Hi everyone,
I want to upgrade my kit lens Canon EF-S 18-55 F/3.5-5.6 IS and Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II with just one lens, cause I don't like changing my lenses all the time. I would like to have one lens convenient for travelling and just everyday use. I shoot with Canon 450D, but I plan on changing it with a 7D body soon.
So, I have read many reviews and articles, and I think I want to buy Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM. Actually there is a used one right now, which I can buy at a very good price, but the only thing that stops me is the 28mm instead of 18mm. I've read many people recommend this lens, but the negative part is that 28 mm is not wide enough - for landscapes and small rooms for exapmle... Please share your experience cause I'm really hesitating right now. I thought I was sure I want to buy this lens, but now something stops me from sending an offer to this guy!
A big dilemma for me, too, as I am a small woman who likes to walk around all day and carrying multiple lenses is so hard on my back . . .
I've contemplated this one (link below) for the same reason but have ultimately decided that continuing to carry multiple lenses for now is more affordable (I buy/sell/trade all used lenses) and gets best results.
I started out with the same lenses that you have. I think you will see a big difference in whatever lens you decide to upgrade to. Those kit lenses are just so so, but they are great to get started with. Good luck with your choice.......there are so many good ones!!
Hi Velina, I have this lens on my 7D body and have been very happy with it as a walk around lens. I usually use it when on holidays and day trips out when Im not sure what Im going to shoot. The 28 mm is pretty wide but of course is never going to get the results of my 10 -22 mm wide angle lens.
I love mine. I use it almost exclusively. I have the kit lens too, but I find with some adjustment on my part, backing up in small areas or changing my POV for landscapes, I am really happy. The quality is great!!!
Have you considered the EF-S 18-200is lens?
If you plan to stick with the APS-C sensor then it might be a great option for you. Personally, I like it better then the 28-135 but build and image quality is about the same. .... its about 12 years newer too. Either one is a great option for a walk around lens (I work for Canon ....shhh don't tell anyone) :)
@timandelke Actually it's one of the options I thought about, but I've read the comparison between 18-200 and 28-135 and they say the second one is better.
@juliehill@photojen3 Thanks, girls, I have read a lot about it, and yes I'm sure it's an awesome lens, the only thing that bothered me as I said, was that 28 mm for a crop camera is not enough.
I think I need some more time to figure it out. Maybe it's a better idea if I upgrade the body first!
@jwn65
Thanks a lot for letting me know! And I won't tell anyone :))))))
Actually it's one of the options I thought about, but I've read the comparison between 18-200 and 28-135 and they say the second one is better. Strange, huh? I know 28-135 is much older, but I didn't see superlative about 18-200mm.
The 28-135 does have the advanatge that if you ever switch to a full frame then you can still use that lens ....you can't with the EF-S. That's probably the main reason why poople knock the EF-S lenses ... and it's something to consider for sure. Lens choice drives me NUTS!!!! ... and I have a decent selection .... thanks to my employers ... my biggest challenge is to figure out which one to take with me .... the photographer in me wants to shoot with primes only but I end up using my 24-105 f4 L when I'm actually out with my camera.
Here's a tip .... put the $$$ in the lenses and then hang on to them ... consider the L series...then up grade the camera every now and then. Most importantly, get out and make some pictures! :)
@jwn65 Thanks, Jim, I really really want a L lens, but I can't afford it right now.. that's why I'm looking for a mid-class lens (if I can use this word), but this one is pretty old as you said. I think I hesitate too much about buying it, so maybe it's not my lens:) 24-105 is surely on my wish list, but it's too expensive like all of the L lenses. I appreciate sharing your opinion a lot, especially since you said you work for Canon. :) And I am also always wondering which one to take with me (18-55mm, 55-250mm, 100 mm macro)! I am keeping the macro lens, it rocks, still struggling with the dilemma how to put the other two lenses into one :)
@jwn65 Ok, I'm sorry for bothering you, but if you had to buy one lens for Canon 7D body (which I hope to get soon) and you had a budget around 600-700$ for the lens, which one would you choose (for travelling, street photography, everyday use)?
And one more question - is it 7D II body coming soon? :)
The 28-135mm was the first lens I bought, after I got my Canon 350D with the 18-55mm kit lens (which back then was unstabilised).
I *hated* it. Really bad focal length on a crop-frame camera (for me, anyway). I was constantly switching between the kit lens and the 28-135mm, because 28mm really is not even slightly wide on a crop-frame camera.
