Can someone talk me out of buying the Canon 17-55 f/2.8?

chris321

chris321

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Right, after a fairly disastrous attempt at shooting indoors yesterday, I've decided that I need a much faster kit-lens replacement. I've narrowed it down to the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8, and the Canon 17-55 f/2.8.

Now, I know there's a big difference in price, and I'm sure the Tamron will do the job, but I'm having major lustings after the Canon! It annoys me that the Tamron zooms the other way to the canon, but I don't know if I'm just nit-picking to talk myself out of buying the Tamron. Is the quality really that much better with the Canon? IS is good, but at fairly short focal lengths will I really need it?

I can just about afford the Canon, but it'll involve raiding my savings, and I don't know if I can justify spending that much on a hobby. Someone please talk me out of the Canon, for my bank account's sake?!

Chris
 
dont do it :lol: :p

no really though i dont know much about the tammy but having had a play on the Canon you cant really fault the quality at this focal length. Im sure your wallet will hate you for a while but it will blow over :)
 
Get the Tamron. Think of it as expanding your skill set, teaching your wrist to turn the other way. It's like teaching yourself to write left handed, or with your feet.

You will be a better person for it..........
 
I've owned both and the Tamron is great for the cash, the motor is lot louder and feels less well built but apart from that its hard to fault.

Just to confuse you further, what about a 50mm f1.8 for when you need a faster lens? Wont break the bank either or how about a flashgun, bouncing a flash off a ceiling or wall would help indoors.

If its time to replace the kit lens though, either the Canon or the Tamron will serve you well, I have the Canon myself and it is really nice lens.
 
I have the Canon but have not tried the Tamron.

It's a good len's and the IS does help. Only thing stopping it from being an "L" is the plasticy feel to it imo.

Has to be your call in the end.
 
I'm not sure what kit you currently have but, I know I would find it hard to justify spending the extra on the Canon when I could spend that elsewhere on things that would most probably make more difference. A really decent tripod for example.
 
Do it. I'm going to collect one tomorrow!
 
Dom_Cabarete said:
though i dont know much about the tammy but having had a play on the Canon you cant really fault the quality at this focal length. Im sure your wallet will hate you for a while but it will blow over :)
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Oh it really will hate me, but if I sell the kit lens it'll help a little......


lawrie29 said:
Get the Tamron. Think of it as expanding your skill set, teaching your wrist to turn the other way. It's like teaching yourself to write left handed, or with your feet.

You will be a better person for it..........
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Sound advice there! That's what I need to hear :D


Hyster said:
I've owned both and the Tamron is great for the cash, the motor is lot louder and feels less well built but apart from that its hard to fault.

Just to confuse you further, what about a 50mm f1.8 for when you need a faster lens? Wont break the bank either or how about a flashgun, bouncing a flash off a ceiling or wall would help indoors.

If its time to replace the kit lens though, either the Canon or the Tamron will serve you well, I have the Canon myself and it is really nice lens.
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Thanks a lot, it's good to hear from someone who's owned both! And I suppose it says a lot that you've had both, but only kept the canon.... I'll probably get a 50mm f/1.8 at some point, but I'd like the versatility at the moment. I already have a flashgun, but I couldn't bounce it off anything as it was a massive hall with very high ceilings!


hypnotic said:
It's a good len's and the IS does help. Only thing stopping it from being an "L" is the plasticy feel to it imo.
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I've never had a play with L glass, so it'll probably feel very solid to me, so that's not really an issue.


Sam_G said:
I'm not sure what kit you currently have but, I know I would find it hard to justify spending the extra on the Canon when I could spend that elsewhere on things that would most probably make more difference. A really decent tripod for example.
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That's the thing, although I've got a cheap version of the things I want. I already have a cheap tripod, and I don't really use it all that much. I've got a tele lens, a macro lens, a flashgun....nothing top-of-the-range, but there aren't really any gaps in my line-up.


Trixster said:
Do it. I'm going to collect one tomorrow!
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I'm envious :razz: :D

Thanks a lot guys, a long hard think is needed!

Chris
 
For me, spending that much on an EF-S lens would be a big dilemma, as I want to go FF some day. Realistically, taking the price of the 17-55, plus selling my current crop body secondhand would give me enough for a 5D.
 
I have a Tamron 17-50 bought in Nov. 2008. Last Friday it gave me err01 with my 40D and err99 with my 400D. Whenever I mount the lens, the apperture blades close and open. Then the camera will have err message and wont allow me to shoot..

After a few phone calls with Intro2020 (Tamron) and Amazon, I was given the choice of a repair (under warranty) or refund from Amazon. I opted for the latter, and said to myself, this will be my last 3rd party lens ever. I'll stick to Canon lenses with USM.
My Tamron is now packed and will be collected by DHL on Monday.

So sorry to bore everyone with my story.

