suggestions for f2.8 walkaround type lens, long involved babble ahead

[jann1033]

ok i want a f2.8 lens and have no cash to buy it so thinking of selling/trading my fisheye for one on craigslist or somewhere...i think the fish eye was around $550 , great shape still, so any ideas what would be a good comparably priced f2.8 to ask for? i like the range of my 28-135is, a little wider would be nice but it's just not fast enough sometimes, i could go as short as 70 since i have my 70-200. i saw a 17-50 but don't really want to go that short since i have a good 50mm already so would basically only be getting 17-40ish
i like the fisheye but rarely use it and really need a faster walkaround a lot more. maybe i'll get a cheaper fisheye when i have some extra cash.
i was also thinking of the canon 100 f2.8 macro which was the next lens on my list to get but not sure i could get a used copy of that since they are pretty well regarded lenses...could always just sell the fisheye lens and buy the macro or f2.8 since i think they are closer to $400..but any ideas would be appreciated.
i hate selling stuff online but i think i'd lose to much to sell to b&h or the like. any ideas? any one ever sell anything on fred miranda? if so is it a hassle or pretty easy...that site i love for reviews but it intimidates me otherwise never tried ebay for sales either but am afraid there i'd end up with getting $20 for the lens
not sure if i would really like 100 mm enough to use as a walk around. or i guess i could keep the 28-135 as a walk around and use the 50 and 100 as lowlights when i need them. i would guess my major shooting range is over 50 but sometimes i do want that low light wider angle...can't make up my mind obviously.
i have a 100 f 3.5prime/macro that i think is on it's way out( works when it feels like it), 50 mm 1.8, 28-135, 70-200 f4, and kit lens and 100-300 i never use( 3rd party and doesn't work well with digital, guess i should try it with my tripod again sometime) the 28 i have is a sharp copy so i want to keep that for sure and figure the only other i would sell would be the kit which is worth barely anything,

 

[MICKEY88]

after reading all that, I am confused

if you sell on ebay you can put a reserve on the auction so you either get your minimum amount or the lens doesn't sell..

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I'd look at ebay.....you can set a reserve price so it won't go for any less than you want it to. There are ebay fees that you will be charged so you need to take that into account when deciding on your reserve.

Once you register with ebay you'll also be able to take a look at how much auctions for your type of lens have been selling for so you can figure out whether you want to try that route or not. And then if you just sell it outright you'll have a little more time to figure out which lens you do want to buy.

 

[DizzyV6P]

You can also try selling on www.photography-on-the.net/forum
It's a Canon exclusive forum and you might have better luck selling there.

The usual f/2.8 lenses for Canon are:

Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS
Tamron 28-75 f/2.8
Tamron 17-50 f/2.8
Sigma 18-50 f/2.8
Tokina 16-50 f/2.8

I own both Tamrons and found both to be great lenses. The price can't be beat either. You can check prices at the usual places.

Adorama
B&H Photo
Beach Camera
Amazon

 

[jann1033]

i was considering the tamron 28-75. the reviews for it looked pretty good. couldn't remember if that was the one some on here have ( was thinking it was ?-70) and of course couldn't find it in the search. right now the fisheye is on sale new for mid 400s so maybe i oughta wait.

 

[DizzyV6P]

I loved the 28-75, but found it not wide enough for me. I picked up the 17-50 and found it just as sharp with great IQ. I figured I'll use feet zoom to cover that 25mm that I'll be missing now. I'll be selling the 28-75 to a friend and picking up an 85 f/1.8 to add to my collection.

 

[Alztybrn]

I just got back, and used a Sigma 28-70 2.8. It was on my camera 99.9% of the time. It did everything I needed, loved the shots I got from it. Wished it could have been a little wider in a couple of situations, but it was a great walk around lens.

 

[Gdad]

17-55/2.8 is a nice range in my opinion- I am not bothered by the gap between that and my 70-200/2.8.

 

[Groucho]

The Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 is very popular around here (and other places). It's a quite good value at $300-350 or so (not sure what Canon mount versions go for nowadays.) Wider would be even better but I'm not sure if the wider Tamron one has got quite the reputation for image quality than the 28-75mm does.

It is only "decent" build quality though, the zoom creeps if you face it downward (hence the need for a "lock" button when storing it, to keep it at 28mm), and the focus ring feels a bit cheap when using it. But from nearly all accounts, it's better overall than the comparable Sigma (28-70mm I think?) and notably lighter, too.