new to photography - painful pained decisions! help?!?

Hello Everyone! Thanks for reading! Bit long but thought some background is needed.

I'm new to digital photography, recently bought a used CANON 30D (8000 shots taken so pretty 'new' to me). Went out on the weekend and took some 200 snaps =D with the 50mm 1.8 prime that came with it and love the sharpness and speed of the lens but something is lacking, I'm STUMPED on what I should get for my primary walk around lens.

I'm going to Thialand in June and this is basically the instigator of my buying a DSLR, I like landscape/scenery shots and also want to be able to snap good pictures up and down the streets of Bangkok and Koh Samui.

I loathe bad quality (50mm 1.8 prime is the exception because it takes such great pictures) and originally thought the 18-55mm IS lens from Canon would be what i wanted for my wider needs... BUT I don't think I'll be happy. I am thinking about the 17-85mm but with all the 'haters' bagging out the lens because of its softness make me think otherwise!

Can someone please give me a hand! Thanks a lot in Advance.

Cail from Australia

Have a look at the new sigma 17-70 with OS, the old one pre-OS was rated pretty well.
If you have a look in the lens archive there are a lot of shots.

Have a nice holiday

troutfisher wrote in post #9845766
Have a look at the new sigma 17-70 with OS, the old one pre-OS was rated pretty well.
If you have a look in the lens archive there are a lot of shots.

Have a nice holiday

thank you, I will have a look at the new 17-70 sigma, I wasn't aware that they had an OS version.

If money is no object (which will cost you about AU$1250 ish) then I could whole heartedly recommend the Canon 17-55 f2.8 IS. I had this on my 40D and it was a real joy using it....the only reason I sold it because I upgraded to 5D2...

bajaiman wrote in post #9845800
If money is no object (which will cost you about AU$1250 ish) then I could whole heartedly recommend the Canon 17-55 f2.8 IS. I had this on my 40D and it was a real joy using it....the only reason I sold it because I upgraded to 5D2...

Money is a bit of an object im afraid, although partly because I think I need to learn how to consistently take good shots with a lesser lens, composition, exposure etc before I lash out on a L or competing HQ lens.

At this stage my upper budget is for something used and $400 AU but hoping more around $300 with a lens that has a bit of focal range with a emphasis on wide but also some longer length to play with. I was considering something like:

Sigma 18-50mm 18-50 f/2.8 f2.8 EX
Tamron SP AF 17-50mm F2.8 Di II

but seems like there isn't such a large used market for these, which keeps me coming back to the Canon
18-55mm IS for its cheapness and relatively good reviews
or
17-85mm for its extra long focal length which should help me decide what sort of photography I really enjoy.

Before I had the canon 17-55 f2.8 IS, I was using the Tamron 17-50 f2.8. I used this on my first trip to japan in 07 and the quite honestly to me bang for your buck lens. I had no real complain on the Tamron. The reason I got the Canon 17-55 f2.8 IS coz of the IS and the image on the Canon is sharper wide open compared to the Tamron. Oh...and the autofocus on the Canon 17-55 was and still is the fastest I've ever used even with my current lens collection. The Tamron's AF eventho was not as fast as the Canon's, it was fast enough (I reckon) to do almost all types of shots.

spartan_photo wrote in post #9845859
Money is a bit of an object im afraid, although partly because I think I need to learn how to consistently take good shots with a lesser lens, composition, exposure etc before I lash out on a L or competing HQ lens.

At this stage my upper budget is for something used and $400 AU but hoping more around $300 with a lens that has a bit of focal range with a emphasis on wide but also some longer length to play with. I was considering something like:

Sigma 18-50mm 18-50 f/2.8 f2.8 EX
Tamron SP AF 17-50mm F2.8 Di II

but seems like there isn't such a large used market for these, which keeps me coming back to the Canon
18-55mm IS for its cheapness and relatively good reviews
or
17-85mm for its extra long focal length which should help me decide what sort of photography I really enjoy.

there isn't a large used market because people hang on to them!
at a $300 budget the cheap 18-55IS is good otherwise look at the Tamron 17-50 2.8 or Sigma, IMO wide focal lengths and larger apertures are better
http://www.the-digital-picture.com …&FLI=0&API=0&Le​nsComp=398

Welcome Cail,,my Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 Dii is a brilliant lens,, pity I don't use it all that much but I'll never part with it..

As a general purpose lens it fits the bill nicely..

The tamron 17-50 2.8 is a brilliant lens. Get that along with a 70-200 f4

Or get a 24-105L. A very popular walkaround.

Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 is your boy.

thanks guys, i'll have to have a proper look at the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 - I'lltry it out somewhere so I can see if the focal range is enough for me... I can't help but think I should have something longer than 50mm? I guess thats when people walk closer right?? so the sharpness at 17 is probably worth the trade-off without having the lenght past 50??

Thanks again everyone!

Another vote for the Sigma 17-70 OS. Love mine.

looks like the Sigma 17-70 OS would be a great buy as it seems to get more praise than the 17-85mm IS lens... I have my 50mm 1.8 prime for low light situations, indoors etc and are happy with its performance.

I'm thinking about the Sigma 17-70 DC as this has been replaced with the 17-70 OS and seems to have similar specs (minus OS). Can anyone shed some light? The 17-70 DC should fall withing my budget.