive reviews.

Thanks

if you shoot indoors did you think of getting a flash? that will probably be the biggest bang for your buck - a used 580exII can be had at less than 350 on this site.
use the 650 to either get a 3rd party 17-50 or wait a bit to make that ~800 and get a used 17-55 or 24-105, whichever focal length suits your needs better. you wont miss the 2.8 indoors if you have a flash.

JeffandOlivia wrote in post #14495140
Hi All!

I'm trying to help my wife to try and figure out the best lenses to have. We are going to purchase her a new Canon 7d to replace her Rebel xti. She has the following lens already:

EF 50mm F1.8
EF 75-300mm F/4-5.6 III
EFS 18-55mm (came with the XTI)

I want to get her the 7d body and another lens. I'm just not sure what lens would best suit her collection. I'd like to keep the price of the lens under $1000.00. Thank you all so much!

Jeff

Out of curiosity more than anything, why the 7D selection ? What does she like to shoot ? Is the 7D the right body for her ? Really, you should ask her a lot of questions about which lenses she would like, whether she would like a prime lens, a faster aperture lens like the 17-5x Canon/sigma, or if she preferred some longer ranges on her zooms.. Also ask if she preferred a smaller body like the Rebels, tilt swivel screens, etc- just to be sure that you aren't getting her something you think she would want versus what she would really want.. the only way you will know- is to talk with her. While you may think that the 75-300 is OK - she may think it to be too big or bulky or cumbersome...

For example, my "spouse" would hate the 7D- it's too heavy for her to wield. She would hate the Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS II USM- again- too heavy. She would prefer a lighter setup with a single lens that has a broader range.. Like I said- often, we think about what "WE" would like rather than what they would prefer. You might also want to take her down somewhere where she can try it on for size..

wayne.robbins wrote in post #15055361
Out of curiosity more than anything, why the 7D selection ? What does she like to shoot ? Is the 7D the right body for her ?

i was amazed nobody else posted this...it would've been the first thing i would've posted had i read this months ago when he posted it...i figure he's not coming back to see anything now...but, it does need mentioning...