Choosing a general purpose lens for my Canon 450D

[Ben]

Hi Everyone,


I'm new in the world of DSLR's and in this forum. As the headline says, I'm looking for a general purpose lens for my 450D (I think you guys call it an XTI). I've been looking around this page, and other pages, and it has helped a lot. I've now narrowed down my choices to two;


The Canon 17-40 mm f/4 or the Tamron 17-50 mm f/2,8. I haven't got any personal experience with either. I am a student, so I haven't got an enormous budget, at the same time I don't think I'm suffering from parkinson, so I might not be needing IS.


Looking forward to read your answers


-Ben

[TimT]

Ben,


I can't tell you about the Canon since I haven't used it. But I have the Tamron and use it a lot. The difference between 2.8 and 4 is significant. The faster lens means you get more usable shots in low light situations without having to push your ISO. The Tamron is sharp and focuses quite fast. Plus you have an additional 10mm of zoom to work with.


Bottom line, I'd go with the Tamron. It's a lens that works in a lot of situations, it's got good IQ and the price is reasonable.


Tim


One note, I wouldn't discount the value of lenses that have IS. But that feature gets more important on lenses with more zoom.

[Oren]

450D = XSI Ben.


Anyhow, what do you think about the 17-55mm f2.8 IS?

[TimT]

That's definitely a superior lens -- especially when it comes to build quality and IS. But I'm not sure that Ben wants to put out an additional $600.

[wolf]

It really depends on your intended application. If you primarily shoot landscapes the EF 17-40mm is a great lens (I haven't used the Tamron), excellent sharpness, color, minimal CA, and excellent flare control. However, if you want to create separation between objects, f/4 is too slow at these focal lengths and you'd be better off with the Tamron.

[kitaoka]

I would highly recommend the EF 24-105 f4.0 L lens. If I could only have one lens, this would be it. No, it's not fast enough for really low light, but other than that, the focal range and the optics are great. You can purchase a good used one for about $750-$800. In all but one case, I have purchased all of my glass used. Camera bodies depreciate quickly, glass does not.

[Keith B]

I have 4 month old 24-105 4.0 IS L I'll sell for $800 if interested.


I need the 24-70 2.8 for what I use this lens for. I never use the IS, rarely use it over 70mm and really need the speed of the2.8.

[clemmb]

Both lenses are on Bryan's general lensrecomendations list. I have the Tamron and think it is excellent for the price. I have never used the canon 17-40 but considering it is an 'L' series it is probably worth the extra. If you ever upgrade to a full frame like the 5D you will not be able to use the Tamron but will the canon. Both are a little too wide for my taste but that's just me.


Mark

[Benjamin]

Hahah, another student photographer Ben, welcome!

I would say both the Canon 17-40/4L and the Tamron 17-50/2.8 are excellent lenses, they are all very worth the money. The build quality of the Canon 17-40/4L is considerably better as it's a L lens. You may also find the Canon to last longer in your hand. If you plan to move up to full frame within years, buying the 17-40/4L makes sense as it offers full frame coverage. However, the Tamron is the best lens for the money for people who're on a budget.

I personally will not go for the Canon 17-55/2.8 IS. In this case do get Keith's 24-105/4L IS for less money.

I actually can't think of a better lens to recommend to you in this price range, you have picked the best two choices almost (I assume you don't like variable aperture slow zooms).

Benjamin

[EdN]

I've never used the Tamron before but I've used the 17-40/4L as my standard zoom on my original Digital Rebel. It's aGREAT lens. It has superb image quality and excellent build. I used it a lot for night time shots and regularly got good results at ISO 400, F/4, and shutterspeeds down as low as 1/12 sec hand held. When I went full frame, it became a extra wide zoom which is handy for landscapes.