It definitely looks like I am going for the 17-55mm f/2.8 lens. Based on my needs and the way it sounds this would be the better choice for me. I do plan on buying a FF maybe in a year to a year and a half from now. I'll be taking many photos in the meantime. Your advice is definitely solid so I'm going for it!
In the meantime I have one more question:
When looking at a lens sometimes they say "35mm equivalent". What exactly does that mean? Also what is the difference between an EF zoom lens vs. EF telephoto zoom lens?. I'm asking because I cannot seem to understand the difference between these two lenses other than the $1000 difference (I was originally going for one of these but realized that 70-200 is not smart for general purpose for obvious reasons):
<h3 class="name" id="name_1218182821141"][url="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Canon+-+EF+70-200mm+f/2.8L+Telephoto+Zoom+Lens+for+Most+Canon+Digital+SL R+Cameras/9839236.p?id=1218182821141&skuId=9839236]Canon - EF 70-200mm f/2.8L Telephoto Zoom Lens for Most Canon Digital SLR Cameras[/url]</h3>
<h3 class="name" id="name_1218057059470"]
Canon - EF 70-200mm f/2.8 USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras</h3>
Originally Posted by JraPA86
]....there are a number of ways to describe "35 mm equivalent." In short, people try to normalize the field of view of all the different sensor sizes to "35 mm" or full frame (FF). So, your and my camerashave "1.6 crop" sensors, so simply multiple the focal length by 1.6 to get the "35 mm equivalent" focal length. For example, 15 mm on a 1.6 crop sensor gives you a field of view of ~83 degrees, the same FOV you have at 24 mm on a camera with a FF sensor (15 x 1.6 =24). So crop sensor cameras are best for telephoto use because the same lens always has more magnification. But, conversely, FF cameras tend to be better for landscapes because at equivalent focal lengths they see a "wider" angle. If you still have a question, there are several web resources including here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crop_factor.
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