Another lens question for Canons

[Daisy57b]

If you were just going to buy just one lens for the 20D or the Rebel XT, which one would you get - this would be for a trip to WDW and for home purposes. But for high high quality pictures. I'd want zoom capability and crystal clear sharp pics. So which lens would it be?? I'm looking at a Sigma
18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DC Lens.

Thanks!!!

 

[Kelly Grannell]

that's the one! But that's for high-enough quality. For real high quality you'll need the following:

1. the upcoming Canon 18-55 f/2.8L IS
2. Canon 24-105 f/4L IS
3. Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS

Now, those three lenses have a combined cost of approximately US$4,000. Whereas the Sigma is about $300.

Are they better by at least 100%, yes. Are they really 1,200% better than the Sigma? NO.

Put it this way. When I walk around and I want to travel light, I still use my Sigma 18-125 and love the PQ.

There is another thread where I post different pictures taken using different lenses (70-200 L Canon vs 18-125 Sigma), try to tell the difference. I admit that I can't (and none of the picture was post processed other than minor cropping).

 

[boBQuincy]

Canon 24-85 if you're on a budget or Canon 24-105 if money is no problem.

18-125 is too wide a zoom range for best sharpness. Canon's 17-85 is good but exhibits a lot of CA and has a small maximum aperture on the long end.


boB

 

[mabas9395]

I don't think there is any one right answer to that question, but there will be several very wrong answers. The goal is to make sure you don't pick a wrong answer and to choose the right answer that works for you.

For me, when I go to DL next month, I will be using my Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS as my walk-around lens because for me, it is the right combination of image quality, features and price for the kind of pictures I take. Its not the best lens in any one category (other lenses have better image quality, features or price) but no lens will be tops in all three. Usually having two will require a sacrifice of the third. I chose good in all categories rather than excellent in one, good in another and poor in a third, but that's what works for me.

But if price wasn't an issue, I'd take any of the lenses Kelly mentioned.

btw, I will probably also bring my nifty fifty and my kit lens to have the ability to take lower light and wider angle shots (respectively).

 

[captaincrash]

I would recommend you check FREDmiranda.com ( http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/ ) for enthusiast opinions and insights. And after having said that - IF I had to choose one lense I would have to say in advance that....

... I had a digital rebel for a couple of years and used an 18-55 kit lense and a Canon 28=200 blissfully. Until I read the 28=200 was crap. Then I decided to switch to a 10D because I was getting fed up with 75% depreciation in 2-3 years... so getting a 2 year old body gave me a 75% discount. AND I've got near $5000 sunk into gear so I wanted to tone down my outlay a little for a generation or two. Besides I was perfectly happy with the rebel and would also be perfectly happy with the black magnesium 10D.

So I bought a Tamron 18-200 because of the 6 year warrenty and metal mount. Well... the lense was indeed soft at 160+ and at the same time tack sharp some of the time below that - more so then my 28-200 or 18-55 Canon ever were. So I established that 28-200 and 18-55 were junk. And the 18-200 was unsuitable above 160... plus it strangely missed focus completely more often then the 28-200 ever missed. Yeah, it was sometimes sharper and sometimes missed focus entirely... and totally unsharp at the tele.

So - I decided upon a Canon 20-35; the new Canon 70-300 IS; and a recently purchased Canon 28-105 which has not arrived yet. The former and latter were second hand for a song on Ebay... and the 70-300 brand new from B&H with an extended MACK warrenty. My focal range of coverage with 3 lenses was 20-300 or 32-480 with 3rd generation IS on the long end from 70-300! Yeah... I'm quite happy with my rig now. Except I'm starting to think about a 5D and better L glass .... but that will cost several 1000 more than I really want to spend. Oh well....

If money were no object I would go the L lense route with the F4 24-105 IS. If money matters then get the 28-105.... but be careful to get the right one. The older one had the metal mount and superior optics. The newer one is junk. AND if you're going to invest in lenses at all over the long haul... do yourself a favor and at least avoid the S lenses and APS limiited lenses. This way if the glass is sharp you can still use them when (IF) the industry goes above the APS size to full frame or half way there.

Hope this helps. Read fred miranda and DP review for insights.

Cheers!

 

[Kelly Grannell]

As much as I like the 24-105 L (my boss owns one), I don't find even at 24mm it's wide enough. All my fireworks pics were taken at 17mm.

 

[Daisy57b]

Thanks for all the info!

Kelly - all your firework pictures - where they using the Sigma lens?

 

[Kelly Grannell]

Yup the 18-125 Sigma Lens at f/5.6 IIRC

 

[Daisy57b]

Wow - I keep changing my mind, but at the same time keep going back to that Sigma. I've seen some of your firework pictures and they are just incredible! Thanks for the advice!

 

[Kelly Grannell]

... I had a digital rebel for a couple of years ... then I decided to switch to a 10D because I was getting fed up with 75% depreciation in 2-3 years... Besides I was perfectly happy with the rebel and would also be perfectly happy with the black magnesium 10D."

