Replacement for canon 18-55 kit lens

[G_Dem]

Hi everyone,

Got my 400d today and have already decided to bin the kit lens. I am getting a Sigma 70-300 APO but want something to replace the wide kit lens.

My use for it will be mostly car pictures (not motorsport) and the occasional family picture and landscape picture.

I don't really want to spend alot over £100 but would like better build quality than the kit lens. Am I asking for too much or is there something out there?

Should I just get the canon 50mm 1.8 and save up more money for a good wide angle lens?

Thanks for any tips or advice

[Shorn]

Thats exacxtly what I did, nifty fifty from Kerso.

[CT]

I don't think you're going to do any better than the 50mm 1.8 in that price range. I wouldn't say it's impressive build quality, but it's a great price for a fast lens - and one of the sharpest you'll ever own.

[Cobra]

Hi everyone,

Got my 400d today and have already decided to bin the kit lens. I am getting a Sigma 70-300 APO but want something to replace the wide kit lens.

My use for it will be mostly car pictures (not motorsport) and the occasional family picture and landscape picture.

I don't really want to spend alot over £100 but would like better build quality than the kit lens. Am I asking for too much or is there something out there?

Should I just get the canon 50mm 1.8 and save up more money for a good wide angle lens?

Thanks for any tips or advice

Don't be in too much of a rush to bin the 18-55 it's capable of some fine images Well I think so at least :thumbs:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/head.jpg

[whiteflyer]

Remember the kit lens is nowhere near as bad as some say it is, have a look at the shots in this thread on the POTN forum to see what it can really do.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=185522

[G_Dem]

Thanks for that. Some great photos there. I'll get a 50mm and keep the kit lens and give it a chance

[kinchy]

If you are feeling a bit adventurous i can recomend selling your kit lens and getting the ever-popular Sigma 17-70 (http://www.onestop-digital.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=24_28&products_id=273). It only £189 (minus your kit lens price) and it stays on my camera and handles pretty much everythign i throw at it. But if you search this forum there are loads of threads about it with examples.

Just an idea. :D

[Steep]

I think some people are dissapointed with the kit lens on first use because it's also their first use of a dslr and they miss the sharpening and other tricks that compacts do. As said above it's really not a bad lens and you won't get anything else with it's versatility at the price.

That said the 50mm f1.8 should be in everyones kit bag.

[shiny furball]

i'll put another good word in for the sigma 17-70, if you can stretch to this you wont be dissapointed. i take 95% of my pics with this lens.

even if you dont get a 50mm f1.8 now i would definately get one in the future

[kinchy]

Well you can get both for under £250, and seeing as this lens buying milarky is addictive, jsut get them now instead of inevitably getting both of them in the future.

[Amp34]

Don't be in too much of a rush to bin the 18-55 it's capable of some fine images Well I think so at least :thumbs:


Here here, yes the kit lens can be a little soft sometimes but it is still a capable lens. If you only have the 50mm you would really miss the wide end.:)

[Jonnyreb]

What you haven't clarified is why you want to get rid of the kit lens?

If it a worry about the build quality, the nifty is no better.

If you're concerned about the IQ, then dont be.

If you're going to be hampered by the aperture, then £100 isn't going to solve your problems (in a zoom lens)

If its something i've missed then shout ;)

My recommendation would be, if you hang on to the lens, to get a lens hood asap; it will make a huge difference to the contrast. It has always really bugged me that Canon dont provide hoods when they sell a lens in kit form!!!! :bat:

[sepulchre]

My recommendation would be, if you hang on to the lens, to get a lens hood asap

Would you recommend paying the extra for a genuine canon one or going for one of the "For Canon" varieties on the bay?

[Jonnyreb]

Would you recommend paying the extra for a genuine canon one or going for one of the "For Canon" varieties on the bay?

A piece of cardboard would do the job. The Canon ones usually have a black flocking material on the interior which dampens stray light whereas non-Canons tend to be naked plastic which can cause reflections.

Generally though, a hood is a hood is a hood. If its cheap and does the job then use it :thumbs:

[sepulchre]

OK, cheers will grab a cheapo of the bay then :thumbs:

[natjag]

I recently did a shot, using a canon 17-40mm f4 L lens and a 50mm f1.8 complete with no autofocus. The shots on the 50mm are far better than the L series lens, mainly down to miss focusing on the 17-40, so the 50mm is a good bet, but not that great for wide angle shots (obviously).

[G_Dem]

What you haven't clarified is why you want to get rid of the kit lens?

If it a worry about the build quality, the nifty is no better.

If you're concerned about the IQ, then dont be.

If you're going to be hampered by the aperture, then £100 isn't going to solve your problems (in a zoom lens)

If its something i've missed then shout ;)

My recommendation would be, if you hang on to the lens, to get a lens hood asap; it will make a huge difference to the contrast. It has always really bugged me that Canon dont provide hoods when they sell a lens in kit form!!!! :bat:

Mainly the build quality and aperture. I received my sigma 70-300 today and love the build quality and feel (apart from the zoom ring). I definitely think I'll be giving the kit lens a chance and I'll get a lens hood.

If you are feeling a bit adventurous i can recomend selling your kit lens and getting the ever-popular Sigma 17-70 (http://www.onestop-digital.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=24_28&products_id=273). It only £189 (minus your kit lens price) and it stays on my camera and handles pretty much everythign i throw at it. But if you search this forum there are loads of threads about it with examples.

Just an idea. :D

I'll keep that in mind and do some research on that lens. That might be one for the future.

I recently did a shot, using a canon 17-40mm f4 L lens and a 50mm f1.8 complete with no autofocus. The shots on the 50mm are far better than the L series lens, mainly down to miss focusing on the 17-40, so the 50mm is a good bet, but not that great for wide angle shots (obviously).

I'm glad you said that *** I bought the 50mm 1.8 yesterday and should be arriving this week.

I can see this hobby being very very expensive :help:

[Si240]

When I was pondering the same question I chose the Sigma 18-50 f2.8. BQ and IQ are great, would like the further reach of the 17-70 and don't think the slight loss in aperture at the long end would be a problem, but can't fault this lens which has been very well reviewed in the photo press. However, now you've bought the nifty it may be pointless getting a standard zoom. why not look at a good wide angle like the sigma 10-20? their 30mm f1.4 is also very good.

[G_Dem]

Thanks for all the info everyone.
but...... my house got burgled today and my beautiful 400d + the lenses i had + many many others things are gone.

Only had it a few days. :(

[Cobra]

Oh crap!
Thats really bad news. I am sorry to hear about it

[Oz]

Oh ***** - that's not nice at all. Any finger prints or anything left? :(

[G_Dem]

Just a shoe print from a nike trainer. Doubt they'll catch em. About 2.5k of my stuff taken alone - I liked my gadgets and electronic things.

[Moos3h]

The biggest problem with the kit lens is not it's lack of refinement or detail (I've seen some excellent images come from it), it's the handling - it feels cheap, and rather sloppily made. Don't even try and manually focus with it either, there's so much slack in the mechanism, it's very hard to get a decent focus. That said, examples do vary and you might be able to get a slightly tighter version than mine, which felt like a Ford Sierra gearbox.

But for a starter lens to get you up and running, it'll do just fine!

Cheers,
James

[Moos3h]

Whoops, just read the message - very sorry to hear that. Did you have the serial numbers, in case the scrote that half inched them puts them on eBay?

Cheers,
James

[G_Dem]

No don't think so Moos3h unless its on the receipt because they even found and took the box.

[Witch]

Aww that's rough. Sorry to hear that.