Now the + side, the Tamron is sharp, the only complain I can make is its slowness when focusing. F2.8 is acceptable, build quality is better than the EF 17-85IS (I owned 1 before).
There are loads of people who are very happy with the Tamron 17-50, I was one til it broke.
Can't comment with the 17-55IS, but from what I've read, its a sharp lens and its quick focusing, drawbacks are high price, not very good build quality for its price, only EF-S fitting, and it sucks dust like a Dyson.
 
Strolls said:
For me, spending that much on an EF-S lens would be a big dilemma, as I want to go FF some day. Realistically, taking the price of the 17-55, plus selling my current crop body secondhand would give me enough for a 5D.
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I am considering at the moment whether FF is somewhere I want to go, and whether getting any more EF-S lenses is a good idea.

On the Tamron side of things, what are you taking pictures of? If you are going to be swapping between your Canon lenses and Tamron lens quite often, is there a chance that you will miss the shot you want because you turn the zoom the wrong way?

Obviously though, if your subjects are that fast moving, then IS type 1 is not going to be any use to you anyway. (I have been very tempted by the canon though...)

Have you considered...
For the price of that lens on camerapricebuster, you could buy the 40D+17-85 IS, or for £60 more, the 50D. The 50D has a maximum ISO of 12800 if that is what you need.
 
Ask yourself this: if you buy the Tamron will your life be complete and you'll be able to forget the Canon forever?

Or will there always be this nagging feeling that you wish you'd got the Canon? If so you'll probably end up with the Canon later anyway, having lost more money on selling the Tamron secondhand...

So buy the Canon and be happy (and broke :p )
 
I'm not looking to move to full-frame at any point soon, so that's not too much of a consideration.

Strobemonkey - can I ask what you're going to get to replace the tamron?

I'm not really looking to upgrade my body soon either, my 450D is more than adequate, and I'm finding the speed of my lenses the limiting factor, not the camera.

I'm worried if I get the Tamron I'll sell it on later at a loss to fund the Canon, I think I'm going to have to go for it! Better start finding things to sell I guess to fund this ever-increasingly expensive hobby!

Chris
 
I have the Tamron, sometimes I think about the Canon, but then I think about the £500 difference in price and the great pictures I have taken with the Tamron.

If you can stomach the extra cost I'm sure you will be very happy with the Canon.
 
The 17-55 is like aids.
The moment you contract it feels amazing, until you realise what has happened and you've unnecessarily got it, when you could have saved your money and got the Tamron.

Or something like that :D
 
Based on this thread, and the Tamron being 500 quid cheaper, and it's only a hobby for you.

Seems like a no brainier.

A decent flash would change your shots more than a lens :thumbs:
 
Well I'd be buying 2nd hand, so it's about a £300 difference....

And I've already got a reasonable flash (430EX), but the kit lens was really struggling, even with the flash.

Love the AIDS reference......I THINK I get it.........?! :D

Chris
 
You haven't put forward a convincing argument for spending all this money just to gain one extra stop! And any optical shorcomings in the kit lens can be fixed for free in the DPP Raw software you got with the camera (you need v3.5 - free download).

But since this is all a feeble excuse for naked gadget lust, I don't suppose you'll be convinced by any objectivity and common sense, so you might as well just buy the Canon. I did, and it's a superb lens. :eek: :D
 
walls said:
you will buy it eventually, so just buy once.
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Well I bought it and sold it, the Tamron more than holds its own against the Canon 17-55 IS IMO.

The Canon will and does suck dust like a pump, there are some well reported issues with the IS and people only turning it only when needed so as to save it burning out.

So there you have it, yes I lusted after, got one but in honesty it aint all that, its a good lens dont get me wrong and it defo' looks the part, but I am more than happy with the IQ of the Tamron and with the price difference bought a Sigma 10-20 also :woot:
 
chris321 said:
Strobemonkey - can I ask what you're going to get to replace the tamron?
Chris
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I'm looking at 24-70, but then again, the canon rumour website says there is a new 24-70 with "IS" coming out .

I'm not in a hurry, so I'll wait a little longer and see what happens. I'll be moving Full frame in the near future. I think its inevitable. People might argue, but this is similar to the dabate last time about "SLR" and converting to "DSLR" .

chris321 said:
I'm not really looking to upgrade my body soon either, my 450D is more than adequate, and I'm finding the speed of my lenses the limiting factor, not the camera.

Chris
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That's what I thought of my 400D, but when I upgraded to a 40D, the focusing speed was like comparing 2ltr engine car to a 1.2. Sorry this doesn't help but I thought I would share it anyway.
chris321 said:
I'm worried if I get the Tamron I'll sell it on later at a loss to fund the Canon, I think I'm going to have to go for it!

Chris
Click to expand...

That's what I thought if I opted for a repair, if I sell the Tamron It will bemuch cheaper and I'll lose money so I opted for a refund.

