17-40 f4l or 18-50 2.8 - making the move to Canon

[FreeloaderJoe]

Hey boys and girls,

After my recent nikon disaster i'm looking to move to canon as i have to start from scratch again. Theres no reason for me to stay a nikon user personally, the cameras look more expensife as does the glass!

I want a good short zoom lens for landscapes and a little bit of portraiture. It will probably stay on the camera 90% of the time. I'm not going to be a wash with cash, so around £600 is probably the best i can muster.

All my canon friends are pointing me at the 17-40 l lens, but i can't get past the fact its limited to f4. I really am a creamy bokeh man.

The other alternative is the 18-50mm 2.8

It seems like a better value lens. Which would use choose.

Or should i spank out the credit card and get a 24-105mm with IS?

 

[Ant]

What camera is it that you're looking at? And is the £600 including the purchase of a body?

If not, then 17-55 F2.8 IS sounds about right.

Got the nice wide angle of the 17mm, yet it's got a bit of zoom compared to the other choices you've stated.

 

[aligibbs]

Hey boys and girls,

After my recent nikon disaster i'm looking to move to canon as i have to start from scratch again. Theres no reason for me to stay a nikon user personally, the cameras look more expensife as does the glass!

I want a good short zoom lens for landscapes and a little bit of portraiture. It will probably stay on the camera 90% of the time. I'm not going to be a wash with cash, so around £600 is probably the best i can muster.

All my canon friends are pointing me at the 17-40 l lens, but i can't get past the fact its limited to f4. I really am a creamy bokeh man.

The other alternative is the 18-50mm 2.8

It seems like a better value lens. Which would use choose.

Or should i spank out the credit card and get a 24-105mm with IS?

Hi FeeloaderJoe,

Take a look at my flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alistairgibbs/

Almost all the shots are taken with my 17-40L

 

[FreeloaderJoe]

no £600 on the lens!

 

[LongLensPhotography]

I want a good short zoom lens for landscapes and a little bit of portraiture. It will probably stay on the camera 90% of the time. I'm not going to be a wash with cash, so around £600 is probably the best i can muster.

All my canon friends are pointing me at the 17-40 l lens, but i can't get past the fact its limited to f4. I really am a creamy bokeh man.

If you are after creamy bokeh on crop, then you may want to look at fast primes. f/2.8 standard zoom does look a bit disappointing to me compared to the same lens on 5D. Both 40/50mm lenses are very limiting at the long end so keep that in mind.

17-40mm might work out (there is no reason for 2.8 unless you are mostly using it indoors for concerts, weddings), but also get 85mm f/1.8 USM, or 100mm f/2 USM, 100mm f/2.8 USM macro is just as good and very versatile.
That way you will have nice lenses to move to FF.

24-105mm would be quite sensible move as well.