I am thinking about the Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM to replace my kit lens on my T2i for general shooting, hiking, landscapes, etc. The reviews on this site are good. Does anybody have any experience with one? I am thinking of choosing this over the 24-105L because of the wider field at 15mm. I also have the 100mm IS USM L macro (which is quite fun!)
Thanks
Originally Posted by Marty
Great choice. The 15-85's main criticism is its distortion, but the 24-105 is even worse in this regard and you're not using it for architectural photography. Others might suggest the 17-55 but for outdoor shooting the 15-85 is superior.
-brendan
Actually, Brendan, that's not correct. The distortion is worse on the 24-105mm on FF compared to the 15-85mm on a 1.6x crop. But, since the 24-105mm is an EF lens with a full-frame image circle, much of the distortion is effectively cropped away on the smaller sensor, so the 24-105mm is noticeably less distorted on a 1.6x body, compared to the 15-85mm.
By the numbers:
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"]EF-S 15-85mm (on 1.6x) - 3.15% barrel distortion @15mm
EF 24-105mm f/4L on 1.6x - 1.8% barrel distortion @24mm
EF 24-105mm f/4L on FF - 4.28%barrel distortion @24mm
But, the recommendation is good - for an outdoor walkaround lens, the 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 is a good choice, good IQ, broad focal length range, and the slow and variable aperture isn't a big issue in daylight. The 24-105mm is not really wide enough as a general purpose lens on a crop body, and definitely not wide enough as a landscape lens. The 24-105mm plus the EF-S 10-22mm makes a nice (but expensive) combination.
Marty, the only thing I'd suggest is that if you've done much non-macro shooting with theEF 100mm f/2.8<span style="color: red;"]LMacro IS USM (I have one, and agree that it's really fun lens!), check over your EXIF data to see what apertures you have used. If you find yourself using f/2.8 or f/4 a lot for non-macro shooting, or you plan to do a lot of indoor shooting, you might consider the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM. Since you've got the 100mm macro lens, you have something that sits a reasonable focal distance above the long end of the 17-55mm.
But, on the whole I think the 15-85mm would make a great outdoor general purpose lens. If you need to use it indoors occasionally, paired with an external Speedlite like the 430EX II it will do just fine.
Good luck with your decision!
--John
John, Brendan-
Thanks for the detailed replies. I think I will stick with the 15-85mm and maybe later this year get the 70-200mm f4 IS L for the long run.
Marty
I have the 15-85 and I agree with both John and Brendan: it is a great outdoor lens. The only issue I have is that it is not wide enough for indoor ambient pictures; the 17-55 is much better in this regard.
Personally, I chose the 15-85 because of the focal length range: alot of pictures can be taken in this range. At the wide end 15mm is actually noticably wider than 17mm and the extra 20mm at the long end comes in quite handy.
The 70-200 f4 IS is also a great choice, particularly if you don't have the funds for the 2.8 or want something a bit more portable.
Stephen
Interesting mention of the 70-200mm f/4 L IS under this topic. I just bought a T2i (my first foray into DSLRs, having owned P&S digitals and 35mm pro gear years before that). No kit lens, but decided to go for broke with the L zoom. Now I am considering a general purpose lens to round out a basic arsenal, and have been closely looking at the 15-85mm.
I'm such a digital noob that I look forward to all the information shared in this community (just joined!). Thanks all!
Alan
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