Just in case, this is the dust cleaning tutorial for a 17-55 IS
 
The 17-55 is like aids.
The moment you contract it feels amazing, until you realise what has happened and you've unnecessarily got it, when you could have saved your money and got the Tamron.

Or something like that :D
Click to expand...


:clap::D:D:D:clap:
 
HoppyUK said:
You haven't put forward a convincing argument for spending all this money just to gain one extra stop!
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I thought I had! Actually reading back, I didn't really elaborate.... I was shooting a taekwondo demonstration. Fast-moving subjects, badly lit hall....f/5.6 was not good! And there's a good chance I'll be doing more of it in the future!


vmlopes said:
I am more than happy with the IQ of the Tamron and with the price difference bought a Sigma 10-20 also :woot:
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Now that's a very good point, I am interested in an ultra-wide angle as well, oooooh the temptation......


strobemonkey said:
That's what I thought of my 400D, but when I upgraded to a 40D, the focusing speed was like comparing 2ltr engine car to a 1.2. Sorry this doesn't help but I thought I would share it anyway.
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for mentioning it, but I'm still in the process of acquiring glass. I'm going to upgrade only where I find there are issues. If I ever find the AF speed of my 450D is the weak point, then I'll upgrade, but right now it the speed of the glass!

Thanks again guys!

Chris
 
chris321 said:
I was shooting a taekwondo demonstration. Fast-moving subjects, badly lit hall....f/5.6 was not good! And there's a good chance I'll be doing more of it in the future!
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IS will be of no help with fast moving subjects, f2.8 will help but depending on the lighting you might need to use a flash as well. Another alternative would be to use a fast prime like the 85mm f1.8.
 
To the Op, if you're shooting fast moving subjects in poor lighting then you might want to consider going prime with USM.
 
simple dont buy the canon buy the tamron, imo you will not be dissatisfied with the quality of the build and the image quality
i have got the tamron and never noticed any hunting for AF even at night

i am afraid budget has to be a big factor for a lot of us, save your money and as already suggested get something else aswell....no brainer imho
 
If you are shooting taekwondo what focal length are most of your shots?
At ~£80 (less for a refurb on fleabay) the 50mm 1.8 from Canon might be better. A lot cheaper too.
 
Most of the shots were at about 30mm, I've got a 100mm f/2.8 that I was planning to use, but I was too close to the action to use it. The USM is a big part of the temptation, but I suppose I could get the Tamron, then a fast prime if it still won't do the job? I was zooming in and out a lot during the demo, as they move around a lot, so a zoom would be preferable.

The nifty fifty is a possibility, but 50mm would have chopped off their feet in a lot of cases...

Chris
 
You frequently zoom in and out and you need fast glass so I think the 24-70L is your ticket. Another lens to consider is EF 28 f1.8 USM as you say most of your shots were at 30mm. I have one and I love it. It focuses very quick and quiet. Faster focusing than my 50 f1.4.

The nifty fifty won't be of much help as it is slow focusing.
 
vmlopes said:
Well I bought it and sold it, the Tamron more than holds its own against the Canon 17-55 IS IMO.

The Canon will and does suck dust like a pump, there are some well reported issues with the IS and people only turning it only when needed so as to save it burning out.

So there you have it, yes I lusted after, got one but in honesty it aint all that, its a good lens dont get me wrong and it defo' looks the part, but I am more than happy with the IQ of the Tamron and with the price difference bought a Sigma 10-20 also :woot:
Click to expand...

so you can hand hold with sharp results at f2.8 and 1/10 and often lower shutter speeds? The tamron hunts like a dog in low light too not to mention some weird stuff going on at the edge of the frame. Yes, the image quality may be on a par with the canon apart from the times when granny is blurred across the frame at christmas and not because she's smashed on bristol cream. So compared to the tamron, it is all that but only if you ignore the price difference.
 
strobemonkey said:
I think the 24-70L is your ticket. Another lens to consider is EF 28 f1.8 USM as you say most of your shots were at 30mm. I have one and I love it
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I'd love a 24-70, I really would! But the £550 for a secondhand 17-55 is pretty much my upper limit, and the 24-70 is a fair bit out of my price range!

The 28mm f/1.8 sounds ideal for what I was doing at the time, but it's a fair bit of money for something that isn't very versatile.....


walls said:
The tamron hunts like a dog in low light too not to mention some weird stuff going on at the edge of the frame.
Click to expand...

I'd heard that it wasn't too bad? Argghh these choices are doing my head in!
 
I think my EF-S 17-55 2.8 front focus a very tiny amount, if that's going to help putting you off.

Then again it is more likely to be my bad camera skills :lol:
 
Picked up a second hand 17-55 today - it's a wonderful lens, so sharp. f2.8 and IS really make a difference. The sigma 17-70 was a big step up from the kit lens and this is another league better. Get one.
 
I am very glad I bought one a quite excellent lens.
If you move to full frame in the future... with the way prices are rising you will get most of your money back when you sell it. They are in great demand second hand.
 
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