Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

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Simon
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Hi All,

I got myself a secondhand EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, the reviews seemed OK and it meant that I could get a walkabout zoom lens on a tight budget. I've also got a Canon EF 50mm 18 II (nifty fifty) which is superb.

Question is, how to get the best out of the zoom lens? Disappointed with the sharpness against the nifty fifty, so it's been sitting in my camera bag for a little while. I want to give it a fair crack before I decide it's not for me - anyone any tips? Does the lens perform better within certain F-stops for example? If I were to replace it with another zoom of similar range, what to look at? Is it worth perservering with?

I'm taking a lot of family pics at the mo, and also have a Sigma 70-300 APO for big range and the occasional macro... so I've got that end of the scale covered!

Ta, Si
 
The IS kit lens is ok. It's not the sharpest lens ever, but it's light, has a decent wide range and is cheap! Saying that, I rarely use mine....

Eventually, I'll get rid of it and get hold a Tamron 17-50mm f2.8, roughly £200 2nd hand and worth every penny! :thumbs:
 
For best results with the 18-55 IS lens, use it between about 24-35mm at around f/5.6. There are very detailed optical test results here.

If you want to replace it, the Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM is outstanding, but big end expensive. The Canon 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM is also very good, but smaller and cheaper (mainly because it's not f/2.8.)
 
the tamron mentioned above is better than the 18-55, i've done the swap myself
 
Another vote for the tamron. I upgraded to one from the kit lens for my 450D and it is a noticeable improvement. I've also read some good reviews on the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8, which is apparently very similar to the Tamron if you get a good copy. Bare in mind that primes tend to outperform zooms at the same focal lengths if you decide to compare with the nifty fifty.
 
The 18-55mm IS will never be as sharp as the 50mm f1.8. If the 400D came with the Canon DPP software can I suggest you use this to sharpen up the pictures you think need it. This software in absolutely fantastic when it comes to sharpening, it is so much better than photohop you will be amazed and it is so easy to do.
 
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