General Purpose zoom lens for crop and buying from Japan sellers

I am planning to buy a lens to complement Sigma 30mm 1.4. I am considering 18-55 is stm kit lens (good range, silent focus for video, IS, updated optics). I got curious after checking the price for Sigma 17-50 on ebay. There are lot of Sigma 17-50 lens on Ebay from Japanese sellers with very reasonable price. Are there any known issues from these sellers I need to aware. Looks like, it is similar to canon 17-55 which is recommended by Brian and others.
http://www.the-digital-picture.com …General-Purpose-Lens.aspx

Get the 18-55. Sometimes that foreign stuff is returned gear, and you'll have a hell of a problem trying to return it to Japan if there is something wrong with it.

Heya,

If on a budget, get the 18-55 STM.

If your budget is larger, get a 17-50 F2.8 from Tamron/Sigma.

Very best,

Hi Adharr and Martin,
Thanks for the reply. I bought Sigma 17-50. I started following thread for lens sharpness test.
https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1367658

It looks fine with my limited skill set. You are right about potential issues for trying to return it to Japan. Buyer needs to pay for shipping back to Japan. It is a risky transaction. I should have gone with canon 18-55 STM lens instead.

Any one familiar with square-trade warranties for Ebay purchases. Do they cover focusing issues as well. Buying square-trade warranty looks like a better option than dealing with Japanese seller for returns/warranty work. I still have option to buy 3 year ebay warranty for $50. They will cover all shipping expenses unlike Sigma where buyer has to send the item. Is it worth it?.