One lens for XTi

[savitri_wilder]

<p>I have an XTi w/ a 50 mm f/1.8, 18-55 kit, and 75-300mm f/4-5.6 and want something better to replace the kit and zoom. The zoom was a quick buy in Singapore 2yrs ago. Our next stop was Bavaria and thought we needed a zoom. Yeah it zoomed but talk about light hog! Useless in low lighting for sure. We now hardly use it. The kit... well I didn't want it. But since it was a birthday present I felt rude if I didn't keep it.</p>

<p>I love the 50mm but the husband is using the camera now. He wants some flexibility in terms of range.</p>

<p>What do you think of Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 or Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5? Or get the 18-55 w/ IS? I think that's better than the original kit, right? My budget is $300. Looks like I can get something used within my price range.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

 

[py-photography]

<p>I loved the 28-135 f/3.5-4.5 on my XTi.<br>

I did find the 28 a little long sometimes. IQ was excellent and the 135 on a crop body has is nice on the long end.<br>

Only reason I sold the lens was I upgraded to 24-105L, and sometimes I miss the extra 30mm on the long end.<br>

I think you'll be very happy with it.</p>

[yakim_peled1]

<p>At such a low budget my only recommendation is the 18-55 IS as its optically better than the non-IS version. Later add 55-250 IS or 70-300 IS (again, optically better than your 75-300). 28-135 IS is good also but it's not as wide as the 18-55 IS not as telephoto as the 55-250 IS or 70-300 IS.</p>

<p>Happy shooting,<br>

Yakim.</p>

[looscanon]

<p>Your best bet is really a Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 which works very well in low light and is a very good lens with excellent image quality. It should be slightly more expensive then $300 but is a much better lens then all those mentioned above.</p>

[prasad_apte]

<p>either go with Yakim or if you your budget is flexible go with stephen!</p>

 

[savitri_wilder]

<p>It's flexible... but trying to go on a tightwad budget :)<br>

Thanks, I'll look into the suggestions!</p>

[fjp]

<p>My niece had exactly the same set of lenses as you do: 400D/Xti + 18-55kit + 50/1.8 + 75-300.<br>

When I had to choose another lens to offer her at birthday, I ended up choosing the Sigma 17-70 f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro.<br>

It is slightly faster than the kit lens, offers a better zoom range and also can work as a macro.</p>

<p> </p>

[henrik_lauridsen]

<p>Another option, which will also stretch your budget, is the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8. Excellent lens, and usable under low light (inside churches etc). It does display noticable distortion in the wide end, but not nearly as much as the kit zoom (have both). Good build quality, and IMO a good all purpose lens.</p>

[savitri_wilder]

<p>Stephen & Fernando, I think your suggestions are within my range. I looked at KEH.com and the Tamron is $310 and the Sigma is $280-ish for excellent condition. Thanks!</p>

<p>Henrik, the 17-50 I'm getting for my Nikon but for my husband, it's not long enough. He wants a tad bit more than a 50mm. It is though a great lens!</p>

[tpurvis]

<p>The 17-85 IS can be picked up used for 300 ish. The 28-135 is also a good lens. I have both and use the 28 much more then the 17.</p>

[lawrence_li]

<p>Well it sounds like you have contradicting goals:<br>

1) Flexibility in range<br>

2) Low light<br>

3) $300 budget</p>

<p>I dont' think you can get all 3 of those at the same time. At best your suggestions would only give you 1 and 3. The other two aren't going to get you that much better off because the aperture are the same, so you would get the same low light performance. What are you shooting? Moving objects or still objects? If it's still objects and lowlight then any of the above suggested IS would be the answer. (although you might want to ask yourself if the low end is wide enough on a cropped body.)<br>

If your subjects move then you really have to go with a prime lens at this budget. A 24mm f/2.8 or 85mm f/1.8. These are pricey but again, you'll have to decide what you want to shoot at versus what you can afford and what you want to carry. </p>

<p>PS: ISO 1600 is very useable on an XTi after Noise Ninja and if you're not doing wall sized prints.</p>

[savitri_wilder]

<p>Well, my Nikon D300 ran out of batteries and I forgot to charge the other one too. So I took the XTi + 50mm out trick-or-treating. I bumped it up to 1600 and the lowest shutter that I could manage and after adjusting the noise (in Lightroom -- don't have Noise Ninja) it was tolerable but nothing to brag about. I can see noise :)<br>

<img src="http://www.scrapbit.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/IMG_4574-1.jpg" alt="" width="348" height="523" /><br>

My husband has a vintage car, '62 Impala, and he likes going to car shows. He's 100% an amateur and has a hard time setting the shutter/aperture and so he'd go auto for the most part. But when it's evening time and I'm there he'll spend the time to adjust the camera manually and at night he'll use the flash.</p>

<p>He'll never blow any of these cars up. He just take pics because they're cool or as a sample for his own car... maybe it has a nice exhaust and he'll take a picture of it to ponder... to see if it'll look good on his car. So for this the 1600 will do.</p>

<p>He likes to take pictures of airplanes too (they might be in the hanger) and when he's away he'll take the camera with him (anywhere from beautiful beaches to the desert). He's got good eyes and he's taken some neat pics when he was on temporary duty in timbuktu. We're moving to England in January... or he is and us girls will join after he find a place and all that good stuff... and while he's there he'll have the XTi with him to take pics of whatever is interesting.</p>

<p>Moving airplanes will be in the day time. The evening photos will be pretty much sitting still. He uses the 50mm but just not into primes because sometimes he can only walk so far.</p>