want to replace anon 18-55 kit lens.

ok, here is my problem. I am looking to replace my 18-55 kit lens with a better all purpose lens. I have a T2i camera and i shoot mostly foliage, flowers and such. not huge into landscape but now and again i do take some. i love the boken look and the kit lens works ok, but im looking to get a better lens. i just would like a lens i can keep on the camera for awhile without switching to a diffrent lens for a nice lake side shot to a nice boken flower picture. ive looked at the canon 17-40 f/4L and the sigma 17-70 f/2.8-4 but i just cant decide or think of any others that would be better for an all purpose lens for my crop sensor camera. my budget is under $1000. any thoughts, comments, suggestions welcome.

Canon 15-85. Good IQ, a little wider and a good deal longer, and fits your budget. Or the Canon 18-135. It's well made for a cheaper lens, has fast and quiet focus and pretty good IQ, but no full time manual. It's quite a bit cheaper than the 15-85. I would go for the 15-85.

Canon 17-55 f/2.8 Is USM. Have it on my 7d and Rebel and love it!. Should get it for ~$750

the 15-85 is only f/3.5-5.6. The 17-40 is only f/4 (albeit constant). f/2.8 is really going to help with low light shots and nicer bokeh.

marzel wrote in post #15172939
Canon 17-55 f/2.8 Is USM. Have it on my 7d and Rebel and love it!. Should get it for ~$750

where can i find it for $750 even amazon is over $1000, maybe ill just save a bit more but was really looking to go lower then 1000

Why, here on the forums of course!

or you could save quite a bit of money and get the sigma 17-50 f2.8 OS...

I get the impression from reading the OP that he needs range more than aperture so the 15-85, 18-135 STM, and Sigma 17-70 would make more sence for him than one of the 17-5x/2.8 options. The Sigma 17-70 has pseudo macro capabilities at 1:2.7 so it might be the best choice for flowers and Foliage.

I just went from a 550D (T2i) to a 7D, and am planning on getting a 15-85 to be my 'general purpose' lens. I AM considering the 17-55 f/2.8, though... but for my uses I think the 15-85 will be fine.

I'll spend more on nice longer lenses later on

FEChariot wrote in post #15173482
I get the impression from reading the OP that he needs range more than aperture so the 15-85, 18-135 STM, and Sigma 17-70 would make more sence for him than one of the 17-5x/2.8 options. The Sigma 17-70 has pseudo macro capabilities at 1:2.7 so it might be the best choice for flowers and Foliage.

Actually:

Sounds like the OP would like good bokeh. Canon 17-55 f/2.8 = good bokeh.

marzel wrote in post #15173507
Actually:

Sounds like the OP would like good bokeh. Canon 17-55 f/2.8 = good bokeh.

See I read that as blur because he didn't spell bokeh right and I am not sure if he know the difference between blur and bokeh. I I think he was looking for nice images of flowers with the background totally blurred out and getting closer to the subject, more macro, @f4 with a longer focal length will give more blur than a 2.8 lens from further away at least given the 17-70 and a 17-55 for comparison.

OP can you clarify this?

if you'd be ok a bit longer the tamron 28-75/2.8 on a crop is fantastic and about $300 used, $499 or so new . it also focuses very close to the front element for closeups but not quite macro.

ok so i think im just going to go with the new 18-135 stm lens. it might be a 3.5-5.6 but for where and what i want to use it for it would be good. just cant stand how loose and cheap the 18-55 feels

There really isn't much reason anymore to get the 17-40 on crop. The 15-85 is as fast on average over the 17-40 range plus is stabilized, wider and longer. Also for the same price, the Sigma 17-50 is a stop faster, stabilized and 10mm longer.

I would only buy a 17-40 with a crop body if I also had a 5D or 6D as a primary body to pair with my 1.6 crop body so I can use it as an UWA and normal zoom.

I think you will like that 18-135 STM... When you get it- go post some into the sample archives...

https://photography-on-the.net …=1213685&highli​ght=18-135