Lens shopping... not sure if I've jumped the right way

divamum

Hi all.

Still a n00b here and haven't posted much, but thanks again for the help with the glitch when purchasing my Rebel XT a couple months back (and props again to Beach Camera for making it eeeasssy to return and replace) and I've been really getting a ton out of the tutorials! Great site.

As predicted (yeah, yeah, I was warned!) I decided to add a new lens once I saw how soft my Elan kit short zoom was with this body. I just plumped out for a new Tamron 24-135 based on samples I saw and the reviews at FM, plus it's got a rebate going right now, so in fact was cheaper than the used ones I had seen listed. Anyway it just arrived, and I was pretty surprised to pick up the box and feel how darn HEAVY this thing is - it weighs more than my Canon EF 70-210!

So, given I want it as an all-purpose everyday lens, am a pretty casual photographer - it's absolutely for fun not profit and I don't think I even qualify as "serious amateur" (much though I enjoy it and keep on learning to improve)... might I be happier with my other possibility, a Canon 28-105? I saw samples from the Canon and wasn't wonderfully impressed, but if it's an improvement over the 28-80 from the Elan and LIGHTER than the Tamron, perhaps it might suit my needs?

My budget was originally $250, which I stretched to the Tamron's final price (after rebate) of $319 - obviously, the Canon is about $100 cheaper... but will I be happy with it? I don't need "perfect", but I do need better than the pretty mediocre of the existing lens I have, which seems to only be sharp at pretty tight apertures.

Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions!

ziggy53

A couple of comparisons using the Canon EF 28-105mm, f3.5-f4.5 USM:

http://www.tawbaware.com/canon_lens_test.htm
http://www.tawbaware.com/canon_lens_test2.htm

I suggest you would be much happier with at least two lenses, something similar to the Tamron SP 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD and then something wider like the Tamron SP 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD or Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro. Alternately, the single Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro might suffice for the majority of typical uses.

Check many of these lenses here:

http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/index.html

divamum

ziggy53 wrote:

A couple of comparisons using the Canon EF 28-105mm, f3.5-f4.5 USM:

http://www.tawbaware.com/canon_lens_test.htm
http://www.tawbaware.com/canon_lens_test2.htm

I suggest you would be much happier with at least two lenses, something similar to the Tamron SP 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD and then something wider like the Tamron SP 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD or Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC Macro. Alternately, the single Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro might suffice for the majority of typical uses.

Check many of these lenses here:

http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/index.html

Thanks. I'll check out all those possibilities.

That said, the wide end isn't that big a deal for me. I'd like something that would have been a 28mm on my film camera, but I don't need a lot more than that. The 70-210 (probably close to 20years old since I bought it used in about 1993, but still ticking!) covers the longer end. It's that 28-100 (as in 35mm specs - sorry, haven't got used to the "recalibrations" for digital!) that I need.

I'll play around with the Tamron a little bit, but having just stuck all three lenses on the kitchen scale I see my perception is accurate - the Tamron weighs over double the Canon 28-80...

Keep the answers coming - I'm hungry for as much info as possible!

z_28

Since you got EF 70-210/4 (older lens but still very good)
you need something starting from 17mm those days.
It will be +- 28mm on your Rebel.
My suggestion is Tamron 17-50/2.8 , very good lens for not too big money,
but it's much over your spending limit.
Anyway it's my strong recommendation.

divamum

z_28 wrote:

Since you got EF 70-210/4 (older lens but still very good)
you need something starting from 17mm those days.
It will be +- 28mm on your Rebel.
My suggestion is Tamron 17-50/2.8 , very good lens for not too big money,
but it's much over your spending limit.
Anyway it's my strong recommendation.

Yeah, I"ve already stretched the budget about as far as it can go; if anything, I need to spend less rather than more! But thanks for the recs - I'll check them out too anyway

Edited to add: And yeah, the EF is pretty good. It's not as quiet or fast a focuser as more recent ones, but as long as you keep the shutter speeds fast and don't shoot TOO wide open it's not bad. I wasn't sure about it when I first tried it with the XT, but after playing with it for a while I think it's worth keeping and using it. I've certainly had my money's-worth out of it! I can't even remember what I paid for it, but it was used when I got it.