Next lens purchase after Canon 50mm 1.8?

Tamron SP AF 24-135mm f/3.5-5.6 AD Aspherical IF for Canon

06/06/2006 06:25:51 PM · #1

So, I think I'm going to step into the digital SLR world and purchase a Canon Digital Rebel XT and, although there is an obscene amount of information out there, it seems pretty clear that I should also buy a Canon 50mm 1.8 lens to go along with it. I'm on a college student budget here, but I was wondering what the next choice for a lens might be. Cheap is good, but if there is some 300-400 dollar lens that is really worth the money I could afford it. I don't have a specific area of photography that interests me the most, but I certainly won't be taking close up pictures of things nearly as much as I'll use it for other things. Also, assuming I'm going to buy the 50mm 1.8 lens should I still buy the 18-55mm that comes with it for the extra money? What would it be used for?

Canon EOS-20D

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

06/06/2006 06:31:29 PM · #2

The Tamron SP AD 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di makes for a lovely walk-around lens and is currently sitting at around $350 with the rebate. Most people would agree that it's worth it.

Tamron SP AF 24-135mm f/3.5-5.6 AD Aspherical IF for Canon

06/06/2006 06:57:47 PM · #3

How about the Sigma 18-125 or Sigma 18-200?

k4rp

Nikon D200

Tokina AF 12-24mm f/4.0 AT-X Pro DX

06/06/2006 07:03:12 PM · #4

Originally posted by mk:

The Tamron SP AD 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di makes for a lovely walk-around lens and is currently sitting at around $350 with the rebate. Most people would agree that it's worth it.

Or a tamron 17-50 2.8

Basically the same lens but a tad more useful for a digital camera. You lose your wide-angle with a 28-75

e301

06/06/2006 07:04:54 PM · #5

Either of those would suit you better I think - and you should check out the Tamron 18-200 while you're at it.

the 50mm is an odd beast - popular I think mostly because of it's price. That 'classic' focal length worked everso well for the full frame cameras, but it's a touch long for its purpose on a APS-size sensor. The real equivalent is the 30mm/28mm stuff.

Personally, I'd forget the 50mm 1.8 - mine's never on my camera - and go with something like the Tamron 17-35 as a first choice, or one of the wide zooms above.

Of course, you may not be shooting what i shoot, so your requirements are probably different :-)

hanneke

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

06/06/2006 07:05:53 PM · #6

Originally posted by k4rp:

You lose your wide-angle with a 28-75

I have that lens too, but why would that be a problem? the guy in the photostore told me the same thing about that lens.

k4rp

Nikon D200

Tokina AF 12-24mm f/4.0 AT-X Pro DX

06/06/2006 07:13:06 PM · #7

Originally posted by biteme:

Originally posted by k4rp:
You lose your wide-angle with a 28-75

I have that lens too, but why would that be a problem? the guy in the photostore told me the same thing about that lens.

With a 1.6 conversion factor the 28mm essentially is a 45mm lens on a 350D. If you multiply 17, you get 27. Now if you consider that 35mm is the "default" angle everybody shoots at, then in my opinion you don't have much wide angle at 45mm.
Especially shooting indoors or architecture, you'll really notice. The same goes for certain types of landscape photography, you can use a wide angle to draw people into your picture.

yido

Canon EOS-5D

Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX Aspherical DG DF RF for Canon

06/07/2006 01:15:50 AM · #8

For the price of a 50mm f1.8 and $300, you can instead get the Sigma 17-70 for about the same price of around $380.
Photozone.de and Popular photography rate the optics of the lens highly.
That would be an excellent starter lens to learn on and grow with.

Tamron SP AF 24-135mm f/3.5-5.6 AD Aspherical IF for Canon

06/07/2006 01:59:10 AM · #9

The Sigma 17-70 looks really nice. Does this mean I should not purchase the lens that comes with the camera?

Everything I've read about the 18-125 or the 18-200 (either Sigma or Tamron) are mediocre. I would love a lens that has great zoom capabilities but if my pictures are going to look a lot better with the Sigma 17-70 it seems like a better bet.

e301

06/07/2006 10:36:32 AM · #10

Seeing as we'd been talking about it, i thought i'd bung up some samples from the Tamron 18-200. It's only been her a day or so, so I haven't got to grips with it yet, but first results:

18mm, wide-open (theoretically as bad as it gets)

Same shot, 100%crop, no edits at all

At 200mm, same scene, but should note that this is a 1/50 exposure handheld, so take it with a pinch of salt.

And a 100% crop of that

A more interesting example of it's sharpness, and it's contrast

And the 100% crop, with a little contrast enhancement.

I can tell you the book she's reading, from this image.

ed

Bud

Canon EOS-550D Rebel T2i

Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM

06/07/2006 11:29:51 AM · #11

I have the Sigma 18-200... great lense to learn with and wonderful if you are only gonna have one lense. As secret plus... the Tamron 2x works with it also:)

But here is an 18mm example from my portfolio...

Here is a 200mm example...

A great deal for the money...
Check here for some other images...
Sigma 18 - 200 lense

k4ffy

06/07/2006 11:31:31 AM · #12

go for the sigma 18-125mm
picked it up for about $260 totally worth it.

06/07/2006 11:39:37 AM · #13

Tamron SP 24-135 3.5-5.6.
Super sharp high quality lens with an excellent overall range and it does macro too. You won't outgrow or replace it for long time, if ever. Great studio lens if you ever advance that far.

You've got the 50 1.8 for low light, so except for a long telephoto or a really wide lens you're good for most anything you want to shoot.

The 18-200 class of lens is a very-consumer lens, optically average. Everything is a compromise - primes are the sharpest, and then as you add zoom range you begine to give up sharpness or add in distortion, etc. Any 10:1 zoom (like an 18-200) is a very big compromise. You may not notice it now, but as your skills and knowledge increase, or if you get to use a real good lens you'll notice the shortcomings and will want to upgrade.

Message edited by author 2006-06-07 11:42:19.

Tamron SP AF 24-135mm f/3.5-5.6 AD Aspherical IF for Canon

06/07/2006 11:40:51 AM · #14

Geez, I fall in love with different lenses every hour.

Does the sigma 18-200 just have better zoom than the 18-125? Are they identical otherwise (aka if I have the extra money I should go for the upgrade)?

06/07/2006 11:45:37 AM · #15

Check some review and rating sites on the lenses you're interestd in:

//www.photodo.com/nav/prodindex.html

//www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/

photozone

Tamron SP AF 24-135mm f/3.5-5.6 AD Aspherical IF for Canon

06/08/2006 11:38:29 AM · #16

Ok, so I'm thinking the Canon 50mm 1.8 and the Tamron SP 24-135 3.5-5.6 are going to be my first lenses then. This seem like a good plan?

ragamuffingirl

Sony Alpha NEX-5N

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

06/08/2006 12:02:57 PM · #17

I recently used a Canon lens that was 70-300 mm. Glenn's Fair Price here in town has it for $300, but I think B&H has it for only around $200. Anyway, it gets mediocre reviews, but I was completely impressed. It produced nice sharp images. Gary at Glenn's did warn it would suck in low light situations, but for outdoor/day light situations it was great! I plan on getting it as soon as I get a little money together.

06/08/2006 12:23:03 PM · #18

Originally posted by ragamuffingirl:

it' soft past 200mm
check out the sigma 70-300 4-5.6 APO DG super macro 2. - $220 or so at b&h last i checked.