Canon Eos 1000d - Wide lens

[marky65]

Hi

I have recently joined and this is my 1st post (apart from my intro), so please be gentle with me

As the title says I have a Canon Eos 1000d with a Canon Zoom Lens EF 38-76mm 1:4-5.6 lens and a Canon Zoom Lens EF 75-300mm 1:4-5.6 USM

I tend to use most of the automated settings but am learning how to focus manually.

I enjoy taking landscapes and some buildings and I am looking for a wide lens and my budget is limited to £200. I read PhotoPlus regularly and in the November 2011 issue there is a feature from Sigma who have listed 3 lenses 18-50mm f/2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM, 50-200mm f/4-5.6 DC OS HSM & 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro and I am thinking of getting one of these but am really unsure as to which one to get as I don't want to make the wrong choice and waste my money.

So my question is, which one would you recommend or if none of these could you recommend an alternative for a similar price.

Also, just though of another question, who would you recommend that I purchased the lens from (in Plymouth we only have Jessops & LCE so not spoilt for choice). I am happy to buy online

Sorry if this has rambled a bit but wanted to make sure I gave enough info but if I haven't please ask me to provide it

Thanks for your help

Mark

 

[gunnar]

Welcome to TP, Mark.

To your question, In your budget I'd recommend buing Canon EF-S 18-55 IS, it's cheap, sharp and makes a good walk around lens - from wideangle to short portrate.

If you want to go even wider, you'll need to expand your budget towards ultra wideangle lenses like Sigma 10-22, Canon 10-20, Tokina 11-16. Or, if you are ok with fully manual prime lens - Samyang 14mm, it consts about £250. But 18-55 IS is a must have for beginner IMO - buy it, use for a while and then deside whether you need wider lens.

PS

I tend to use most of the automated settings but am learning how to focus manuall

I'd recommend the other way around - learn to control exposure (AV, TV, M modes) and use autofocus. Besides, your camera (like most modern DSLRs) is not designed for manual focusing.