Lens choice?

[MrCoffee]

Hi Everyone,

Ok, I am using a Canon XSi at the moment, and I am trying to find a lens that is basically equal to my 18-70 F/3.5-4.5 Nikon len for sharpness. I have a Canon 50mm F/1.8 which works well, but it isn't nearly as crisp as the Nikon, nor is the Canon 24-85 F/3.5-4.5, My Tokina ATX Pro 28-80 F/2.8 is god awful soft past 50mm at F/2.8. The reviews say it is ok if stepped down to 4.0 at 70-80mm, but I find it has to be at least 5.6 for the shot to be sharp.

I really (REALLY!) can't afford a high end Canon Lens, so I was hoping there might be something mid range that was sharp like the Nikon, which is an incredibly good lens for the money.

Lens I have tried:
Canon EF 28-70mm F/3.5-4.5 USM
Canon EF 35-70mm F/3.5-4.5 USM
Canon EF 24-85mm F/3.5-4.5 USM
Canon EF 35-105mm F/3.5-4.5 USM
Canon EF 35-135mm F/3.5-4.5 USM
Tamron 28-105mm F/4.0-5.6

I was seriously considering the Tamron 28-70 F/2.8 or the Sigma 28-70 F/2.8 but both are a bit more then I have to spend.

At the moment the primary use for this lens will be portraits, but I also need to be able to shoot proforming arts and low light. Prime lens are a possibility, but I would prefer a zoom.

Thanks in advance for any advise or suggestions.

[RichardTaylor]

From personal experience of shooting indoor classical music concerts all the lenses on your list are really a bit slow especially at the long end.

I would be looking at good F2.8 lenses at the minimum.

I sometimes use a Canon 24-105 F4 on 5D @F4 ISO 3200 & ~1/40 when the light is good, however when the light is not good I will be shooting at 1/15 to 1/30 second.

Other times I will be using a 24mm F2.8 or a 35mm F2 (usually wide open)

For head shots and tight groups I will be using a 135 F2 almost always wide open.

I use two bodies.

.

[ceremus]

Yeah, especially for indoors/low light, an f/2.8 is considered a minimum... if the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 is out of your range then I would think you're going to have a hard time finding a zoom lens that's cheaper and still reasonably sharp that will fit your needs.

What about the 85mm f/1.8 prime? The 50mm f/1.4 may be an option also, it isn't as sharp wide open but it may be easier to work with on a crop body depending on how much room you have to work in.

[tamir sher]

50mm f/1.4 may be an option also

[inkista]

Zoom-wise, you're not going to find something fast enough for stage work on a bargain budget. I'm with everyone else: the EF 85/1.8 USM, or EF 100/2 USM are your <$500 best bets. The 135 f/2L USM if you can spend up to $1000.

Replacing the Nikkor, you could consider a used EF-S 17-85 f/4-5.6 IS USM (prices on it are relatively low, since it got replaced by the 15-85 IS USM), but it's going to be slower.

[A@EPOCH]

Personally I have to agree with all of the others, Canon's primes are really nice and relatively cheap in terms of quality for price point. The only other thing you might consider would be the Tamron 28-75 2.8. I've been surprised at the quality for the price ($300) and while it may not be incredibly wide on a crop body, it would be at least a good alternative. However if it were my decision I would be picking up an 85 1.8.