Best 'general' lens for 1000D

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jimxms

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Hi all,

As you will probably guess form the following questions I'm a newbie when it comes to photography. I currently own a Canon 1000D with a stock (and probably quite nasty) 18-55 lens.

I am looking to upgrade to a lens that is still capable of reasonably close up photographs, while also offering a fair bit more 'zoom' than my current lens. Fast focus (USM?) and ability to focus under fairly low light would be a bonus as I use the camera for taking pics of the kids a lot (who are always running around in poorly lit rooms). I do have an external flash (Sunpak) that i keep with me so actual photography in low light isn't an issue so much.

Basically I have no idea at all what I should be searching for. I've got a max of £200 to spend (missus orders) and I'll probably be looking for a 2nd hand bargain on ebay.

All help appreciated :)
 
I have a canon 28-135mm IS USM lens which is on my camera most of the time. I bought it for £230 brand new from ebay so i'm sure you could do the same or get a used one for under £200. It's a cracking lens with good quiet auto focus and good image quality.

Another fave is the Sigma 17-70mm which is a cracking bit of kit and you should find one easily for your budjet 2nd hand. I may get one of these myself!

If you do have any money left over try and get a canon 50mm f1.8 Nifty fifty!
 
Cheers for the info Andy - much appreciated. I've just spotted the Sigma you mentioned on ebay and it seems to have slightly better specs on paper than the Canon. What would you say is best, and which one is more sturdy (not a fan of plastacky things - no digs about the 1000D ;))
 
Not so sure about the Canon 28-135, but I've got the Sigma 17-70 and it's a very 'sturdy' lens when compared to the 18-55 IS.
 
jimxms said:
Cheers for the info Andy - much appreciated. I've just spotted the Sigma you mentioned on ebay and it seems to have slightly better specs on paper than the Canon. What would you say is best, and which one is more sturdy (not a fan of plastacky things - no digs about the 1000D ;))
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Well.. the good thing about the Canon is that it goes up to 135mm so with the 1.6 crop sensor in the camera that equates to 216mm actual focal length BUT at the other end 28mm (56mm) isn't as wide as 17mm. The canon is well built and has an Image Stabaliser built in which is good for hand held shots. The image quality (IQ) is good as is the Sigma but i can' tell which is better, they are both good.

The Sigma is very very well built but is heavy. They also come with a hood which the canon doesn't.

If you want to compare images then pop along to the canon website and go to the forum. There is a section there where you can compare lenses.

Here's the link: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=107

Click on the right lens and look at what people have posted then compare to any other lens you want to look at.

Good luck. :thumbs:
 
I wouldn't say the Sigma is heavy at all, the EX version (24-70) is a beast and heavy - could you have got those mixed up Andy?
 
Cheers for all the help guys. I just picked up the Sigma for £160 and have bought a Hoya UV filter for it at the same time.

Just a little O/T question. But what do you guys use to clean your lenses? When the missus gets hold of my cam I often find fingerprints all over it :nuts:
 
dfrear said:
I wouldn't say the Sigma is heavy at all, the EX version (24-70) is a beast and heavy - could you have got those mixed up Andy?
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No. I have never handled a 24-70. My dad has the 17-70 and for the size is heavy. There is a fair bit of glass in it!! It was a while since i handled a Sigma but from alot of reading Sigma's are generally seen as being heavy, probably as they are very robust.
 
jimxms said:
Cheers for all the help guys. I just picked up the Sigma for £160 and have bought a Hoya UV filter for it at the same time.

Just a little O/T question. But what do you guys use to clean your lenses? When the missus gets hold of my cam I often find fingerprints all over it :nuts:
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Get some proper cleaning stuff from a camera shop.....or jessops!:D
 
Cheers. I'll try and take a detour one night. Anything specific I should be looking for though? Microfibre cloths or alcohol based cleaners? Air blowers or brushes? Or a collection of everything :p
 
AndyWest said:
No. I have never handled a 24-70. My dad has the 17-70 and for the size is heavy. There is a fair bit of glass in it!! It was a while since i handled a Sigma but from alot of reading Sigma's are generally seen as being heavy, probably as they are very robust.
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Ah fair enough, I think the new 24-70 is around 750g! Now thats heavy for its size lol
 
a small point about ebay , i would be inclined to look in the classifieds here first instead , many a bargain to be had in my opinion , and a far better experience :thumbs:
 
I use a blower and microfibre, on my UV filters, and so far have not had to use annything more than a blower on the lens itself.
If you use a physical contact item, make sure there is no grit in the way which could cause a scratch
 
jimxms said:
what do you guys use to clean your lenses? When the missus gets hold of my cam I often find fingerprints all over it :nuts:
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Hi and welcome :wave:

I use a glass lens micro cleaning cloth - the cloth you can get from an opticians with your glasses - I "borrowed" the wife's cloth :D
 
Sorry to dig up an old thread guys, but I just wanted to give an update.

I've now got the Sigma 17-70mm lens and its absolutely great for general snapping. However the other task I use my camera for is close-up shots of computer hardware.

Maybe i need to change something on my camera, but the depth of field compared to the stock Canon lens that came with the 1000D is VERY small. Take for example the picture below:

29072330967l.jpg


On my Canon lens I would be able to get almost all of that shot in focus (or roughly in focus) despite the components being at several depths. Is there anything I can change to achieve this on the Sigma lens, or would a lens specifically for this task be a better idea?

Cheers
 
What they said - as it's an F2.8 lens at the wide end, this gives you a small depth of field in comparison to the kit lens. If you put it in Av mode, and turn the clicky wheel until you see F8 or F10 in the viewfinder, you should find that your shots are sharper than a very sharp knife lying on a bed of nails!! :D
 
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