Lens Decisions

[SpeedyManiac]

Hi guys,
I have a major dilemma. I qualified to race the ISDE again, this year in Greece (September 1-6/08). I've been talking to some friends and some magazines and am now also going to attend the Romaniacs (Sept. 13-17) in Sibiu, Romania to get some photos and provide a race report on Canadian Shane Cuthbertson. When I was in Chile I only had my Canon G3 P&S with a 1.75x tele convertor and got lots of great shots. Since then I've upgraded to a Canon 30D currently with an EF28-135 IS lens. I love this camera and the lens is great. The only downfall is 28mm on a APS-C sized sensor isn't wide enough (equiv. 50mm). I'm looking at picking up a second lens and need some thoughts.

There's two lenses I've been looking at adding to my collection but I think I can only afford one at the moment. The two lenses are:
-Canon EF-S 10-22, retail $800
-Tamron 18-250, retail $500

I want the Canon because I really enjoy wide angle photos. I think they provide a unique perspective. I've read a ton of reviews on the Canon and Sigma wide angle (10-20, retail $650) and I think the Canon is worth the extra $150. I want the Tamron as a walk around, do it all lens. I do a lot of backcountry ski touring in the winter and need a lightweight lens to cover pretty every focal length. Since I mostly shoot sports image stabilization isn't a huge issue, especially in the winter when really fast equipment isn't really necessary. And I'll probably keep my 28-135 IS for 'normal' focal lengths in low light.

Right now I'm leaning towards getting the Canon right now and waiting until the winter to buy the Tamron. I figure when I'm in Europe I'll need the wide angle more than extreme telephoto (scenery, architecture, etc). The only time I might want a bit more telephoto is at the Romaniacs, but I figure my 28-135 (50-216 effective focal length) should suffice since a lot of guys get away using a 70-200 zoom on full frame cameras.

Thoughts? Should I be buying the Tamron first and wait on the Canon?

 

[Chili]

I'd like to get a 10-22 to play with as well but a more versatile lens maybe the 17-40 f4L. I know of one currently for sale for $550 including shipping in Canada supposedly in excellent condition. If you're interested pm me for the info.

 

[Squid31]

The 17-40 is a great lens. I sold mine, but shortly afterwards I regretted it. I now have another copy of the 17-40 in my gear bag and it's not going anywhere. Another great lens is the Sigma 24-70 f2.8 Macro. Might not be as wide as you need, but one hell of a lens for the money.

The only thing that I don't like about the 10-22 is you will be stuck with that APS-C sensor. Not like that's a bad thing, but if you decided to upgrade to a 1D, or 5D that lens will not work. Now on another note, if you want to go on the cheep you could get yourself a used EFS 18-55 kit lens for like $50

 

[Rich Rohrich]

Another great lens is the Sigma 24-70 f2.8 Macro. Might not be as wide as you need, but one hell of a lens for the money.

I'll second that. I've been constantly amazed at the great shots I get with this lens. :cool:

 

[Okiewan]

Third. Use the Sigma 24-70 a LOT.

 

[SpeedyManiac]

Thanks for the suggestions. I don't really need a 24-70 right now since it's not really gaining me much for focal length range. Maybe down the road I'll add one but at the moment I'm not too worried about it.

What are your guys' opinions of Sigma lenses? I've read a lot of bad reviews about the quality control so I'm worried about getting a sigma as I'll probably mail order the lens since I live in the sticks. Does anyone have experience with the 18-200 OS? The only downfall I've heard is slow autofocus on Canons, what's everyone's experience with this? Thanks!

 

[Rich Rohrich]

What are your guys' opinions of Sigma lenses?

I have a 24-70, 10-20, & 105 macro from Sigma and all of them are EX lenses and have worked flawlessly. I think if you stick with the EX series Sigmas you'll see consistent quality.