Unsure what to buy.

[Giy]

Hi all.

About a year ago i finally upgraded to a 600D from my very old Olympus 8080WZ, i only got the 18-55 II lens kit with it as i thought this would be fine to get used to the camera.

However, now i am finding i could use slightly more zoom , this is where my problems start, i have mainly been looking at the following lenses.

Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Canon EF-S 18-135 mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens
Sigma 18-125mm f3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM

While i understand i am giving up some image quality etc i feel i would get more out of this type of lens at the moment but i have also looked at the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 IS USM Lens or the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Lens to accompany the standard lens i currently have.

So i would really like some help if possible, i guess i am looking for a better general use lens if anything really exists than a lens for shooting specific type of shots, such as a macro lens, which i do really want at some point also!

The only must is the lens needs to have image stabilizing as i only shoot hand held.

[ahab1372]

Gly
welcome to the forum.

I recommend you read the review of the
EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM http://www.the-digital-picture.com/R...ns-Review.aspx
it has more zoom range than your current lens. It also has better image quality. I liked this lens a lot on my T3i/600D

If you still need more zoom range, I'd recommend adding a tele-zoom, the EF-S 55-250 is a good choice when on a budget. I cannot speak to the 18-135 STM, but according to Bryan's review it is better than your current kit lens: http://www.the-digital-picture.com/R...ns-Review.aspx

Further reading:
The General purpose lens recommendations http://www.the-digital-picture.com/C...pose-Lens.aspx, and
lens recommendations in general: http://www.the-digital-picture.com/C...endations.aspx

I hope this helps - if you could let us know what you shoot most, we can advise a little better.

[peety3]

First: http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2010...-the-whole-set

Second, I'd recommend the 18-200 for its versatility.

Third, I'd encourage you to help us understand what you shoot before you declare that IS is a must. Many of us might end up recommending a tripod or changes in technique, rather than IS.

[Giy]

Hi thanks for the replies.

Apart from liking to take close up pictures of flowers and small bugs etc which i know i need a good macro lens for i find my self wanting extra zoom.

for example, on holiday you could walk a long the beach and the planes would come in to land right by where you were walking, i found my self wishing i had more zoom to try and get close shots, there were different types of small birds feeding from the rock pools but get to close and they would run off, again i wanted more zoom.

I took some pictures of a small bird trying to catch small fish (posted below) but sometimes they were to far away to get a good shot, if only i had more zoom!

[peety3]

Apart from liking to take close up pictures of flowers and small bugs etc which i know i need a good macro lens for i find my self wanting extra zoom.

You're wrong. You don't need a good macro lens. You might want one, and you'll find it much easier to take close up pictures of flowers and small bugs etc. with a good macro lens. However, there are other options. One alternative is to buy an extension tube. Some lenses do better with an ET than others, so read the review pages, but an ET is an inexpensive tool (probably <$75, I got a set of three for $125 but rarely use anything other than the 12mm) with no glass inside it. Another alternative is a filter-like adapter to screw onto the end of some lenses.

for example, on holiday you could walk a long the beach and the planes would come in to land right by where you were walking, i found my self wishing i had more zoom to try and get close shots, there were different types of small birds feeding from the rock pools but get to close and they would run off, again i wanted more zoom.

Planes are big. How far away were you? I have a relatively decent picture of a 747 carrying one of the Space Shuttles taken with a 70-200. It certainly doesn't fill the frame, but when I consider that I had found a great place to take the picture but site security chased me away because I was on government property, so I had to hop in the car and scramble to another location which I hoped would provide a vantage point. I couldn't really confirm if I was too close or too far away until the plane took off, and frankly I don't think I would have wanted much longer of a lens.

I took some pictures of a small bird trying to catch small fish (posted below) but sometimes they were to far away to get a good shot, if only i had more zoom!

In my humble opinion, the bird is big enough that you can't really follow the "rule of thirds" to compose the shot, so I don't know how much tighter you'd really want to go. I think you'd want to seek out more aperture and/or higher ISO capabilities so you can get closer towards stop-action (though there's something to be said for some flutter of the wings). And honestly, I think most birdwatchers always wish they had more focal length.

[Giy]

the bird pic was taken when they were close to me, however there were some much more colourful birds further away, i could not get any closer unless i wanted to swim in the lake and because i only have the 18-55 lens the zoom was not enough, however with more zoom i am sure i could have gotten similar pictures

the plane was coming in to land about 200m away, they come across the sea/beach as the landing strip is right on the beach, again i got some shots but they were not good, maybe because i could not get close enough or zoom in enough.

[Dr Croubie]

First: http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2010...-the-whole-set

You're saying there's something wrong with having an 8-16, 15-85, 20/2.5, 28/2.8, 35/1.4, 40/2.8, 50/1.8, 55/1.4, 85/1.8, 100/2.0, 70-300, 300/4, 500/5.6?
(In that case, I'm boned, I've got a lot more than those that will fit on my Canons.)

Back to OP, depends on your budget. A 55-250 is cheap, just grab a second-hand one off fleabay from people who bought kits and then split it up. The 18-55IS isn't the best lens ever made, but it ain't bad for the price. EFs 15-85 will give you damn nice IQ, wider and longer, but it's expensive. Cheaper is the 70-300 nonL, it's a fine lens up to 250mm. Would you rather carry one lens, stop zooming at 85mm, or 135mm, or change lenses and get all the way to 200 or 300?

[Giy]

For what i shoot i think i would get more out of a better quality lens than i have like the 15-85 or one of the 18-135, 18-200, thats not to say at some point i would like more zoom but going on current needs.

[Giy]

can i ask, if i were to get the 18-135 for example am i better off getting the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS or the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM version ?

[qwRad]

The new STM version has better image quality and has the STM focus for video which is a bonus even if you don't use it. It is best value if bought together as a kit lens with a DSLR body but if you find a good price it might be a nice upgrade.

You can compare them with the lens comparison tool on this site.

The EF-S 15-85mm is a fantastic lens in both image quality and focal length range (the 3mm on the wide end might not sound like much but makes a big difference) but as mentioned it is a bit more expensive.