Help choosing a lens!

Asa182

Asa182

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Asa
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Hello clever 'toggers!

Right, basically I've spent the last few weeks (maybe months!) trying to decide on a lens to buy before going to Australia with my folks on holiday.

I may never get to go again and I don't want to waste the opportunity of a lifetime!

Basically I'm wondering what everyone thinks is the best wide-angle to get for landscapes/seascapes? The reason I looked at the lenses listed below is that to save cash I was hoping for a reasonable landscape/portrait lens, (a bad choice of subjects to mix, I know!) although I would be quite happy with just a good wide-angle.

I'm shooting with a cropped-sensor Canon 40D, and the lenses I have been looking at so far are:

-Sigma 17-70 mm f2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM
-Canon EF-S 17-85mm 17-85 f4-5.6 IS USM
or possibly a Sigma/Canon 10-20mm, although one would probably be too expensive...

I did look at some fish-eyes, but I'd rather not get one unless there was a real bargain on offer.

My budget is limited (maybe £400 tops?) and I still wish to get filters and remote controls as well...



Any help is very welcome, thanks in advance!

Here's a couple of example pictures of what I'd like to take:
2895209956

3852817448


(if pictures fail...)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lee_seung_kye/2895209956/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fortphoto/3852817448/

Asa
 
Hello and welcome...

I've had two of the lenses on your list of possibles.

I had the Canon 10-22mm and replaced it with a Sigma 12-24mm. Lenses of this range are great and I use mine more than I use my "standard" zoom but for most people they are less good for general use and portrait shots.

I had the Canon 17-85mm and the range, IS and USM are great but what put me off with the excessive distortion at the wide end. With my copy at least the distortion was so excessive that it was right at the edge of what my software could correct. I replaced it with a Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 which I think is a better lens even though it has a shorter range and no IS or USM.

Sorry to add to the choice confusion but maybe a Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 would be a good choice for you? Sigma do a very similar 18-50mm f2.8 too.
 
Get the Canon 10-22 USM if you can, it's the best ultra wide lens I've ever seen :D

btw, you will need a tripod for a picture like the 2nd one :)
 
Are you only taking one lens :thinking:

I'd go with the Canon 10-22 but only if I had another walkabout lens with me as it's probably too wide for general use.

If I only had one though I'd beg borrow and steal for a Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS but that's well over your budget by the looks of it :(
 
Yeah, I'm unfortunately poor, don't know why I got into all this photography business!

I'm also taking a nifty-fifty, but that's it...how depressing!

I may be able to borrow a 17-40 L or a 24-70 L, but the chances are slim.
Who wants to lend their L lens for a month?!
 
The trouble with the Canon 10-22mm is that it's light fall off, colour accuracy and distortion can be beaten by other lenses, at least that's what I found and why mine went.

I've never used the Canon 17-55mm but I don't think that I've ever read a bad review of it but I think that I'd still have the Tamron and Sigma f2.8's on my shopping list if only because they're smaller and lighter.

I don't think that you can go far wrong with any lens suggested here except maybe the 17-85mm but if you could get a bargain and avoid the widest settings (or ignore the distortion) that'd make a good choice too.

Good luck choosing.
 
Thanks Woof Woof, sounds like good advice. I'm tempted now by the Tamron, seeing as you say the distortion is better than the 10-22.

Do you reckon the Tamron would be significantly better than say, my originally suggested Sigma 17-70? I'm curious to see how much gear I can get for my minimal cash, but obviously I'd rather have a good lens than lots of lens!
 
I've only tried the Siggy 17-70mm once so I can't really say but what I do know is that a lot of people are very happy with this lens.

I was looking for a constant f2.8 so I got the Tamron but if a constant f2.8 isn't that important to you the additional 20mm that the 17-70mm offers might come in handy.

PS. Just to be clear. I find that the Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 has less distortion than the Canon 17-85mm I owned before. I don't think that I had a bad 17-85mm as I've read reviews on line that mentioned the distortion too.
 
Asa182 said:
Cool, thanks for replying.

It's interesting that you replaced two Canon lenses, I'm always being told how 'superior' they are. I shall check out your suggestions soon, thanks again.
Click to expand...

If it has 'Sigma' on it, Woof Woof will reccommend it over anything. Similarly, others will push Canon glass over anything too. In other words, don't take what people will say as gospel.
 
