Opinions on lens(es) please!

I'm trying to decide on what lenses to get. I have an XSi with the kit lens. I'm also borrowing a Sigma 17-70mm lens from a friend that I seem to like and might just buy it from him. So below are 3 options that I'm trying to choose from.

1. Keep 18-55mm IS and buy a 55-250mm IS lens.

2. Buy the 17-70mm from the friend and buy the Canon 70-300mm (I was thinking about the 70-200mm but it might not be long enough to shoot wild life).

3. Sell the kit lens and buy Canon 18-200mm (or perhaps something equivalent from a third party company).

I've been wanting a telephoto lens but really don't know what I should buy. Any advice/help is greatly appreciated!

option 1 would be a good route...55-250 is liked by many

If you're wanting to shoot wildlife have a look at something along the lines of the 100-400L IS... IQ will be rather a lot better than the 70-300mm, though it's a bit pricier!

Grimes- yup that's definitely the most feasible (read cheapest route) and I might just go with that and be done with it...for now...

Jim G- Yeah that's way more than what I'm looking to spend right now. I basically want something that will do for now and will definitely upgrade later on.

Exposure101 wrote in post #6567408
Grimes- yup that's definitely the most feasible (read cheapest route) and I might just go with that and be done with it...for now...

Jim G- Yeah that's way more than what I'm looking to spend right now. I basically want something that will do for now and will definitely upgrade later on.

I'd stick with the 55-250mm IS, then - it seems a great bang-for-your-buck lens and you won't have a huge loss when you sell it down the track to upgrade.

Or...
Keep the 18-55 IS and buy the 70-300.

Exposure101 wrote in post #6567309
1. Keep 18-55mm IS and buy a 55-250mm IS lens.

2. Buy the 17-70mm from the friend and buy the Canon 70-300mm (I was thinking about the 70-200mm but it might not be long enough to shoot wild life).

as the 55-250 IS is cheaper than the 70-300 IS, why not keep your 18-55 IS (which is a great value lens by all accounts) and go the 70-300?

as for the 18-200 option, i'd steer clear of that...

oops...sorry for repeating what xarqi said!

55-250 = excellent results for only $280 or so.
70-300 = same results, better quality lens for $500 or so.
18-200 = no need to change lenses, wide to long, some compromises in image quality for $650 or so.

For the XSi, if you're on a budget, the 18-55/55-250 combo has gobs of value. My wife has an XSi with kit lens and with my 55-250 it's a sweet setup.

I think I'd go with option 1. I'd probably would recommend against a 10x zoom. I've seen some nice shots from it but recall a not so hot review from photozone.de.

Thanks for all the advice guys! I think I will just go ahead and get the 55-250mm IS and use it with my kit lens for now.

Sorry I have to bump this thread again guys. I'm deciding between the 55-250mm and the 70-300mm and would like to know if the 70-300 is worth the extra $220 or so.

I've read some pretty mediocre reviews of the 18-200.

People seem very happy with their 70-300 IS lenses- I don't have any personal experience with them though.

If you are shooting wildlife, I guess you have two options in the price bracket you're discussing, the 70-300 IS or maybe a fixed 400- I have no idea what they cost though. I personally vastly prefer a zoom when photographibg animals, but I'd go for a 400 over a 70-300, as the majority of my animal shots are at 400. But the 400 lacks versatility, so you may be better spending your money on a 70-300 IS and then saving up for a 100-400.

When I started building my lens collection, I decided to only add top-notch stuff, so even if I had to wait a while longer, I'd end up with a pro-grade set of gear. I started with a 24-105 and a 100-400, and then filled in the hollow-spots around them with a 17-40 and a 10-20. You might want to consider this sort of thing:

17-40/4 L (walk around- affordable!) THEN
70-200/4 L (also affordable) THEN
100-400 (not so affordable)

And then you'd have one hell of a kit. Get the 55-250 to tide you over while you are saving for the 70-400.

Another vote for the 55-250mm IS choice. I am very impressed with the IQ of the 55-250 (for the money). I previously covered that range with a Sigma 70-300 mm APO, another "affordable" lens, but the Canon 55-250 IS beats the Sigma hands down.