Hi Friends..


Since two months now, I am planning to expand my lens collection. (Currently i own a kit efs 18-55 3.5-, 5.6 lens+ efs 10-22 mm with a 450D body; not much to call a collection, duh! ).


Well, well..we all graduate! So the next lens(es) that i am drooling upon are either L or prime or both-no consumer zooms, in short -and in brief as well ) . And since two months i have done hardly anything but research, research, research-seen at least 20 thousand photographs taken by various lenses; read reviews and users comments until my eyes went de-focused and had to get them re-calibrated; and thought so much that my brain applied for early retirement.


The question i m stumped around is which lenses to buy first. Now, i am from India-where our govt. gets contended by taxing us merely 32 % on lens imports. so a 24-70 f2.8 L that costs $1200 approx in US, goes at some $1800 here. This is indeed boiling my blood since long..and i am afraid soon all of it wud be evaporated, though its a side issue.


The point is that for my next purchase i have a budget of US-$ 1500. And to build a good lense collection I want to start on a right note. So considering the prices and my budget, I have zoomed in to following choices (the prices shown below are prices of lenses in India quoted in US $ equivalent)


Choice 1.


1. Shall I take 70-200 L IS f 4 ($ 1300)+ 35mm f. 2 ($ 300)


Adv. covers the effective focal length (1.6 body) in this way 56 mm+ 112~320 mm
Disadv- 70-200 f 4 IS | it does not.. does not..does not.. does not..create bokeh


Choice 2. Or shall i take 135 L f 2.0 ($1200)+ 35 mm f 2.0 ($ 300)
Adv. Two prime lenses, esp the first one being one of the best L glass canon produces (its like having a threesome on the first date that too when one of the girls is a miss world! )
Disadv: effective coverage. i would be shooting at only two effective lengths- 56mm or 216 mm.


Now here is that I seek advises of sages and seers. So please...let the dams of your suggestions burst open on me.


Heartiest Thanks


Abhinav


P.S - Please note that i am an idiot photographer who does'nt mind swapping
lenses on his camera body for one shot to another; also that i am happy
shooting anything that is worth clickable. Flower, twig, stone, mountain, sky, tree, nails, coins, children, elders, train, bus, road.. etc. etc. etc. )