Other than the build material, there is virtually no difference between Rebel and 10D (I know, I had both and you can use firmware hack to make the Rebel functions 100% like the 10D, so why spend the extra money to "upgrade"? I've used the original 35mm Rebel plastic bodies -- the same construction as dRebel (plural) from 1992 through 2004 with zero problem. Just curious to know.

If money matters then get the 28-105....

28mm on a 1.6 APS-C sensor is equivalent to 45mm lens. That is so very not enough for wide-angle shot. even the 24mm is not enough. You REALLY ABSOLUTELY need 17 or 18 mm as the starting point, or at least 20mm as the starting point. Don't believe me? look at this pic. Taken at 17mm and I can't move back, not even an inch more, still I don't get the whole width I wanted to take.

 

[Metallicat]

Kelly, what do you think about the Canon EF-S 17-85 mm F/4-5.6 IS USM lens?
I want a good walk around lens that will take good clear pictures without a tripod. a lens that I can just stop and shoot a picture with. do you know if that one will take wide angle shots like your fireworks picture?

Also, I purchased a EF 100mm F/2.8 Macro USM lens for pictures of flowers and bugs and stuff. the pictures are never as clear as I would like. any tips? here is one of my flower pictures as an example. Thanks! Linda

 

[Daisy57b]

This is great information! I've narrowed down the lens to two choices.

The Sigma 18-125 Lens at f/5.6 IIRC and the Canon 28-135 Lens. I'm leaning toward the Canon lens because it has image stablization, which I think is important for hand held photography. Can anyone tell me the pros and cons of these?

Thanks for all the great advice!

 

[jenny2]

Ahhh... I'm waiting on my delivery of the Sigma 18-125. It should be here TODAY! I'd been looking at it for a while now and decided to bite the bullet!

 

[Kelly Grannell]

This is great information! I've narrowed down the lens to two choices.

The Sigma 18-125 Lens at f/5.6 IIRC and the Canon 28-135 Lens. I'm leaning toward the Canon lens because it has image stablization, which I think is important for hand held photography. Can anyone tell me the pros and cons of these?

Thanks for all the great advice!

28mm is equivalent to a 45mm lens on a 35mm camera, it's not wide enough. I'd rather have 17 or 18mm rather with no IS rather than with IS but starting at 28mm.

Canon 17-85 IS lens is not the greatest out there, but because of its IS capability, I'd buy it (if I don't already have my 18-125 Sigma).

 

[Kelly Grannell]

Kelly, what do you think about the Canon EF-S 17-85 mm F/4-5.6 IS USM lens?
I want a good walk around lens that will take good clear pictures without a tripod. a lens that I can just stop and shoot a picture with. do you know if that one will take wide angle shots like your fireworks picture?

Also, I purchased a EF 100mm F/2.8 Macro USM lens for pictures of flowers and bugs and stuff. the pictures are never as clear as I would like. any tips? here is one of my flower pictures as an example. Thanks! Linda

Maybe because of the shallow depth of field and slower shutter speed? For macro photography, especially using 100mm lens, I'd recommend about 1/200 shutter speed minimum at f/5.6.

 

[Metallicat]

Thank you. I'll try that.

 

[mabas9395]

Kelly is right that a 28mm on a 1.6 crop camera is not very wide. But whether it is wide enough or not, that is something that only you can decide based on what you shoot. For me, more often I wish for a longer reach than a wider view (which is why I like my 28-135mm). But fireworks at DL is one of those times I reach for my kit lens with its 18mm.

This canon website has a button on the right for "EF Lenses 101". Then it takes you to another site with another button that says "Focal Length Comparison". That gives you a pretty good example of what the same photo looks like at different lenghths (just remember that on your Rebel XT, a 28mm is really about a 45mm equivalent, 28x1.6=44.8mm)

The other part of this link has "Digital Learning Center" which I also highly recommend.

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ProductCatIndexAct&fcategoryid=150

 

[Daisy57b]

So does Canon make a lens that is 17-120ish that has image stabilization? I really would prefer to have the IS since I'll be doing a lot of hand held photography.... Wish there was a lens that had both - wide enough, and zoom, but with IS.

 

[scejas]

CaptainCrash,

I found the website with the lense reviews VERY helpful.. i have decided to buy my first piece of glass. I am going to go ahead and buy the Canon EF-70-200mm f/4 USM based upon reviews and what my primary focus is (mostly daylight photography of landscape, and wildlife -- a couple portrait shots)...

My question now is -- do you recommend buying online? amazon.com ebay.com etc. or finding a local retail store?

Also are there any warrenties that i should look into buying or declining...

 

[Kelly Grannell]

So does Canon make a lens that is 17-120ish that has image stabilization? I really would prefer to have the IS since I'll be doing a lot of hand held photography.... Wish there was a lens that had both - wide enough, and zoom, but with IS.

not yet. Currently that lens is only available from Nikon (18-200 f/5.6 VR)