I can buy one new lens for Disney ....

If you're going with the Sigma 30, make sure you give yourself enough time to test the lens. There's a high chance that it won't focus right. I'm sure you don't want that to ruin your trip. I'll say rent the Canon 30L 1.4 instead.

Most shots at WDW are wide angle, or normal range.

On the Safari ride in Animal Kingdom, a telephoto would be handy but it can be difficult to frame the shot if the ride vehicle is moving and bumping around.

The other consideration, besides focal length, is night/inside versus daytime. There will definitley be times, even during the day, when a 1.8 or 2.8 would be handy. Like taking pictures of characters or trying to get a shot on an indoor ride where flash is not permitted.

Some shows, like Festival of the Lion King, have fast moving subjects in low light.

Fireworks are a challenge due to generally needing a tripod.

Another big factor at WDW is weight. You tend to be in the parks all day and what you carry can seem heavier as the day, and night, goes on.

The four theme parks at WDW, the Magic Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom, can each have different situtations.

Have fun and good luck.

If its just pics mostly of your family, then the sigma30 is the way to go, plus you can use it at home too. You are right, 2.8 is not fast enough for home use (at least in my house). My sigma spends the most time on my camera. I had contemplated getting rid of it after getting the 17-55, but that would have been a HUGE regret.

I shoot in the parks all the time with my 17-85 and 50 1.8. They are a great pair although I wish I had a prime that was wider like the Sigma. You can get great stuff with your current lenses, but if you really want to get something I'd go with the sigma for that wider coverage. You may want to consider bringing your telephoto for Animal Kingdom, but otherwise you can use the others. Enjoy your trip to Walt Disney World.

RPCrowe wrote in post #8889098
Get the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens and forego the 55mm "nifty fifty". Use the price of the "nifty fifty" to buy a yop-line CPL.

It always comes back to this lens. I have probably convinced myself to buy this lens a dozen times and always second guessed myself out of it. No matter how you slice it, there just isn't another lens that competes with it. The lack of range has always made me wonder if I would miss my 17-85 too much, yet at the same time my 17-85 just isn't fast enough to be a true one lens solution seeing as most of my shots are of people not static scenery.

I am still considering renting a 17-55 for the trip. That will give me a solid week with a wide range of scenarios to determine if the range is too short. If I decide that I love it, that will make a nice Christmas gift to myself as we will be getting back from Disney the week before the holidays start!

CastMemberJames wrote in post #8890206
I shoot in the parks all the time with my 17-85 and 50 1.8. They are a great pair although I wish I had a prime that was wider like the Sigma. You can get great stuff with your current lenses, but if you really want to get something I'd go with the sigma for that wider coverage. You may want to consider bringing your telephoto for Animal Kingdom, but otherwise you can use the others. Enjoy your trip to Walt Disney World.

Thanks James, that makes me feel a little better about what I have now. Off topic, but I love your avatar!

Ricky09 wrote in post #8889496
If you're going with the Sigma 30, make sure you give yourself enough time to test the lens. There's a high chance that it won't focus right. I'm sure you don't want that to ruin your trip. I'll say rent the Canon 30L 1.4 instead.

Yeah, spotty QC issues have kept me away from the Sigma to this point. To be honest, I'm sort of afraid to rent the 35L because I might like it too much and I don't see me ever being able to afford it.

I realize it's not one of your suggestions, but the 24-105L is the lens I use most when I want to travel light and I'm not sure what I'll be taking pictures of. You can't beat the range of the lens and with IS, it takes better than expected results in reasonable light even though it's a 4.0 lens. I've taken it on trips with my kids who hate when we stop to take pictures and it has never disappointed me. You can add a fast UWA prime to this lens and you're set for the trip.

EcoRick wrote in post #8890921
I realize it's not one of your suggestions, but the 24-105L is the lens I use most when I want to travel light and I'm not sure what I'll be taking pictures of. You can't beat the range of the lens and with IS, it takes better than expected results in reasonable light even though it's a 4.0 lens. I've taken it on trips with my kids who hate when we stop to take pictures and it has never disappointed me. You can add a fast UWA prime to this lens and you're set for the trip.

It's funny that you mentioned that lens because the two lenses I have been waffling between before the Sigma prime entered the picture were the 17-55 and the 24-105. The only thing holding me back is losing the wide end, which I'm not honestly sure I would miss that much. I will actually be playing with a 24-70L a little bit this week, so maybe that will tell me if the 17-23mm range is all that important to me.

Instead of buying, why not rent the lens first?
I would go with renting to test it out first. and then if you get the results that you like while on your trip, then officially buy it.

I am in almost he same prediciment. Just got my 7D ( sold the 500d), have the 55-250, 50 1.8 and now the kit 28-135 IS USM which I have never been a huge fan of (probably never gonna attach it and sell it new anyway), thinking of picking up the Tamron 17-50 2.8 when it comes out as my walk around lens. I am headed to Disney in mid Dec and want to get lots of xmas decoration pics, as I have been to disney 6 times with my wife (married for 5 years) and this is our first Xmas trip down there....

We went to WDW last Aug. 09 and most of the time I used the WA (17-35 f2.8 ) on 1.6x crop body. I also bring the 70-200 2.8 but It's heavy. If I will go back, I will get the 17-55 f2.8 IS and 70-200 f4 IS. This will be light enough.

We're leaving in 10 days for Disney World. I'm planning on carrying the 15-85, Sigma 30 and my 430EX, unless someone can convince me otherwise.

Taken with my Tamron 17-50 on a XTi with a 430EX:

I leave in 11 days for a 9day trip, and just got my Canon 17-55 2.8 IS.... cant wait to get some holiday pictures... Love my some WDW