18-135 IS STM or 70-200 F/4L USM???

Im upgrading my outdated Rebel 6 MP setup from back in the stone ages and I have recently bought a 7DMII and a Canon 50/1.8. I shoot a lot outdoors of birds, deer, family and dogs, etc.

From reviews, the kit lens sounds nice and versatile, but im wondering if I just bought the 70-200 f/4 L series if id ever want to use the other?? What insight could some of you folks give me?

Thanks!

Get a 70-200/4 IS if money allows, but you will also need a wide angle for family.
Consider buying used lenses if the budget is tight.

I do still have some of the wider angle lenses that I had with my last camera. They are no great Canon glass but at least something to keep me going! I will be on a limited budget to start with.

Thanks for the input!

The 18-135STM is a wonderful and versatile affordable kit lens... but it's not 200mm, it doesn't max out at f/4, and it isn't L quality. How important are all those to you? These two lenses are really different lenses for different purposes.

Do you need f/4? Could you get the 18-135STM and the 55-250STM? That gives you more reach (though less light at the long end), and a massive range.

I find the 70-200 L IS a magic lens, it was always on my 6D. However earlier posts are correct - the 70-200 F4 and 18-135 are quite different. Just to add to your conundrum, how about the 100-400 version 1 for your outdoor shooting - they are almost the same price (in UK) as a 70-200 F4 IS.

I would also opt for the 18-135 STM as it is a great walk around lens and suitable for video also.

So my suggestion is 18-135 STM and the 100-400 version 1 if budget allows!

The Sigma 100-400 is about the same price used as the 100-400 Mk.1 used. Looking at the posts here with that lens, it looks to be a touch better in IQ than the Mk.1

I found the 70–200 f/4L IS to be a great lens for deer in the suburbs.

For birds in flight, however, you will likely want more reach. Check out the 100–400 L II thread for some great examples of what people are doing with it. It looks like a fantastic lens. I've seen a few but not many 100–400L version I's on the used market, which may mean that, three years after the version II was released, the version I is still a great lens so people are holding onto them.

I replaced my 70-200 f/4L with a Sigma 100-400 to get more reach (primarily for air shows) and I love it. No regrets at all.

Mike

SWIFFY wrote in post #18443265
Im upgrading my outdated Rebel 6 MP setup from back in the stone ages and I have recently bought a 7DMII and a Canon 50/1.8. I shoot a lot outdoors of birds, deer, family and dogs, etc.

From reviews, the kit lens sounds nice and versatile, but im wondering if I just bought the 70-200 f/4 L series if id ever want to use the other?? What insight could some of you folks give me?

Thanks!

I'd probably go with the 18-135 in this situation (family & dogs). The 70-200 will always have you hugging a wall 20+ feet away for family and dogs on an APS-C sensor. The 18-135 will be the versatile family lens.

If you want to get into birds & deer, get a 2nd lens, get something longer than 200mm. Look at a 150-600 flavor (a used Tamron or Sigma C would be inexpensive and do the job), or one of the 100-400 flavors (Canon or Sigma; again used).

Very best,

MalVeauX wrote in post #18443472
I'd probably go with the 18-135 in this situation (family & dogs). The 70-200 will always have you hugging a wall 20+ feet away for family and dogs on an APS-C sensor. The 18-135 will be the versatile family lens.

If you want to get into birds & deer, get a 2nd lens, get something longer than 200mm. Look at a 150-600 flavor (a used Tamron or Sigma C would be inexpensive and do the job), or one of the 100-400 flavors (Canon or Sigma; again used).

Very best,

Solid advice.

Thanks everyone so much for your input! Im now reconsidering some things!!!

Agreed with Martin. The 70-200 F4 IS is a magical lens and really, in terms of pure IQ, it's no contest. But for your use case, an 18-135 is probably a better choice, especially on a crop camera.

Or consider a two lens solution. The 18-135 and 70-300L. You can often find the 70-300L used for around $700.

Or the newish Sigma 100-400 already mentioned.

I used to,own the 18-135 is stm and I miss it. It was a great all around lens. Great to throw in a bag to take photos of the team after the game etc.

I think the 18-135 covers outdoor family stuff very well and with a flash indoors.
For birds...I've seen some 1st gen 150-600 for <650 used

I now own the 17-50 2.8 sigma which was a great deal when I bought it and far better in lower light than the 18-135 but I miss the versatility.

While I do not have the EF-S 18-135 IS STM lens, I will say that is a good workhorse lens for shooting everything from wide to short telephoto. You can use that lens for everything from family events, festivals, parades, flower shooting--you name it. It is a walk-around lens. Versatility and affordability are the strong points for the EF-S 18-135mm lens.

The Canon EF 70-200mm f4 L IS is a high-end telephoto lens. It is one of the sharpest telephoto lenses you can get, producing excellent image quality and brilliant colors. It is also an expensive lens, going for around $700-$1,000 on Amazon. It doesn't have the reach for shooting birds. For shooting birds, you will need a telephoto in the 300mm - 400mm range.

I'd say get the EF-S 18-135mm lens for the family shooting, workhorse stuff. For birds and wildlife shooting, look at the Canon 70-300mm L or the 100-400mm lenses in either Canon or Sigma. You will have enough of a zoom overlap for coverage between both lenses. Then for a third lens, I'd go for an ultra-wide in the Canon EF-S 10-18mm lens. You can find some excellent used copies for all three lenses, if you are on a budget.