Best general lens for a Rebel (cheap!)

I'm looking for info on the best general all around lens for a rebel for around $200 (new or used). The 24-105 has been discussed positively elsewhere on the forum but is very pricey. How about the Canon Ef 28-105 3.5/4.5 (usm) W/bx? Or the 28-70mm?

Depends

Rachel,

It depends on what kind of images you want to take.

I just shot an event and thought that the 24-70 would be great. It was a very small venue and I could have used a bit longer focal legnth. It was dark and I used flash but some shots were good with available light - bumping the iso up and using 2.8. For landscape work, I find it't too short.

A lens that I used with my 20d was a Tamron 18-200 di lens. I sold it to a friend and another frined liked it enough to buy one for his 30d. It had a version of image stablizer in it and did both wide and long. I bought it to travel and while it was a bit soft focused, I did some nice work with it. Cost wise it was more reasonable that the 24-105 that I think is a perfect compromise between the 24-70 and the 70-200.

The 28-105 or the 28-70 may be okay - they are older versions.

Rachel, if you are interested in a quite well priced mid range zoom, the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 is a very highly thought of lens. I have owned the Canon 24-70L since it came out and its probably my most used lens, but I bought the Tammy for size/weight for a traveling alternative (the Canon is large/heavy) and find I use it quite a lot. On the Rebel, a 28 f/1.8 (Canon) or even a 35/2 would be an excellent lens if you shoot a lot in that range. I use the 50 f/1.4 a great deal for a low light mid range prime on the 5D and used both the 35/2 and 28 f/1.8 on the 1.6x bodies before for a similar 'standard' lens (keeping the 28 to use with the 50 f/1.4 and 85 f/1.8 on the 5D).

Not knowing what range you prefer, its harder to suggest, but a midrange zoom would seem to offer the most.

Diane

The Sigma 18-125 is a great general purpose walkaround for Canon 1.6x crop bodies and can be had for under $250. Strangely though, neither Adorama nor B&H lists it in Canon mount. I wonder if it's been discontinued? Anyway, it provides a 28mm-200mm equivalent focal length range on the 1.6x crop, which is just about ideal.

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

Correction

I did not mean Landscape - I meant travel and walk around!

The 28-105 is what I'm leaning toward....but I did notice the others as well. I was wondering about Tamron, too. I know Sigma is considered good but just wasn't sure about Tamron quality. Thanks!

Rachel Foster said:

The 28-105 is what I'm leaning toward....but I did notice the others as well. I was wondering about Tamron, too. I know Sigma is considered good but just wasn't sure about Tamron quality. Thanks!

Click to expand...

Like Sigma, and even Canon, there are good lenses and not so good. Sigma EX lenses are the better--not sure of Tamron's designations. I have a Tamron 90 f/2.8 macro that is excellent as well as a 17-35 f/2.8-4 that is 'good'. I have several Sigmas--a 15 f/2.8 FE, 12-24, 20 f/1.8 and all of them are really quite good. I think you have to research lens by lens really--and try them in store if possible (this is rarely possible for me).

Diane

Thanks, that's good to know.

I was just rereading this thread and had to laugh at myself. In July I knew how to take the flash off my point-and-shoot and .... nothing else. HA!

Remember that 28mm equates to about 45mm on your 1.6x crop factor — that's not much in the way of wide angle for travel/walkaround stuff.

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

Oh....I didn't know that. This is quite involved, this lens business. Thanks to all for input and help.

Ok, my husband has become a bit interested in photography also (giving him his own Rebel was a stroke of genius!). So, we are sharing lenses.

For a general purpose lens (a walk-around lens that stays on the camera until something more specific is needed) what I've collected (information-wise) so far is

Tamron 18-200
Tamron 28/75 2.8
Tamron 28 f/1.8
Sigma 28/125.

I also read a recommendation for Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras.

Among these...thoughts?

(Of course, my wish list also includes a 60 mm macro....not for a walkaround but I want it!)

Rachel,

Try to see where you are having difficulty in getting what you want. For most purposes, frame wide and also closely. Take two pictures from the same position. That will allow you to see the context of what is important when you are in front of the screen. Are you wide enough? Can you get what you want to fill the screen. That's a balance that's very difficult and we must always struggle with.

When you realize where your lenses are holding you back, only then should you buy more.

An example, if you want to take pictures of a birds through the wire of the enclosure, a longer lens with a wider aperture would allow the birds to be in focus but the wire would not! So if that is what you want to do, a 70-200 f 4.0 L IS used wide open would be perfect and the IS would take care of the increased movement sensitivity of working with longer lenses.

However, without getting limited by your lenses, I'd not buy anything else!

So, are you restricted for what you want to do?

Happy 2008 in photography and spousal photography!

Asher

That's really good advice, Asher. Personally, I only need the 60 mm right now. The problem is that the "spousal unit" (affectionate nickname) only has the 18/55 right now. I'd like him to have something a bit better than that because it just...isn't a great lens.

Hi, Nill,

Nill Toulme said:

The Sigma 18-125 is a great general purpose walkaround for Canon 1.6x crop bodies and can be had for under $250. Strangely though, neither Adorama nor B&H lists it in Canon mount.

Click to expand...

I assume it was discontinued after the introduction of the Sigma 18-200.

There is of course now a Sigma 18-200 OS (optical stabilization). I use it as the "walkin'-around" lens on my 20D. It is very versatile.

Looks like a great lens. I'll have to put my piggy bank in a prominent place if I want that one, though.

Indeed I have the 18-200 OS on my own D400 for walkaround disposition.

Maybe they still make the non-OS version of the 18-200? It would not be nearly so expensive, perhaps about $400 or less.

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

Hi Nill,

So, what do you think of this Sigma 18-200 OS? I imagine it's about f4.0? How does it compare with the 24-105L Canon lens if you know?

Asher

I know the 24/105 goes for about $1500.00.

Hi, Asher,

Asher Kelman said:

Hi Nill,

So, what do you think of this Sigma 18-200 OS? I imagine it's about f4.0? How does it compare with the 24-105L Canon lens if you know?

Click to expand...

Not quite as good in optical performance, but much cheaper and much greater range of focal length. I'm still working on comparing the stabilization performance, but it looks good so far.

Best regards,

Doug