EF 28-135 IS USM or EF-S 17-85 IS USM

Hi all,

I need some help here. I just bought a Canon 400D (Rebel Xti in N.America) and I am going to get myself a IS lens as a walk about lens.

My main concern for getting either of the 2 lens is to eliminate camera shake with the IS function. I am mainly taking pics of my family and the places we go together.

I cannot decide which one to get?!!!! Help anyone? Any advice? I read that the 17-85 is not as sharp. Any advice from any one who used both of it b4?

Sorry ofr off topicness, but where'de you get a Xti? I see your in Toronto. I'm waiting for bestbuy to get some in.

Ops! I am now in Singapore. It is recently introduced here... I should update my location!

I can't speak for the 28-135, but I do use the 17-85 as my walkabout and am very happy with it. Either one would suite you just fine, both have their advocates, and detractors. Personally, I wouldn't find 28mm to be wide enough for me as my everyday lens, which is why I chose the 17-85.

The two lenses are actually more or less big sister/little sister. When you take the camera crop into account, the 17 - 85 is actually about 28 - 136, while the 28 - 135 is effectively a 45 - 216. The 17 - 85 was designed to give the same working range on a crop camera as the 28 - 135 gives on full frame cameras. For a good general walk about lens, of the two, the 17 - 85 gives a better useful range. It also has a newer IS system than the 28 - 135. The reviews are very mixed on this lens, but generally speaking the more occasional user, those using the lens and camera for family events and the like seem to be happy with it, while more serious photographers with a more keen eye generally do not favor it. It is a good consumer grade lens, if you are not looking to be a pro, it will likely serve you very well.

I owned both lenses once upon a time and tested both lenses at 50mm and 1785 which I kept turns out sharper

JaGWiRE wrote in post #1992763
Sorry ofr off topicness, but where'de you get a Xti? I see your in Toronto. I'm waiting for bestbuy to get some in.

You should look at buying cross-border or searching for canadian sites. Bestbuy is kinda expensive...

I can't speak personally for the 28-135, but I will say that the 17-85 is a good lens, and it's range of focal length will probably be more useful to you on the XTi. 28 mm on a 1.6X sensor is not really wide-angle.

I have the 28-135 and it can give you soft captures. I never had the 17-85, don't own any EF-S lenses. I think the 28mm is not wide as well, but I used that lens for over a year for weddings and events and pictures were good. If I had to do it over again, I may have spent more money for a lens with larger aperture f stop. I had trouble always in low light with the 10D and 28-135 combination. But for a first walk-about lens, I'd think the 17-85 is better.

With your body, get the 1785IS.