"If it has 'Sigma' on it, Woof Woof will reccommend it over anything."

No I wont. Otherwise I wouldn't own three Canon lenses and a Tamron would I? What I would recommend is looking at options and making informed decisions based on what's right for us.
 
I'm keen on my Tamron 17-50 2.8 (non-IS). If the extra 20mm reach isn't important to you I'd consider it.
 
The thing is, as I already have a 50mm 1.8, I'm not sure I see the point in a zoom that also reaches 50mm. I may as well either have a greater zoom, or something more akin to a 10-20/22.

Can anyone recommend a good wide prime? I've had a browse, but they tend to be either at around 24, which isn't quite wide enough for me, or a fisheye.
 
Ihad the Siggy on my 40D. Really, really liked it. Lightweight, super sharp, fast to focus. Very good value. Reccomended.
 
The widest I have is a 20mm f1.8, basically about 36mm on a x1.6 crop but I think there are a couple of wider small sensor only lenses. I love the wider lenses myself and I'd be happy with a lens in the 10-20mm type range and a 50mm but that choice isn't for everyone.

Maybe we're nit picking the possible lenses too much. Any of the ones mentioned in this thread would probably do nicely and if you want to go beyond 50mm there's the Siggy 17-70mm and the Canon 17-85mm. Canon's newer lenses seem to be getting a better review but I suppose they'll stretch the budget.
 
Asa182 said:
The thing is, as I already have a 50mm 1.8, I'm not sure I see the point in a zoom that also reaches 50mm. I may as well either have a greater zoom, or something more akin to a 10-20/22.

Can anyone recommend a good wide prime? I've had a browse, but they tend to be either at around 24, which isn't quite wide enough for me, or a fisheye.
Click to expand...


I think there are no good wide primes for cropped sensor.
there is a point having 17-55mm because it's more universal, zoom in, zoom out, and then when it's getting dark - get the nifty.

what is your style ? what do you shoot ?
 
Asa182 said:
I mainly just shoot portraits and landscapes, so my 50 does me fine for headshots/medium close ups.
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-Sigma 17-70 mm f2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM

have the f2.8-4.5 version -- love it
if you're on a budget you dont "really" need OS... and 17mm is wide enough
plenty of light in Oz
I have a 72mm Marumi DHG C.PL from "Crooked Image"...£52......"here"
 
ok. then I would get the 17-55mm . because when you shoot people, you don't have the time to mess around. as for lanscapes - 17mm is pretty much ok + you can almost always take a step back or stich the photos together.

that would be my 2p. but if you go for 10-20mm or something like that - still a good choice.
 
Yardbent said:
-Sigma 17-70 mm f2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM

have the f2.8-4.5 version -- love it
if you're on a budget you dont "really" need OS... and 17mm is wide enough
plenty of light in Oz
I have a 72mm Marumi DHG C.PL from "Crooked Image"...£52......"here"
Click to expand...

sounds like a very lovely lens, if the f4 at 70mm is sharp.
 
you don't want to go for a sigma/tamron ?

edit :

just looked into it . as there is no sigma 17-55 f2.8 EX DG HSM , other options seem like downgrading.

2 edit: I thought that you already had the 17-70mm. as you don't - I would really suggest looking into it. If ! the f4 at 70mm is sharp. but the HSM's are amazing so - have a look :)
 
Ultra wide angle lenses are good fun, but they ain't easy to use and are very limited. Personally if you're only taking 1 lens I wouldn't use a UW lens, its too limiting. If I was to chose an UW lens the Tokina AF 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX would be the best lens optically of all the UW lenses out there.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/how-to-use-ultra-wide-lenses.htm

Having done the OZ trip, if I was limited to 1 lens I would go for the canon 17-55mm f2.8, or either of the 2 Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 lenses as they will give you more flexibility as a general walk around lens.

You don't have to look at new lenses either. Ok avoid eBay, because you don't know the history of the lens, but have a look at MPB, Ffordes, Camtech, Mifsuds, Park Camera's etc they have good selection of 2nd hand lenses and you'll get abit more lens for your money and they all have a 3-6 month warranty, so you'll have peace of mind regarding mechanical failure if things go wrong.

Just my thoughts

Peter
 
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