Hi photogs,

When I started out with photography I ended up buying glass to cover the focallenghts I would like to cover. So next to my 400D's kitlens I purchased a Canon 55-200mm f/4-5.6 USM to give me some extra reach. I bought several books, joined a photoclub and gained a bit of skill. The idea of buying some topnotch glass came up a few times, but my rational mind kicked in []I made an agreement with conscious that I will only upgrade my equipment if it was holding back my creativity or IQ of my pictures.


When viewing my pictures on web resolutions (aka Flickr medium size) everything looks great. To be honest, I was quite proud achieving this kind of photo "quality" with "just" the standard kitlens. When using my pictures full screen, I miss the clarity and sharpness I would like to see [example].

This would justify the purchase of a new lens. Agree? Which brings up the next question: Which lens? With the use of this site and a friend, I came to the conclusion that the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 USM is the way to go for several reasons.



  1. The big aperture will give me some extra freedom when using my lens in certain light conditions. The shallow DoF across the whole range is just awesome.
  2. Let's face it, Canon makes some great glass, and the IQ for the zoom lens is just great.
  3. Some rigidness. I'm no clumsy person and I take care of my stuff, maybe a bit too much. I would like to have a lens which is a bit more decent and less toylike.
  4. Can't blame the equipment. I'll be shooting with prosumer (zoom) glass. If this pictures turn out crap, I can only blame myself for doing it wrong [].

<div>This lens will complement my Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 which helps me cover the lower end of my reach compared to the Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6. </div>
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<div>With its 1100 Euro price tag, this is - of course - quite a purchase, but will hopefully serve me well in the years to come.[]</div>
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<div>Feel free to comment on this thread. There no wrong or right here, just an insight on my decision making. I'm a gearhead - oh, we all have dreams - but I only buy what I can justify. Or is it just my greedy Dutch blood kickin' in...</div>