yet another "which lens" thread

hey all
so, after sadly parting ways with my sigma 30, i am left with only the 24-105, and not quite sure what the next step is...

what i shoot:
1. predominantly, i shoot indoor/low light family/friend events
2. secondly, i shoot some milestone events for friends (ie. e-shoot, baby shower, etc), which can take place outdoors
3. lastly, the camera sometimes travels with me to places such as zoo, botanic gardens, local dog parts, etc...

looking at this list, i am immediately drawn to the 24-70. it would immediately help me out with #1, and i think it would do well for #2 as a portrait lens (38-112mm on my crop). carrying the brick around for #3 would likely be more painful than with the 24-105, but i think i can manage with my blackrapid strap.

at the same time, i realize that 24mm is not wide enough on crop. personally, i care more about the tele end, for those tighter portrait shots, but at the same time, it becomes a challenge to take group shots indoors. this makes me think about the 17-55, which is the crop version of 24-70. this would help with #1 and #3, not necessarily with #2. also, the red ring is just too tempting to get. i know, its a red ring, but its just something i know i want. also, having IS will help, but as i learned with the 24-105, IS can only do so much, and in a dim restaurant, it wont suffice.
the 17-55 will leave much desired on the tele end, and while some suggest getting a 70-200 variant to complement it, i just cant see enough usage of the 70-200 to justify even buying a f4 IS. (non IS is out of the question and my hands arent steady enough for a lens of that size)

and then there is the option to get a WA/UWA lens. ive read good things about the tokina 11-16 2.8 and the canon 10-22. the tokina would be better suited for my shooting, as i dont do landscapes, and would only use it indoors for group shots. but, seeing some sample pics, i wonder if it has a softness issue. then again, ive been dealing with having a 24mm lens as my widest up until now, and ive gotten used to it.

so, this leaves me with:

sell 24-105 and buy:

1. 24-70 AND 11-16
2. 24-70 and deal with 24mm being the widest i have
3. 17-55 and deal with not having much on the tele end.

I'd keep the 24-105 because it is quite a versatile lens, and then get a Tokina 12-24 f/4 for the wide end. I assume you still have the 50D in your gear list, so you can push the ISO up to 1600 or even 3200 without too much worry for indoor/low light shots. And you can always use a flash.

why not get a 17-55, and a longer prime like an 85mm...why'd you sell the 30mm, it seems like it would've worked well for a couple of your scenarios

tgara wrote in post #14601624
I'd keep the 24-105 because it is quite a versatile lens, and then get a Tokina 12-24 f/4 for the wide end. I assume you still have the 50D in your gear list, so you can push the ISO up to 1600 or even 3200 without too much worry for indoor/low light shots. And you can always use a flash.

i love the 24-105, its quite versatile, but this wouldnt give me anything faster than f/4. since i shoot primarily indoors, this isnt fast enough.

DreDaze wrote in post #14601647
why not get a 17-55, and a longer prime like an 85mm...

thats an interesting combo that i hadnt thought of, thanks. i just feel like 24-70 would be more versatile, whereas having a 85 would be JUST for portraits, especially on crop. thoughts?

If you can shoot roughly 1/320 for shutter speeds you can shoot without IS. I took the f4 route as a way to see if i like the range...with the possibility of upgrading in the future.

Also, with my rs-sport 2...lugging the 24-70 is a no-brainer. don't even notice it.

DreDaze wrote in post #14601647
why not get a 17-55, and a longer prime like an 85mm...why'd you sell the 30mm, it seems like it would've worked well for a couple of your scenarios

+1 had that combo and liked it a bunch

tgara wrote in post #14601624
I'd keep the 24-105 because it is quite a versatile lens, and then get a Tokina 12-24 f/4 for the wide end. I assume you still have the 50D in your gear list, so you can push the ISO up to 1600 or even 3200 without too much worry for indoor/low light shots. And you can always use a flash.

"predominantly indoors" I guess you missed that. 17-50 easily covers this at most indoor venues. You simply dont need 105mm indoors nearly as much as you need 2.8.

the only reason to get the 24-70 is if you plan on FF soon. It's a painfully heavy lens, and a lot of it wont be used by your crop camera. 17-XX is pretty much the sweet spot for crops. Wide enough and good reach too. if you want the ultimate in FL, the 15-85 is it for crops (but not good for LL).

Charlie wrote in post #14602746
"predominantly indoors" I guess you missed that.

Nope. That's why I emphasized High ISO. I guess you missed that. 😚

Sell the 24-105, get the 17-55 and save up for the 70-200 f/4.0 and you will be set!

The 17-55 is a phenomenal lens. Super sharp and very fast accurate focusing; in those 2 areas it holds its own with the Ls.
The 17-55 build quality is not up to L standards, but it is still quite good. It is not weather sealed and the zoom ring has inconsistent resistance as you turn it, and of course it had no red ring, but other than those minor short comings, it is great.
(I wouldn't consider build quality a minor difference if I was talking about a 50mm f/1.8 or an 18-55, but the 17-55's build quality is very good, even though it is slightly sub L)

Sell the 50D and get a 5DII.

hairy_moth wrote in post #14603258
Sell the 24-105, get the 17-55 and save up for the 70-200 f/4.0 and you will be set!

Totally agree.
But the cons is if you one day buy FF camera, you must sell 17-55

That's not much of a "con". The 17-55 is a lens that will probably easily keep its value. Buy used, sell used...

Paolo.Leviste wrote in post #14603643
Buy used, sell used...

Again, I must agree with this

thanks everyone for the thoughts thus far. please, keep them coming, i want to make this an informed decision, but partly based on everyone's experiences.

Charlie wrote in post #14602746
and a lot of it wont be used by your crop camera.

not sure what you mean by this?

tgara wrote in post #14603234
Nope. That's why I emphasized High ISO. I guess you missed that. 😚

i try not to take my 50D above 1600, as 3200 is subject to quite a bit of noise, that even LR3 cant remove.

hairy_moth wrote in post #14603258
Sell the 24-105, get the 17-55 and save up for the 70-200 f/4.0 and you will be set!

70-200 is out of the question for now.... it would definitely not be a frequently used lens

Keebert wrote in post #14603290
Sell the 50D and get a 5DII.

not in the plans, at least for a while. i have the repayment period for my grad school loans coming up in a couple of weeks.

i still wonder why did you get rid of you sigma 30mm?