How about the Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6? It's in your price range I think - about $400 USD.


I bought the 40D kid with the 28-135 and I liked it a lot. It's got a great (useful) range and isn't heavy. It doesn't
come close to the 70-200 in terms of sharpness (or any other attribute,
really) but none of the zooms under $600 can rival the 70-200.


The 28-135 is a good work-a-day lens. Using a tripod and
mirror-lockup, and the timer or a cable release, you should see images
that are acceptably sharp. It generally gets very good reviews for lenses at that price point.


Since I've never shot with the Sigma you mentioned, I can't compare it to the 28-135. But the 28-135 is a good lens. It seems to "accept" PP sharpening very well. A little bit of USM or Smart Sharpen and you can usually make an image snap.


Might be worth a look...