28-135mm or 17-85mm?

I'd like to get a new lens for my Canon XTI. I need a overall good lens but I really would like one that does well with portraits. I was planning on getting a 50mm but also a 28-135mm or a 17-85mm lens. I just don't know which one would be better in my situation. what are some of your opinions?

Do you find yourself shooting more at wide length or at long length?

I shot with both and I think they are pretty good. The 17-85 maybe just a little bit better but not much. You'll be happy with either as a good walk around.

If you use it on 1.6x crop, the 28-135 maybe too long at wide end but it's great at the long end.

I'd like to shoot at wide length more. But what if I got a 50mm on top of one of the others, would it be better to get the 28-135 or the 17-85? Or does it still depend if I want length or width?

if you want to shoot on the wide side more then the 17-85mm is for you... I recenty sold my XTi and 17-85mm, the lens did a good job but it was pretty soft. I tested a few 28-135mm lenses and they are pretty sharp and they are cheaper then the 17-85mm as well. BTW the 17-85 starts at f/4 the 28 starts at f/3.5

I want the 28-135 becuase it will be a good everyday lens for me and the 135mm zoom will be nice.

If you're looking for a one lens solution and need wide, then the 17-85mm is a better choice. I have heard that it has problems with CA on the wide end though if I remember correctly...

Maybe consider a Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 also. It sells for around $300-350 used and has a larger constant aperture (f/2.8 vs. f/4 or f/3.5) and better quality optics than either of the Canon lenses you mentioned. It lacks IS, but that should not be a big deal at this focal length.

The 17-85 has considerable barrel distortion at the wide end. This lens has very good center sharpness, however, the edges get a bit soft.

Nevertheless, my 17-85 has taken some very nice pictures and I am glad I chose it as my first lens.

The 17-85 is designed for your camera format. It's the little brother of the 28-135. It's designed to give you the same view if you are switching from a film camera to a 1.6 crop so you have a very familiar field of view. And for good reason... the 28-135 was a very popular lens for enthusiasts in the EOS film SLR days.

So basically, I would recommend the 17-85 as it's designed and optimized for your camera. I had one and really enjoyed using it. It has great range and the image quality was nice enough for me.