Performance-wise it's OK (although it's now a very old lens, with relatively unimpressive image stabilisation), and it's a great choice if you buy a really old second-hand full-frame DSLR (or even a Canon film camera) and want a lens that doesn't cost the earth. But on a crop-frame DSLR, I'd certainly never recommend it to anyone unless they were absolutely certain they could live with the lack of wide-angle (and if you're doing travel and street photography, I think you'll miss the wide-angle).
The lens that I'd probably recommend, and exactly mirrors the 28-135mm focal length as seen on a full-frame camera, is the Canon 17-85mm. It's cheap, has good IS, has good autofocus, is light, and has a very useful focal range. It's the lens I switched to after putting up with the 28-135mm for about a year, and I was so happy to see the back of it. The 17-85mm lasted me another 5 years and produced some superb photos. However, it might not be telephoto enough for you if you are getting rid of your 55-250mm.
If you want to get one lens that does it all, the obvious choice is the Canon 18-200mm -- you get the wide angle of your current kit lens, and almost the telephoto of your telephoto lens, in a single, light, compact package with great IS. Like all super-zoom lenses, the sharpness and distortion are a little higher than might be desired, but that's often an acceptable tradeoff.
However, I would say that you are making a slightly odd choice to be looking at a top-end camera body like the 7D, and then considering budget, all-purpose lenses. Unless there are some features in the 7D that you are absolutely desperate for, you will almost certainly get a better system by spending less on the camera and more on the lenses -- and decent lenses don't depreciate much, unlike cameras.
The 7D Mark II will almost certainly be announced in the next few months, along with the 70D and 700D. At the moment, the belief is that it's going to be a pro-level APS-C camera targetting sports photographers, probably with a price tag of over $2000.
@abirkill
Alexis, Thank you very much for the detailed explanation, it makes sense in everything you say and it was definitely useful!
I actually don't want an all-purpose lens, I just don't find it necessary to have the 18-55 and 55-250 since they are with poor performance, so I thought about eliminating the inconvenience of changing the lenses. If I could afford 24-105, I would buy it for sure.
I'm not a pro, so I don't need a full-frame. I thought about 7D a lot and I want it, cause I think it's the best crop camera at this moment. I've also considered buying 60D, i really like it. But if I upgrade, I want it to be a big step forward. I don't need to buy expensive lenses if I stay with my 450D, so I thought I start with upgrading the camera first. And I have a 100 mm macro, which is a superb lens and I can use it as a telephoto in some cases.
Anyway, 17-85mm is a wonderful proposal, I will definitely listen to you and consider it. Thank you once again!
Me again ... I agree with Alexis's thoughts on the EF-S 17-85 ... I've used it and it's pretty nice. He's also right that the focal length and lack of wide angle on the 28-135 will drive you nuts. The 17-85 is the digital version of the older 28-135is. Also, if you don't want an all purpose (one lens does it all) then again, the 17-85 makes good sense and probably fits your budget pretty well.
...tip ... the lens should be your first consideration, then the body. The Rebels, 60D and 7D will pretty much give the same image quality because the sensor and processor are the same. If you shoot a lot of sports or crazy fast action, then the 7D is your camera, if not ... lens first.
As for the 7D ....it's going to be around for a while....can't really say more then that. :)
@abirkill@jwn65
What about the focal points then, comparing the 60D and 7D? 9 in 60D vs 19 in 7D? This is one of the main reasons I wanted the 7D more.
Yes, big difference in the focal points ... the 60D has 9 (all cross type) but the 7D is 19 points (all cross type) and you can configure them differently too ...more flexibility. The 7D is a better AF system to the 60D.
When were you thinking of upgrading the camera?
@jyokota Hey Junko, I'm looking at buying the lens you referenced here (used from a friend). Did you ever get it? I have a kit 75-300 lens and I want a replacement that is high quality glass for that length. Otherwise, I may just need to save up for the 100-400 L series. @abirkill Alexis, I bought a 7D Mark II and I'm considering the lens that Junko mentioned above in her comment. Would you have any advice? I love action, so birds, sports, etc. But I don't have the funds yet for a longer length nice lens. Now that I have the proper shutter speed, I just want to optimize the sharpness of the shots I take. Seems like focus has been an issue with the lens Junko mentions. Would love advice from either of you!
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I've contemplated this one (link below) for the same reason but have ultimately decided that continuing to carry multiple lenses for now is more affordable (I buy/sell/trade all used lenses) and gets best results.
