15-85. Keep it, or sell it?

Opinions and perspectives desired. I have been shooting with a 60D since it came out. My main lens for that camera is the 15-85. About a year ago, I bought a 6D. In that time, I discovered the benefits of fast(er) primes on the 6D. So far I have gotten a 35 IS and a 100 f/2, and have just ordered a refurbished 50 1.8.

I plan to keep the 60D for the extra reach, when needed, with my 70-200 2.8 and 100-400L. I was also going to keep the 15-85 for general use. The 15-85 is an enigma. Since I plan to buy a general purpose EF zoom (24-70 f/4 or 24-105) in the near future, is there any reason to keep the 15-85? The primes I already have are better, even on the 60D, than the 15-85 is. If I sell the 15-85, I can just use whatever EF zoom I buy for the 6D, on the 60D as well. Won't either of these EF zooms provide better IQ (on the 60D) than I get from the 15-85? Is there any point to keeping the 15-85? I'm not wealthy, but I really don't need the $400 or so I'd get from the 15-85.

Any thoughts?

I sold mine, but I also added the 24-105 as my general zoom.

While I love the 15-85, it was already getting less attention due to having the 35mm 1.4 even on my 60D. I just didn't see it getting used much any more.

Heya,

It depends on how much you use the wide end. 15mm on APS-C is equivalent to 24mm on full frame, for field of view. So if you do plan on going to a 24-xxx lens, it wouldn't make sense to still have the 15-85, unless you just enjoyed it for it's overall use on the 60D for "walk around" or "all purpose." On your 6D, a 24-105 basically replaces it.

The 15-85 has great image quality, so the change up will not come from getting a lens that is $400. Other than getting a nice 24mm prime for the wide end that is actually sharp in the corners with good coma control.

Very best,

That is my plan..., I think. Sell the 15-85 and go all EF for glass. I'm kind of leaning toward the 24-70 f/4. But several reviews note RSA (focus shift with aperture change). And the 24-105 is available used for a lot less than the 24-70 4 refurbished.

MalVeauX wrote in post #17023093
Heya,

It depends on how much you use the wide end. 15mm on APS-C is equivalent to 24mm on full frame, for field of view. So if you do plan on going to a 24-xxx lens, it wouldn't make sense to still have the 15-85, unless you just enjoyed it for it's overall use on the 60D for "walk around" or "all purpose." On your 6D, a 24-105 basically replaces it.

The 15-85 has great image quality, so the change up will not come from getting a lens that is $400. Other than getting a nice 24mm prime for the wide end that is actually sharp in the corners with good coma control.

Very best,

This... Mark took the words right out of my mouth.

MalVeauX wrote in post #17023093
Heya,

It depends on how much you use the wide end. 15mm on APS-C is equivalent to 24mm on full frame, for field of view. So if you do plan on going to a 24-xxx lens, it wouldn't make sense to still have the 15-85, unless you just enjoyed it for it's overall use on the 60D for "walk around" or "all purpose." On your 6D, a 24-105 basically replaces it.

The 15-85 has great image quality, so the change up will not come from getting a lens that is $400. Other than getting a nice 24mm prime for the wide end that is actually sharp in the corners with good coma control.

Very best,

1Tanker wrote in post #17023097
This... Mark took the words right out of my mouth.

24L II, or 24 IS? I'd have to get that INSTEAD of a zoom, but the idea is appealing. The 6D is really weaning me off zooms. Well, at the wider focal lengths, anyway. I don't see giving up my 70-200 OS or 100-400L.

Heya,

The 24mm F2.8 IS is a great lens, as is the 28mm F2.8 IS if you wanted to go that route (it's lighter if you care). Then there's the 28mm F1.8 if you want a creative prime that is wide angle, very interesting perspective actually, and different enough from 35mm on full frame to make it worth while. If you want high performance 24mm, without a zoom, you could even explore things like the Samyang 24mm F1.4 prime, it's manual everything, but the 6D is fine for manual focus, and you can do really interesting things at 1.4, and it stops down beautifully of course and has very good corner/coma performance (it beats the 24L in that regard actually).

Then again, now that you're into primes and on full frame, why look at a 24-xxx when you could look at the 17-40 instead? Get something you didn't have before?

Very best,

Already got the 17-40. That was before I discovered that f/2 is A LOT faster than f/4. I guess I should compare my 17-40 at 24mm and 35mm, before I go off buying another zoom I may not want/need. I am such a zoom guy that I never thought that 24mm was much different than 35mm.

The 24 (IS most likely), 35, 50 and 100 cover the general purpose zoom range nicely. I have some thinking to do. And, if I really need something between 50 and 100, I already have the 70-200 OS.

Thanks for the thoughts. I am considering more and different options now. That is why I asked!

I just purchased a 6D to go along with my 7D. I can't let go of my 15-85 -> I just love the 7D/15-85 combination!! In my opinion there is no better walk-around combo. I do have the 6D/24-105 combo as well and likely that's a duplicate, but I just prefer the 7D/15-85. I will keep mine as long as I have the 7D.

Lumens wrote in post #17023287
I just purchased a 6D to go along with my 7D. I can't let go of my 15-85 -> I just love the 7D/15-85 combination!! In my opinion there is no better walk-around combo. I do have the 6D/24-105 combo as well and likely that's a duplicate, but I just prefer the 7D/15-85. I will keep mine as long as I have the 7D.

I really liked my 60D/15-85, too. Until I compared my primes to the 15-85, on the 60D. The 35 IS at f/2 is better than the 15-85 wide open (f/4.5 @ 35mm). I do have to stop down the 100 f/2 to f/2.5-2.8 to get it better than the 15-85 at 85 & f/5.6.

Net yield for both lenses is over two stops of whatever I need (shutter speed, ISO or aperture) and better IQ, too. I am seriously rethinking my need for a general purpose zoom for my 6D.

GeoKras,

I love the 15-85. I've used it on my 60D and now on my 70D (though I still have the 60D as a backup). My wife loves hers on her SL1, even though it's much heavier than the camera itself. We both use the 15mm end of the lens quite a bit and that's why I'd recommend keeping yours as long as you keep your 60D around. If I didn't have it, I would probably be looking for an ultra wide but since I do, I'm quite happy with the 15mm field of view on a crop camera.

I had the 15-85 and loved it. I bought mine new at a great price. The sales person screwed up and sold me a retail 15-85 at the white box price. Anyway, the lens wasn't getting used with my 7D at all and either was the 7D. When I sold it, I also sold my 17-55 which I also bought new. Still have the 7D but wished I had kept the 17-55. I don't regret selling the 15-85. Nice lens but a little ho-hum.

notastockpikr,

Oddly enough, I feel the same way about the 17-55 ("nice lens but a little ho-hum). I do use it indoors to document our newly arrived kitten. It works well for that but I prefer the color rendition and IQ of my 15-85. I realize this isn't the norm. After our kitten becomes a cat, I'll probably sell the 17-55. I bought it "used" but "new in box" at a great price.

I'll keep my 15-85 for as long as I have a APS-C sensor camera. I have a 6D coming (hurry up UPS man, should be here any time now!) with the 24-105 - so the 60D and 15-85 will be the backup combo to the new setup. In good light it's just too flexible as a landscape lens for me to give up.

I'd sell it.

I also kept the 60D, for the same reason. I've never once been tempted to take it out for wide to short tele purposes, because the 6D is so much better.