EF-S 55-250mm vs EF 28-135mm Street Photography

I have a Canon 400D as seen from my signature(obviously with a 1.6x crop factor) I am an amateur photographer that's been using a basic 70-300mm for a little over a year

So I am basically looking at:

EF-S telephoto 55-250mm 4/5.6
vs
EF 28-135mm 4/5.6 (40mm~200mm approx range on 400D)


I am going to be studying in another country for a couple years. I want minimal hassle and only carry one all-around lenses. I will be mainly doing street photography and daily city life, as well as occasional traditional buildings and sights. The 3rd generation IS on the 55-250mm is really enticing.

Issue #1 My only worry is that I may want to a picture of groups of people, and the telephoto is just too narrow? Also, I don't know if I wanna have another telephoto just like last time...because I do need an *all-around* lenses.

Issue #2 How about night or evening photography in the city w/o tripod? Bear in mind, photography is a hobby. I do not have the budget to spend over 300$ on lenses refurbished or on sale, etc.

Thanks!

i would get the 28-135mm because it does come useful when u need to shoot wider

If you're looking for one do-it-all lens. I'd say the 28-135mm. But given you have the 18-55mm already -- I'd maybe say get the 55-250mm and consider bringing two lenses. The only thing is, if you can only bring one lens, the 55-250m (while a great choice) is just too narrow for group shots and daily shooting.

Maybe consider the 17-85mm as well, it's quite similar to the 28-135mm but more suited for crop bodies. You can also easily snag a used/new around $300.

Tamron 18-270 VC
or the Canon EF-S 18-200 IS

Those are the one lens solutions. The 55-250 or the 28-135 will not give any wide angle capability at all.

Keep in mind too that the EF-S 18-55 IS + EF-S 55-250 IS combination actually weighs less than the 18-200 alone and would give you greater range and better image quality at lower price.

P.S.
Ah!!
Sorry - just saw your budget. The nearest solution would be the 18-55 IS + 55-250 IS pair.

If you are only bringing one lens (which is sort of against the purpose of having a DSLR, but I digress), the 28-135 is a more useful range.

dmonk wrote in post #7297464
I have a Canon 400D as seen from my signature(obviously with a 1.6x crop factor) I am an amateur photographer that's been using a basic 70-300mm for a little over a year

So I am basically looking at:

EF-S telephoto 55-250mm 4/5.6
vs
EF 28-135mm 4/5.6 (40mm~200mm approx range on 400D)

It appears to me that you have a very incorrect assumption going on here.

If you think that an EF 28-135 is anything like an EF-S 55-250 on a 400D, you are completely mistaken. There is absolutely no difference in how focal lengths of EF and EF-S lenses work on an APS-C camera.

If you put the EF-S 55-250 on your 400D camera and dialed it to 100mm and focused on a subject at 50 feet, then put the EF 28-135 on the same camera and dialed it to 100mm and focused on the same subject at the same distance and made an image with each, you would have two precisely identical images. The same framing and depth of field would be the same with both lenses set to the same focal length and aperture on the same camera.

The EF-S 55-250 lens, when used on an APS-C camera, has a "35mm equivalent focal length" of 88mm to 400mm, as if that really says anything. It does add to your statements, though to show you an apples and oranges comparison between the two lenses.

First of all thanks to everyone for the quick and informative responses.


And SkipD: Thank you for clearing that up!

SkipD wrote in post #7298691
If you put the EF-S 55-250 on your 400D camera and dialed it to 100mm and focused on a subject at 50 feet, then put the EF 28-135 on the same camera and dialed it to 100mm and focused on the same subject at the same distance and made an image with each, you would have two precisely identical images. The same framing and depth of field would be the same with both lenses set to the same focal length and aperture on the same camera.

The EF-S 55-250 lens, when used on an APS-C camera, has a "35mm equivalent focal length" of 88mm to 400mm, as if that really says anything. It does add to your statements, though to show you an apples and oranges comparison between the two lenses.

SCOTTinNJ wrote in post #7297591
If you are only bringing one lens (which is sort of against the purpose of having a DSLR, but I digress), the 28-135 is a more useful range.

Yep. I think you should consider two lenses as well. I think the 18-55 + 55-250 combo would serve you well. If you really just want to stick with one, the 28-135 would be it.