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-70-300mm-f-4.5-5.6-DO-IS-USM-Lens-Review.aspx
Check out this lens, it's won lens of the year and has a great zoom range
http://www.tamron.com/en/news/2011/0815.html
If you plan to stick with the APS-C sensor then it might be a great option for you. Personally, I like it better then the 28-135 but build and image quality is about the same. .... its about 12 years newer too. Either one is a great option for a walk around lens (I work for Canon ....shhh don't tell anyone) :)
@simon0128 @archaeofrog Thanks a lot for your suggestion, I've read some opinions and reviews, and it's not bad, but I prefer a Canon lens.
@paula365 Thanks a lot, Paula!
@timandelke Actually it's one of the options I thought about, but I've read the comparison between 18-200 and 28-135 and they say the second one is better.
@juliehill @photojen3 Thanks, girls, I have read a lot about it, and yes I'm sure it's an awesome lens, the only thing that bothered me as I said, was that 28 mm for a crop camera is not enough.
I think I need some more time to figure it out. Maybe it's a better idea if I upgrade the body first!
Thanks a lot for letting me know! And I won't tell anyone :))))))
Actually it's one of the options I thought about, but I've read the comparison between 18-200 and 28-135 and they say the second one is better. Strange, huh? I know 28-135 is much older, but I didn't see superlative about 18-200mm.
Here's a tip .... put the $$$ in the lenses and then hang on to them ... consider the L series...then up grade the camera every now and then. Most importantly, get out and make some pictures! :)
And one more question - is it 7D II body coming soon? :)
I *hated* it. Really bad focal length on a crop-frame camera (for me, anyway). I was constantly switching between the kit lens and the 28-135mm, because 28mm really is not even slightly wide on a crop-frame camera.
Performance-wise it's OK (although it's now a very old lens, with relatively unimpressive image stabilisation), and it's a great choice if you buy a really old second-hand full-frame DSLR (or even a Canon film camera) and want a lens that doesn't cost the earth. But on a crop-frame DSLR, I'd certainly never recommend it to anyone unless they were absolutely certain they could live with the lack of wide-angle (and if you're doing travel and street photography, I think you'll miss the wide-angle).
The lens that I'd probably recommend, and exactly mirrors the 28-135mm focal length as seen on a full-frame camera, is the Canon 17-85mm. It's cheap, has good IS, has good autofocus, is light, and has a very useful focal range. It's the lens I switched to after putting up with the 28-135mm for about a year, and I was so happy to see the back of it. The 17-85mm lasted me another 5 years and produced some superb photos. However, it might not be telephoto enough for you if you are getting rid of your 55-250mm.
If you want to get one lens that does it all, the obvious choice is the Canon 18-200mm -- you get the wide angle of your current kit lens, and almost the telephoto of your telephoto lens, in a single, light, compact package with great IS. Like all super-zoom lenses, the sharpness and distortion are a little higher than might be desired, but that's often an acceptable tradeoff.
However, I would say that you are making a slightly odd choice to be looking at a top-end camera body like the 7D, and then considering budget, all-purpose lenses. Unless there are some features in the 7D that you are absolutely desperate for, you will almost certainly get a better system by spending less on the camera and more on the lenses -- and decent lenses don't depreciate much, unlike cameras.
The 7D Mark II will almost certainly be announced in the next few months, along with the 70D and 700D. At the moment, the belief is that it's going to be a pro-level APS-C camera targetting sports photographers, probably with a price tag of over $2000.
Alexis, Thank you very much for the detailed explanation, it makes sense in everything you say and it was definitely useful!
I actually don't want an all-purpose lens, I just don't find it necessary to have the 18-55 and 55-250 since they are with poor performance, so I thought about eliminating the inconvenience of changing the lenses. If I could afford 24-105, I would buy it for sure.
I'm not a pro, so I don't need a full-frame. I thought about 7D a lot and I want it, cause I think it's the best crop camera at this moment. I've also considered buying 60D, i really like it. But if I upgrade, I want it to be a big step forward. I don't need to buy expensive lenses if I stay with my 450D, so I thought I start with upgrading the camera first. And I have a 100 mm macro, which is a superb lens and I can use it as a telephoto in some cases.
Anyway, 17-85mm is a wonderful proposal, I will definitely listen to you and consider it. Thank you once again!
...tip ... the lens should be your first consideration, then the body. The Rebels, 60D and 7D will pretty much give the same image quality because the sensor and processor are the same. If you shoot a lot of sports or crazy fast action, then the 7D is your camera, if not ... lens first.
As for the 7D ....it's going to be around for a while....can't really say more then that. :)
What about the focal points then, comparing the 60D and 7D? 9 in 60D vs 19 in 7D? This is one of the main reasons I wanted the 7D more.
When were you thinking of upgrading the camera?