Help me decide...

MadFrankie

MadFrankie

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Gary
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I'm starting to save up for my next lens purchase, (I'm sure you'll all know that feeling :lol:)

I have a 50D, and want an upgrade from my current 15 - 85 lens. I don't plan to upgrade to a full frame just yet so I have got 2 choices in mind:

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM
Canon EF 17-40mm f4L USM

Which one is better for me, or is there a tamron / sigma out there that is a better lens?
 
It really depends on what your going to use it for and whether you need the wide or long end.
For a general walkabout, portraits and the ocasional landscape, I have recently bought a 17-55 f/2.8 and its everything I could have expected and as good as all the reviews I read, its pin sharp and lovely colour reproduction. I sure wont be parting with this one.
 
Sorry, should have mentioned that...

I generally shoot landscape and the occasional portrait, I have a 50mm which I use for most 'still life' shots and a 70-300 for zoom but I hardly use it, so the new lens needs to be a good walkabout and I tend not to actually need to get to the 85 length...
 
15-85 is a fantastic lens. Great range and just about as sharp as the 17-55. The extra couple of mm at the short end makes quite a bit of difference if you like wide-angle stuff.

Basically, if you go for the 17-55 you will lose range, but obviously gain f/2.8. That's the trade, and personally I think it's a good deal (I used to have one) but only if you need f/2.8.

The 17-40L doesn't make much sense on your crop format camera. It designed for full frame, on which it is a fantastic super-wide (I've got one), but on crop format it is like a rather average kit lens, with poor range and no IS.
 
yes as said above, the 17-55mm is a cracking piece of kit. have you also considered the tamron 17-50mm f2.8, really good lens, excellent IQ, and you'll have some money left over for another lens or a replacement for your 70-300mm
 
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