whats the best zoom lens for £150-£200.

so if i can manage to prise the cash out of the wifes tightly clenched fist, £200 max, im planning on buying a zoom lens, preferably new, for my 600D. Now i would like a decent focal length for shooting nature/birds/landscape but am at a loss as to what to do....sigma, tamron, canon or other.
over to you fellas, whats your thoughts

Gotta get the semantics straight here. By "zoom" do you mean, variable focal length - that is, something like 70mm-200mm, or 12-24mm - or do you mean a telephoto, where the lens is magnifying faraway things?

The Canon 10-22mm is technically a zoom lens - as opposed to a prime lens which is a fixed focal length - but it's certainly not a telephoto.

I like the Sigma 17-70 f/2.8-4 OS Macro. It's got a nice zoom range for most daily walkabout and holiday use, but it maxes out at 70mm so it's not a long telephoto, not great for birds or sports or other faraway action.

You gotta give us a little more to go on.

oh now then thats a good point....i presume telephoto lenses do more or less the same as a variable focal lens but in a different way?.....i have never dabbled with telephoto so am a bit green behind the ears regarding them. i actually meant variable focal length but i suppose i am now open to all options finances permitting.

A zoom lens is a lens that zooms in and out, just like most lenses nowadays. A telelens is a lens that's "zoomed in" a lot, the kind you want for subjects that are far away. A telelens isn't necessarily a zoom.

The canon 55-250 is a pretty nice telelens that fits in your budget.

Long zoom for birds etc.
I use the EFS 55-250 it's cheap and good for the money. If you can, then get the new STM version.

Wide zoom for landscape?
How do you want. A typical 18-xx is ample.
For super wide you want the 10-22

what lens/lenses do you currently have?

right off the bat, i'd say the 55-250mm...whichever one will fit your budget...IS, or STM

Heya,

With your bugdget:

Kit EF-S 18-55 II IS ($75~100?) - This is your landscape/nature lens.
EF-S 55-250 II IS ($100~$150?) - This is your wildlife, nature, bird lens.

Alt: Tamron 18-200 or Sigma 18-250.

Very best,

the new 18-55 IS STM seems to be far better than the older 18-55 IS and you also get a real focus ring

thanks for your thoughts and input chaps. at the moment i only have the stock 18-55mm lens....looking like the canon 55-250 it is.

You might be able to find a used Tamron 70-300 in that range too.

I used the 55-250 for a good long time.

popsandme wrote in post #16668609
thanks for your thoughts and input chaps. at the moment i only have the stock 18-55mm lens....looking like the canon 55-250 it is.

It really is a nice lens for the money. Lots of members here rate it as one of the top 3 "band for your buck" lenses available.

I do enjoy mine quite well. It's versatile for walking around shots and can give you decent reach on subjects further away. The IS feature is a nice bonus.
Here's a thread to check out what folks on this forum were able to do with one:
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=459569

Try to get the new 55-250mm IS STM. It is much nicer than the older IS or IS II versions. It is a little over your budget, but for only a little more money you get more sharpness, a non-rotating front element, and the excellent STM auto focus.

Jessops £299 http://www.jessops.com …6-is-lens-89468/show.html

55-250 STM Review: http://www.the-digital-picture.com …-f-4-5.6-IS-STM-Lens.aspx

also while it will probably be more, this lens could be a possibility:
http://www.dpreview.co​m …-superzoom-for-aps-c-slrs that is if you aren't in a rush.

msowsun wrote in post #16670010
Try to get the new 55-250mm IS STM. It is much nicer than the older IS or IS II versions.

Agreed.
I like using the EFS 55-250, and it gives me decent pictures.
But... if was buying one today I'd get the newer STM version.

Thanks for all the advice everyone.....i opted to buy the efs 55-250mm f4_5.6 IS II. First impressions are its a great bit of glass for the £200, plus i managed to squeeze two 16gb sd cards out of them as part of the deal as well. Looking forward to sharing the pics with you all.