Best walkaround lens

[Colin]

standard opening questions...


what are you going to do with it?


Are you set on one lens versus multiple lenses?


What are your size constraints?

[Dragon]

I like taking pics of places we visit , like the inside of the Notre Dame Basillica (Paris)as well as the Parque de Ritiro (Madrid) so the use is quite varied. Also, we are going to South Africa to a game reserve so wild life pics as well


I would like to find one lens that would do all this but if there is not one. I would use two at a push. It is the changing lenses that frustrates me.


Not sure about size constrants I carry a standard Canon bag so the lens the size of a canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM is good.

[cian3307]

The EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM will cover your wildlife needs in South Africa. Its not L series quality but is ideal for travel due to the light weight and compact size. You will need a wide angle zoom for interiors etc and because you are using a crop sensor body, it will need to be in the 'ultra-wide' category. As it will be a travel lens, again light weight/small size is desirable. Something like the EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM would do. The IS will allow you to capture sharp pics indoors at low shutter speeds. 2 lenses covering 17 to 300mm should be sufficient for most of your needs!


However, if you really want the best in image quality, you should look at the L series range. Big bucks, but worth it. I curse the day I went to Kenya with a Vivitar 28-210mm zoom on my OM10. The trip of a lifetime and a load of crap quality slides to show for it. If the South Africe trip is a once in a lifetime holidayI would really recommend you buy top quality glass for it. One other thing - African dust gets everywhere if you are there during dry season. Don't change lenses in the field!

[Dragon]

Thanks for that, for the L-series, which would suggest?

[Dragon]

Will this lens fit on the Canon 400D ? EF 28-300 f/3.5-5.6L IS USM

[cian3307]

Will this lens fit on the Canon 400D ? EF 28-300 f/3.5-5.6L IS USM
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Yes. All EF and EF-S lenses will fit any EOS camera. However, EF-S lenses will only fit 1.6 crop sensor cameras. Thats a good travel lens that I accidentaly ommitted from my post above.

[cian3307]

For wildlife in South Africa one of the 4 available 70-200mm Lmodels should do for the larger animals. You'll only find 200mm a bit short if you are planning to shoot small birds etc. Or the 100-400L if you want the extra reach. Pick the one that best suits your budget, all will produce excellent results. I think you will need to check them all out in person at a local shop or by renting them to form your own opinion. Brians reviews and recommendations on this site are excellent and should be your first stop when making your decision. Have fun!