Wondering what to buy

Hi there,

What to buy?

I have around $600 - $650 to spend.

I like the sounds of IS in the Canon Lens.

I like sounds of the 17-85 IS, 70-300 IS.

I have a baby coming soon and thinking about the 50 1.8 for $80.

I want to use the zoom lens in the school for plays, I also want to do some railroad train shooting.

Went to a school show a few days ago, the Kit Lens wasn't enough. I was in the back row, about 30-40 feet away from the stage. Someone else was there with what looked like a 70-300 with Hood. The thing looked huge, don't know if the pics. turned out, they were a long ways away and used the flash on the Rebel XT. Don't know if that worked out for them.

For 17-85 IS users, is it ok for indoor shooting? Sounds like the IS would be perfect for it. Would an 85 be enough for inside a gym, or do I need to go for the 70-300?

Sounds like the 70-300 IS would be perfect to shooting the trains with the IS Pan Mode.

Thanks for any info.

the upgrade from 55 to 85 might make a difference if you're in the middle-front section, but im thinking you'll still probably fall short if you're more towards the back. i'd go for something above the 100mm focal length.

how were the lighting conditions? were they good enough for your xt/kit-lens? if not, you'll also need a faster lens. the 5.6 aperture at the long end is the same as the kit lens. you can get a full stop more with the 70-200 f4 L, but you'll have to give it a test try to see whether it's good enough for you.

if you think the 85mm focal length is right for you, you might want to consider the 85mm f1.8 prime. great for low light. no zoom, however, and it's not your model walkaround lens. but it does take great pictures from a better distance.

Thanks for the reply.

The lighting conditions aren't too good in the gym. They don't turn on 25% of the lights. If I was in the front row, I would have had great pics. I had to bump up the ISO to get some pics. Most were still blurry, the kids moved too quick. From my spot, I doubt the flash would have done any good. I found the flash on the XT is good for about 10 feet, maybe 15 feet. Need a faster lens for sure. I don't know how some people were using the big zooms in that low light. Guess I need to try some out.