help me decide: What ef-s lens would you rather have?

I bought my 1st DSLR, Canon xti w/kit lens last month and I also own a 50mm 1.8 II. I am not a newbie to SLR Photography, I owned a Canon Elan IIe for a couple years. The main use for my xti is for people pictures/portraits. I am also interested in landscapes, so therefore a true wide-angle lens would be nice. My wife and I are planning on going home to the Philippines during the summer, so a WA lens would be real nice.

I was thinking of getting the ef-s 17-55mm. I really like the fixed focal length and IS, but the price is pretty steep. For that price I could get an ef-s 10-22mm & ef-s 17-85mm.

I'd like to hear what you guys would rather have.

1) ef-s 17-55mm f/2.8
OR
2) ef-s 10-22mm & ef-s 17-85mm

Personally the extra zoom that the 17-85mm offers doesn't really excite me, but the wide angle of the 10-22 does. But from the research I've done, the ef-s 17-55mm is the perfect walk-around lens to own for xti users.

Thanks and I look forward to your comments & suggestions.

Also note: If money wasn't an issue I'd get the 10-22mm and 17-55mm. But I'd like to keep my next lens purchase around 1,000.

Get the 17-55. Great lens. Very useable. Then see how often you really needed wider. May not need wider very often. Then you'll have some idea of how much value the 10-22 (also a great lens) is.

i would defintly say the 17-55 is much more lens than the 17-85. i say get the 17-55 and save up for the 10-22. or get the cheaper sigma 10-20 which is also good.

17-55 for sure. (assuming that you dont' ABSOLUTELY need wider)
f/2.8 3-stop IS...end of story.

I'm biased toward the wide end. But that's just me. I think you're best served with the 17-55.

Definitely the 17-55. It's the best choice, IMO.

Thanks guys! The 17-55mm is what I was leaning towards as well.

Just make sure you get a good quality UV filter for it, more for protection and for dust.

joysmahal wrote in post #2576491
Thanks guys! The 17-55mm is what I was leaning towards as well.

joysmahal wrote in post #2576349
I bought my 1st DSLR, Canon xti w/kit lens last month and I also own a 50mm 1.8 II. I am not a newbie to SLR Photography, I owned a Canon Elan IIe for a couple years. The main use for my xti is for people pictures/portraits. I am also interested in landscapes, so therefore a true wide-angle lens would be nice. My wife and I are planning on going home to the Philippines during the summer, so a WA lens would be real nice.

I was thinking of getting the ef-s 17-55mm. I really like the fixed focal length and IS, but the price is pretty steep. For that price I could get an ef-s 10-22mm & ef-s 17-85mm.

I'd like to hear what you guys would rather have.

1) ef-s 17-55mm f/2.8
OR
2) ef-s 10-22mm & ef-s 17-85mm

Personally the extra zoom that the 17-85mm offers doesn't really excite me, but the wide angle of the 10-22 does. But from the research I've done, the ef-s 17-55mm is the perfect walk-around lens to own for xti users.

Thanks and I look forward to your comments & suggestions.

i'll go for the superior IQ every time and i while i really don't like UWA lenses you are almost forced to buy one with the 1.6 format because the normal canon zooms (except for the 16-35L) start at 17mm or 18mm.

so i would take the 17-55 without hesitation.

ed rader

The 17-55 and time. Eventually you can get the 10-22 too. After that, the Sigma 50-150 f/2.8, or whatever EF-S lens Canon comes out with to compete.

I have never been satisfied in the long term when I saved a few dollars today by getting less than the best lens quality available. I would rather take longer to accumulate my lens collection and go for quality. It is not cheaper when you end up selling a lens in order to get the lens you should have purchased in the first place.

Do you really need the UWA? If not (and perhaps even so), I'd still probably go with the 17-55. For portraits and people shots, you probably won't find that much of an use for the 10-22.

Collin

17-55IS.... looks like an awesome lens.

What Canon needs is a fast cheap wide EF-S prime. 17-55IS is extremely expensive... the 10-22 isn't exactly cheap either. If they could make a EF-S 12mm f/2.8 for like $350 or so... that'd be awesome for croppers!

The 17-55 is awesome, and for me atleast, is the range I use all the time, so that is where I spent my money on glass. You can can add an UWA later if you find that you are missing shots because what you have is not wide enough.

Why do you need both to be ef-s lenses? If the 17-55 with the 10-22 is too expensive, you could get the UWA with a regular lens.