Replacing my kit lens...

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Rutherfordium

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Lauren
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Hi guys,

I bet you've had this question a hundred times but I'm having a bit of a dilemma. I originally bought a 400D with the 18-55mm kit lens and a 55-200mm Tamron. Because I really like landscape photography, my first 'big' lens purchase was the Sigma 10-20mm f4-5.6, which I absolutely love!

Unfortunately since buying that I've realised the limitations of the lenses I already have, in particular the 18-55mm. I don't do much wildlife photography so I'm quite satisfied with the Tamron for the few zoom shots I take.

My question is, would the Sigma 30mm f1.4 be a good lens to replace the 18-55mm? Or should I go for something with a bigger zoom range that would overlap a bit with my Tamron but be of better quality? I'm really looking for something for people shots (but not necessarily tight portraits) both indoors and out.

Any advice appreciated!

Lauren xx
 
Hi Lauren

The 30mm F1.4 is a fixed focal length so may be good for portraits but wouldnt be a good replacement for the kit lens as it doesnt zoom

I replaced my kit lens with a Sigma 28-70mm F2.8 and its much better :)

Im sure other people will have their own opinion.
Also you didnt say your budget?
 
Sorry, forgot about budget. Anything up to £400 really, if I knew I was getting the right lens, but I'd prefer something in the £200-£300 range.

I realise the 30mm is a fixed focal length, that's why I was asking really, do you think I'd miss the range 20-55mm? Since I got the wide angle lens most of my shots with the kit lens are around the 25-35mm range.

That Sigma does look good, does it give good results in low light levels, portraits etc?

Thanks :)
 
It really depends on what you shoot, if most of your shots are around the 25-35mm range then it might be what your looking for. F1.4 will give good results in low light.

You could keep the kit lens for when you need more or less than 30mm I suppose.

The Sigma does give good results in low light but I suspect that the 30mm F1.4 would be much better for portraits

Best thing to do would be to search for reviews for both lenses on the internet to get some first hand opinions
 
Why not look at the Canon 18-55 IS lens which you can probably get for £80 ish S/H.
Check out the lens review at www.photozone.de I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised at the quality of this lens.
 
Pretty much every post I make is to recommend the nifty fifty... and this one is no different!

I have the Canon 18-55 IS replacement kit lens, and I find it a bit soft, but it is great for the budget. You can usually find one on here second-hand. They're not razor-sharp, but they're OK. My best shots are with the 1.8 50mm Canon though.
 
Thanks for the advice, I'll check out those reviews. I think I'm always keen to get the best kit I can afford, I don't want to feel the urge to upgrade again any time soon!

SwissDot - I've been tempted by the 50mm but I worry it might be a bit 'long' on a cropped sensor to really plug the gap between 18 and 55mm. To be honest at the price it goes for I'd probably buy it along with the 30mm if I went down the prime route.

I hate decisions :)
 
Looking through the reviews I think the Sigma 24-60mm could be the lens for me. I like the idea of having f2.8 through the whole range, and it definitely seems to get better reviews than the 24-70mm. I think I'll buy it as a general walkabout lens and grab a 50mm to try my hand with a prime with minimal risk to the bank balance!

Thanks again everyone, you've been really helpful :)
 
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