Lens quandary....help me decide

dubzter

dubzter

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I will shortly be in a position where I can replace my 18-55 kit lens that has served me well for the last few years. So I've drawn up a list of three lenses that fit my budget and could do with a bit of help deciding on which is the best buy.

I mainly shoot landscape, but have dabbled in people/portraits and of course there is always the family snaps. I currently own a Canon 60d with a Sigma 10-20, 18-55 kit, 55-250 kit and 50 f1.8. Sometime in the distant future (if I can afford it) I would consider upgrading to full frame.

So the list goes like this. The prices difference is around £120 between cheapest and most expensive on Panamoz website. Budget is maxed at £600

EF 17-40mm f/4L
EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS
EF 24-105mm f/4L IS

Can you kind folk help me choose the right direction to go? Ideally I'd like to stick with Canon but I'm not averse to looking at third party lenses.
 
if all the choices are simmilar then always go for the faster glass..

BETTER TO HAVE AND NOT NEED THAN TO NEED AND NOT HAVE
My Mum 1970 summat


f2.8 probably no use for landsapes but family pics around the house in ambiant light.. portraits for better dof .... you ahve listed two f4 and one 2,8 so EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS would be my advice.
 
dubzter said:
Anyone with real work experience of these lenses on a 60d able to shed some light on what they prefer an why, pros and cons etc.
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They'll all be fine lenses IQ-wise. It's the features you should be eyeing up - do you want the extra reach of the 24-105mm? Or the wide end of the other two? Does F/2.8 win it for the EF-S, or is there a temptation to go full-frame in the future?

I'd be tempted to go with the 17-40mm myself. It's a more direct replacement, and it's FF if you decide to upgrade down that route. 17mm is a lot wider than 24mm, you'd probably miss the wide end.
 
I have a 7d and the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS This is a great lens producing excellent results. PLEASE NOTE: The EF-S lenses will not work on a full frame camera if you upgrade the camera body at a later date.
 
If I was you I'd pick up the 17-55 f2.8 second hand it's a great lens on a crop. Then if you go full frame you can sell it on for a very small loss as it's already done it's depreciation.
 
The 17-55mm is a superb lens, and the IS and wider aperture makes it a no brainer.....;)

Buy a second hand one, look after it, and if/when you decide to go FF, then you'll lose very little money once you sell it on again!! :thumbs:
 
Rather than the EF 24-105mm IS USM f/4L have you considered the EF-S 15-85mm IS USM f/3.5-5.6?

Just sold mine as I upgraded from a 40D to 5D3 and 24-105mm f/4L, and honestly in some regards the 15-85mm was a better lens - notably the IS seemed quieter in operation and more effective. On a crop body having the 24mm equivalent at the wide end was nice too.

As a walk around lens for an EF-S body I thought it was just about perfect.
 
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tony64 said:
I have a 7d and the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS This is a great lens producing excellent results. PLEASE NOTE: The EF-S lenses will not work on a full frame camera if you upgrade the camera body at a later date.
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a1ex2001 said:
If I was you I'd pick up the 17-55 f2.8 second hand it's a great lens on a crop. Then if you go full frame you can sell it on for a very small loss as it's already done it's depreciation.
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Slimbert said:
The 17-55mm is a superb lens, and the IS and wider aperture makes it a no brainer.....;)

Buy a second hand one, look after it, and if/when you decide to go FF, then you'll lose very little money once you sell it on again!! :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Thorburn said:
Rather than the EF 24-105mm IS USM f/4L have you considered the EF-S 15-85mm IS USM f/3.5-5.6?

Just sold mine as I upgraded from a 40D to 5D3 and 24-105mm f/4L, and honestly in some regards the 15-85mm was a better lens - notably the IS seemed quieter in operation and more effective. On a crop body having the 24mm equivalent at the wide end was nice too.

As a walk around lens for an EF-S body I thought it was just about perfect.
Click to expand...

Cheers folks, the 17-55 does appear to be a great lens and a second hand one might be a good call. They don't seem to crop up that often though :'( well once the pennies are organised I will of course let you all know what direction I have gone. Still struggling to see past that red ring though.
 
In my very humble view I would put forward that the 24-105 may not be the very last word in quality, but it is a good all purpose walk around lens, with quite a bit more reach than the other lenses mentioned.
 
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