Student canon lens purchase help!

[Mwiz226]

Hi there

Im in the market for a canon 17-55mm f2.8 lens, and, this being the first major lens purchase i have ever done, im wondering if anyone can recommend a good value site which is also secure and reliable as i seem to run across prices ranging from £1200 to £680

The lowest price i have found is from onestop digital, but a number of people i know have had bad experiences with them so i am somewhat wary.

I am also happy with a secondhand lens if anyone has any advice about secondhand purchasing?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Matt

 

[KIPAX]

You know the section you just posted this message in? theres a sticky at the top of the page listing all the places to get used canon gear

here >> http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=30638

 

[JohnN]

Welcome to the forum Matt, CameraPriceBuster is a good place to start too : http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/prod66.html

 

[brianp55]

hi matt, welcome to the forum, i have to reccomend kerso of this forum for new canon gear, excellent service.

 

[Al de Man]

That particular lens is a notorious dust-magnet as it draws in a large volume of air every time you zoom in and out, and Canon haven't installed effective filters to prevent particles from getting inside.

Knowing this, you have a choice of either buying a second-hand lens at a discounted price as it has dust inside or buying a new one at full price and putting the dust in there yourself. Any user will be able to tell you that the dust has no visible effect on IQ.

Camera Price Buster currently have this at £769. I would suggest that the second-hand value is under £600.

 

[Matty777]

Get the Sigma 17-50mm f2.8. £539 from CameraWorld and not the dust magnet that the Canon is (I haven't heard any stories to the contary)

IQ similar if not better in some respects to the over-priced Canon.

 

[JohnN]

Just be aware that the Sigma 17-50mm is not compatible with full frame cameras, it is however a brilliant lens and recently produced my current favourite shot.


Planting Sticks by magsnorton, on Flickr

 

[Matty777]

Just be aware that the Sigma 17-50mm is not compatible with full frame cameras, it is however a brilliant lens and recently produced my current favourite shot.

But neither is the Canon as it's an EF-S so assume it's for a crop sensor body. Indeed it is brilliant, though the lens (OS) "going in to sleep mode" kind of scared the life out of me the other day.