Advice on Canon lens

[Lazaro Daniel]

This weekend, I decided to purchase the Canon’s 20D kit that comes with the 17-85mm lens. I went to buy it at one local camera shop and it didn’t have it. To my surprise all of the stores in my area were out of this kit, and they don’t know when it will come in.
I don't want to buy the cheaper lens kit. I can buy the body, and for a couple of hundreds more than the 17-85 kit, I can get a 24-70mm F2.8L lens.
Is this a good choice? I know I will be loosing the wide angle. But this lens should be better than the one in the kit, because it is an “L” type and it’s an F2.8, right? Any help or comments will be appreciated. Thanks.

[jamison55]

Both of those lenses are excellent, with the 24-70L being exceptional. Be sure you get a good copy (test a couple of different ones at the store, and ask if they will print out enlargements of shots you take in the store - you are certainly spending enough!). Those who get a good copy of this lens have nothing but praise for it's truly "L" color, contrast, and sharpness!

[Warin]

If your budget allows for the purchase of the L lens, I would do it in a moment! You will also like the faster 2.8 aperature when you hit lower light conditions.

As an asied, I found the 3.5-5.6 of the Nikon 24-120 AFS VR lens to be very restricting in natural light settings, even with the ability to use VR to shoot at slower shutter speeds, so that 2.8 L zoom is really nice. Or you can forsake zoom lenses, and go prime. I currently use a 50mm, 85mm, and 300mm primes. The 50 and 85 are 1.8, the 300 is 4, and I love them. All I need is a good wide angle lens and I will be set! I find I compose more with the primes, and so I wind up with less "snapshots". YMMV.

[Lazaro Daniel]

Thank you, both, for your comments. But Jamison, what do you mean by a good copy of the lens. Is it that some lenses are defective? If that’s the case, what sort of thing should I be looking for, good and bad, once I install it in the camera and start shooting?

[Rhys]

Thank you, both, for your comments. But Jamison, what do you mean by a good copy of the lens. Is it that some lenses are defective? If that’s the case, what sort of thing should I be looking for, good and bad, once I install it in the camera and start shooting?

It seems to me that Canon lenses are less variable in quality than Sigma but it's possible to have both good and bad lenses. Sometimes, I gather, it's a case of keeping returning a lens until you get one that's right. I can't ever remember having this problem with my Nikon lenses or with my Tamrons although the Nikons were better than the Tamrons (hence I went all Nikon with my MF gear).

[speaklightly]

Rhys-

I agree with you that examples of Sigma lenses can be quite variable. The first sample of Sigma's 18-125mm was poor, the next was great.

Sarah Joyce

[D70FAN]

Rhys-

I agree with you that examples of Sigma lenses can be quite variable. The first sample of Sigma's 18-125mm was poor, the next was great.

Sarah Joyce

Sarah,

Glad you tried a second time. From my reading it appears that a poor performing lens is the exception rather than the rule.

[jeisner]

I think the important factor is not that a bad samples got through, but how the ditributors behave.. I have had two bad lenses, a Tamron 70-300 and a Sgima 18-125...

When contacted the Sigma distributor replaced the 18-125 with a good lens on the spot. However the Tamron distributor was nothing but trouble, in the end they 'repaired' the lens and wouldn't replace it. To make it worse when I got it back from repair it was FULL of dust... After repair stage 2 I sold the lens and will likely not buy another Tamron lens, at least for the time being...

I am more than happy with my treatment from Sigma though and will not hold the bad sample against them...

[Lazaro Daniel]

What makes a bad sample of a lens bad? I wanted to get the Canon 24-70mm F2.8L lens at a local store, but they only had one and the wrapping seemed as if it had been undone quite a few times. It gave the impression it had been returned, so I did not buy it.
Most photo stores offer a 10-day return period. So during that testing period, what should I be looking out for to determine if the particular lens is bad or good? Is it the colors—and if it is, what do you compare it with? Is it distortion? What?

[Rhys]

What makes a bad sample of a lens bad? I wanted to get the Canon 24-70mm F2.8L lens at a local store, but they only had one and the wrapping seemed as if it had been undone quite a few times. It gave the impression it had been returned, so I did not buy it.
Most photo stores offer a 10-day return period. So during that testing period, what should I be looking out for to determine if the particular lens is bad or good? Is it the colors—and if it is, what do you compare it with? Is it distortion? What?

Everything. I suggest putting the lens on a tripod and taking a photo of a brick wall - this gives an excellent view of distortion and whether or not the lens can actually focus. You can also check to see which bits of the wall are in focus and which aren't. Then you can take a shot of tree branches against the sky to check for funky colours and vignetting.