Please help which lens i even have prices

ok hi guys as you can see my name is kilf. i brought i eos350d a month ago the silver 1 with the usm 18-55mm kit lens i totally love it. But i wanna new lens i gotta have 1 lol. 1st off i bought the Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 II APO Macro took it back because i thought it was to heavy that was £180 i now know i can get it for £160. Anyway i traded that for a Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD which was second hand and cost me £104 but i took it back and got a refund because although it was lighter i thought the image quality was rubbish really soft and fuzzy. So now im thinking did i make a mistake taking the Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 II APO Macro dg back hmmmmmm.

Anyway my current lens choices are the Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 EX Aspherical DG £280, or the sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 EX DG £220, or the tamron 28-75mm 2.8 for £250 or should i go back to the Sigma 70-300mm APO MACRO DG and save £20 quid on what i paid last time im so confused please help ive attached a file of a pic of my gorgeous girlfriend i took with the Sigma 70-300mm APO MACRO DG and i was pleased with it quality and everything i just didnt like the weight please help sorry for my newbieness and if that pic of my girlfriend is no good tell me cuz i wanna know why so i can improve.

thanks guys and gals

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Welcome to the forums!

While I would like to suggest you keep the 70-300 APO Macro II, I can't, lol. Mine didn't hold up as well as I hoped it would. Granted it's a budget lense but it's only 6 months old and in need of some major service.

I'm in the market for some lenses myself and spent the majority of the day and some camera shops. I too was interested in the Sigma 24-70 and the Tamron 28-75. I fondled both of them and decided to get the Sigma. Its built like a tank and IMO it feels better than the Tamron. Better balance on the body especially with a grip. AF seemed a little more noticeable in terms of noise with the Sigma, but the speed of the two was very close. The Sigma was MUCH better in low light. If you're looking for a longer focal length lense that can take the place of your 70-300, I'd like to suggest the Sigma 70-200 2.8, another lense that I spent some time with today. Compared it to the Canon L and found the two to be pretty even in terms of feel, AF speed/noise and image quality. I like the finish of the Sigma lense too. Will definitely draw less attention than a white L lense. Add a 2x t-con and you have an effective 400mm+ and f5, for that extra reach. I will be using this lense to replace my faulty 70-300 APO Super Macro II.

those len's i mentioned are kinda as far as my budget goes £300 max so it has to be 1 of those. Also i dont have the sigma70-300mm apo dg anymore i took it back but im not sure i made the right choice. those len's i mentioned wont be as well as they will be instead of.

but thanks for the reply and is the pic anygood do u even see it i know i can but im new to forums

First off... welcome to the forum. My 1st question is what kind of photography are you looking to shoot? Portraits? Landscapes? Not all too sure??? Don't worry, I'm that way too. That's why I go for zooms... but zooms have to compromise some sharpness for focal length. From all that I've read, I've learned one thing... there's not one zoom lens that can do it all. A zoom that has a focal length of 18-300mm might seem like a great zoom, but I think you have to sacrafice too much photo quality.

Okay... you have an EFS 18-55, a great start. You could try a Sigma 24-70 f2.8 or a Tamron 28-75 f2.8, both are good for portraits and a little telephoto. Another good candidate in this price range in Canon EF-28-135 f3.5-5.6 IS USM. These lenses are all pretty light. If you're looking for a telephoto (70-200mm) then the Canon EF 70-200 f4L is a good place to start... it's the best bang for the buck when it comes to L series lenses. They can be had for a decent price used... and it has a manageable weight. I hope this helps in your search for a new lens.

BTW... tell us a little bit about the photo of your GF. What ISO? In manual, auto, Av, Tv mode? I can see you used flash... is it the built-in one or a hot shoe flash? Another option... instead of purchasing a lens, try out a 420/430 speedlite flash. Once I got away from the bult-in flash, I never went back. The speedlites produce a much better light and you can bounce it off the ceiling for a more natural look. Built in flashes produce a very harsh light.

ok the shutter speed was 1/60
the av was f4.0
iso speed 400
and focal length according to the software i use digital photo professional the focal length was 119mm but im not sure about that if the av was still at f4.0

basically i shot it in portrait mode on the 350d i think cant remember. ill upload the original untouched image to this post

oh and type of photography hmm portrait, candid and wildlife i dont care about landscape unless the people or animals are the point of focus (sorry thats the way i feel landscapers)

i know ill need more than 1 len's but i must save pennies so only 1 for now hopefully 1 that wont become redundant after the next purchase. anyways thanks for the replys so for would love more though and heres the unaltered pic.

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Given the budget and your type of shooting, I will have to also suggest the Sigma 24-70mm or the Tamron 28-75mm. Decide if the 4mm wide end or 5mm long end best works for you. Now if the budget was more, there would be more recommendations. Have fun with either. An outboard flash will work wonders, when used properly; but I would say a decent lens before flash. You might be surprised at how the EF18-55mm would have performed on the girlfriend pic.

The 70-300 APO is good cheap lens. There is nothing else I'd consider right now below the 70-200 f4 Canon or the Sigma 100-300 f4. But it's a long lens and you need a tripod or monopod to get the best from it at longer focal lengths. Goes with the territory. It also needs more light than you might find in the Uk everyday if it's to give its very best

The Sigma 24-70 2.8 DG EX MAcro is the lens to buy below £300. I've had the Tamron and it is a very nice lens optically as well.

Which would I get ... It really depends whether you want length more than a standard zoom and speed. The Sigma 24-70 can be the basis long term of a very good system. I'd probably go that route.