Need advice on next lenses

[shingi]

Hi! I just bought the canon Rebel XT w/ a 28-70mm Sigma f/2.8 ($75) and a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 ($70+s/h)

I'm trynig to decide what I should save up for next...should I replace my 28-70mm with something better? Mainly something like Rhys setup with the Tamron 19-35mm, and the Tamron 28-75(??) both at f/2.8? I'd say that would be a good setup, and then maybe save for a Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8.

Or should I go with the telephoto lens first?? I don't know...

[Chucko]

As always, it depends on what you want to shoot, and your budget. Do you shoot landscapes? Portraits? Candids? Action sports? Still lifes and abstracts? What are your priorities?

For the DSLR novice, I suggest playing around with what you have, then figuring out from the results whether you most want lenses that are faster, longer, wider, more versatile, or just sharper.

Few ever regret buying a better lens than they need. My philosophy is "buy nice or buy twice". There are some bargains out there - the current Canon 50/1.8 is one of them - but not many. Fortunately good lenses in good condition do retain a lot of their value, should you need to sell them. Cheap lenses usually don't retain their value. My experience has been that Canon lenses are usually (but not always) better than comparable 3rd party lenses by Tamron, Sigma, or Tokina. Don't even consider any brand I have not listed here, and especially not the Russian crap on eBay!

If budget is a concern, don't ignore the used lens market. The EOS line has been in production for over 15 years, and there are lots of used lenses floating around that will fit your Rebel XT.

I don't have any experience in the ultra-wide end. For zooms there's the Canon 10-22, Sigma's 10-20, Tamron's 11-18, and Tokina's 12-24, among others. I've heard lots of good things about the Tokina.

By all accounts that Tamron 28-75/2.8 is a spectacular lens for the money - if you can find one. Few stores can keep them in stock for long. The Canon 24-70/2.8 L might be sharper, but it's also more than twice as expensive! In this range, I went for the Canon 28-135/3.5-5.6 IS. It's slow, but it's a very versatile lens, and very sharp. The IS helps make up for the small aperture. I use it as my "walkaround" lens.

Check out Canon's 28/1.8 or 35/2 for use as a fast "normal" lens, for low-light shooting when you need something wider than your 50/1.8. The 35/2 is cheaper and lightweight, one of those bargains I mentioned earlier. I have the 28/1.8.

Since I like to shoot auto racing, my lens collection is biased towards telephotos. My experience over 20+ years of fooling with telephoto zoom lenses on Canon cameras is that the only ones I like have the Canon L red ring. I have never been happy with 3rd party tele zooms.

Fast tele zooms (e.g. anyone's 70-200/2.8) tend to be large and heavy. If you don't need the large aperture, Canon's 70-200/4 L is a lot easier to handle, and just as sharp.

But if you want that f/2.8, and your budget will cover the Sigma 70-200/2.8 new, your best bet might be to find a used Canon 80-200/2.8 L (a.k.a. "The Magic Drainpipe"), which is in the same price range. I have the latter and am very happy with it. It produces spectacular images. I also suggest getting a monopod to support any lens in this range. Your shoulders will thank you.

Instead of a tele zoom, how about a fixed focal length (prime) tele? It will be sharper, lighter, and/or faster for the same money. Of course, the downside of primes is that you need several lenses to replace one zoom.

Canon's 135/2 L and 200/2.8 L are near-legendary for their optical qualities. The 200/2.8 L is readily available used. There are two versions; the only difference is that the older one has a built-in hood, and the newer one's hood is detachable. Canon's 85/1.8 makes a fine portrait lens and is a great lens for the money. I own one myself.

[Rhys]

Hi! I just bought the canon Rebel XT w/ a 28-70mm Sigma f/2.8 ($75) and a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 ($70+s/h)

I'm trynig to decide what I should save up for next...should I replace my 28-70mm with something better? Mainly something like Rhys setup with the Tamron 19-35mm, and the Tamron 28-75(??) both at f/2.8? I'd say that would be a good setup, and then maybe save for a Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8.

Or should I go with the telephoto lens first?? I don't know...

I have a 17-35, not a 19-35. The 17-35 was $350 at KEH.com.
The Tamron 28-75 is a fantastic lens as is the Tamron 17-35. Both are f2.8. I would advise not getting the Tamron 70-300 unless you can get one for $50. It has bad CA at 300mm. I have heard very good reports of the Sigma 70-200 f2.8. My personal advice is never to purchase any lens that doesn't have an f2.8 or wider aperture.

Saving for the Sigma 70-200 seems a good idea. Get the Tamrons secondhand from KEH and all should be well.

[shingi]

I have a 17-35, not a 19-35. The 17-35 was $350 at KEH.com.
The Tamron 28-75 is a fantastic lens as is the Tamron 17-35. Both are f2.8. I would advise not getting the Tamron 70-300 unless you can get one for $50. It has bad CA at 300mm. I have heard very good reports of the Sigma 70-200 f2.8. My personal advice is never to purchase any lens that doesn't have an f2.8 or wider aperture.

Saving for the Sigma 70-200 seems a good idea. Get the Tamrons secondhand from KEH and all should be well.

I agree, and thanks for pointing out it is the 17-35, not the 19-35. I'm trying to always get lenses with aperatures of f/2.8 or faster, since I use f/2.8 on my P & S a lot

[Rhys]

I agree, and thanks for pointing out it is the 17-35, not the 19-35. I'm trying to always get lenses with aperatures of f/2.8 or faster, since I use f/2.8 on my P & S a lot

Tamron makes a 17-35 at f2.8 which costs new around $500
Tamron makes a 19-35 at f3.5 which costs new around $200

The big difference is that the 19-35 is not a Di lens as far as I can see so you might get problems relating to the colours focussing in slightly different places.

Anyway, good luck with your lens collection. Don't make the same blunders as I did. I will admit I blundered badly by getting the Tamron 70-300, the Canon 50 f1.8 and the Canon 18-55 f3.5. Having said that, my star lenses are my Tamron 17-35 and my Tamron 28-75. My future (lusted after) lens is the Sigma 70-200 f2.8 (unless something better comes along first).