30D and lens question?

Hello Everyone!

I'm this close to pressing the order button on a 30D. I currently shoot with a S3. I love the range of zoom on it.

My only worry about getting a 30D is all of the lenses I'll need to satisfy the wide end and the zoom end.

How many of you leave one lens on your camera ~90% of the time that takes care of both ends of the zoom range?

I was looking at both of the different "walk around" lenses Sigma and Tamron make.

-Tamron 18-250
-Tamron 18-200
-Sigma 18-200

What are your thoughts on getting a 30d and one of these "all around" lenses to start with? Will I be happy with the range? Maybe later down the road I can invest in one of the wider angle lenses and a longer lens. I just want something to get started with that I can use for a while.

Thank you so very much for any opinions you care to share concerning these "walk around" lenses!

The 30D is a fantastic camera! It can get expensive when you want to shoot a wide variety of subjects. I use a Sigma 17-70mm and a 100-400mm L, besides the kit lens these are currently the only lenses I use on my XTi. I really do not know much about the walkaround lenses you have posted. I think they are ok, but you would probably benefit from at least a combo of a wide zoom and another lens in the long run.

i have my tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 on 90% of the time. I was looking into the L lenses but not at this time. either canon 17-40L or the canon 17-55mm 2.8 IS. Pretty much the tamron satisfy me enough. gluck!

chris.

Chris Ho.. Just curious.. This is my second time seeing someone post about the "L" lens. Can you explain what that means?

fiveFPS wrote in post #3953696
Chris Ho.. Just curious.. This is my second time seeing someone post about the "L" lens. Can you explain what that means?

The L designates Canon's professional series of lenses.

snatiep wrote in post #3952175
My only worry about getting a 30D is all of the lenses I'll need to satisfy the wide end and the zoom end.

BTW, there is no "zoom" end. Zoom means the focal length changes. You mean telephoto end or the long end.

As for the 18-250/18-200 lenses. Be aware that lenses with such ranges tend to have serious deficiancies compared to zooms with less range and are much worse compared to primes. They will be slower and will be worse at most FL, and at wide apertures than a professional series zoom like a 70-200L, 24-105L, 24-70L or 16-35L.

gooble wrote in post #3953880
As for the 18-250/18-200 lenses. Be aware that lenses with such ranges tend to have serious deficiancies compared to zooms with less range and are much worse compared to primes.

+1 - Most people coming from the Compact Digital camera crowd are quick to look for a single, "do-it-all" lens to mount onto their new dSLR - this concept might've worked with a compact camera like the S3's 36-432 mm (FF equivalent) lens, but the larger and more complex sensor of a dSLR will clearly show the deficiencies inherent in a 'compromise lens' design.

In short, Jack-Of-All-Trades lenses end up being Master Of None.

To properly cover the 18-200mm range, count on at least two (if not three) quality zoom lenses. Save up if you have to; it'll still be cheaper than having to replace gear you bought in haste.

Whilst this is normally the case, a friend of mine has just invested in a Tamron 18-250mm lens to complement his Sigma EX 18-50 f/2.8, and Tamron 90mm macro lens (so he knows what good glass is), and within its limitations he's really happy with it.

If you plan on shooting outdoors mainly, and don't mind using a flash indoors, then they're not too bad, and should be a good way of getting into using an SLR as opposed to a compact / bridge camera.

I have the Sigma 18-200. Yes, it is a budget lens. Yes, it does not have the image quality of lenses that cost three times as much. Yes, it's not very fast (especially at the long end). But it really does offer a huge degree of convenience. And the results it delivers can be superb. Check out my thread about my Jekyll & Hyde lens.

If you're coming from a P&S background, I would agree with goatee that this is a good way of getting into SLR photography. Get hold of ExposurePlot or something similar and look at what sorts of photos you take, so that you can see where the lens is holding you back. For example I did this plot which suggested I could do with something wider than 18mm and something longer than 200mm.