Replacement for my 18-55mm Lens

[omni]

Hi everyone. I have the Canon 550D (Canon T2i) and it came with the 18-55mm kit lens. I'm looking to replace that lens with something of better quality. I'm not too concerned with the focal range. I saw the Canon 17-85mm and thought of keeping that in my mind for purchasing, but I've read in some reviews that the 18-55mm lens sometimes outperforms the 17-85mm.

I'm looking to buy something for under $500. I'll be using it for a wide range of things, but mainly portrait and landscape. My sister will also be getting married this summer so even though my family has hired a professional photography + videography crew, I would still like to bring my camera there and take some pictures. I know there is no "perfect" lens that encompasses everything, so I'm looking for the best suggestion for a multi-purpose lens.

Thanks!

[Cardiiiii]

Canon 15-85 ~ $600
Sigma 28-70 ~ $550
Sigma 17-70 ~ $450

All of the above should make for decent upgrades on your kit lens.

[RichardTaylor]

What is your budget?

[Cardiiiii]

Originally Posted by RichardTaylor

What is your budget?

He's stated around $500.

[RichardTaylor]

MY apologies.

[inkista]

"Better" is relative. What is it about the 18-55 that's making you dissatisfied? Lack of reach? Sharpness? Colors? Chromatic aberration control? Speed? Autofocus performance? Build quality? Close-up capability?

And are you sure you want to replace the 18-55? Or do you want to supplement it?

The other "training wheels" lenses I tend to recommend to go with the 18-55 are the EF-S 55-250 IS and the EF 50mm f/1.8 II.

Walkaround zooms are good for landscapes and vacation snapshots. A telephoto zoom is good for getting closer--wildlife or outdoor sports. And a fast prime (non-zooming) lens is good for portraiture and low-light shooting. You increase your capabilities by getting different types of lenses. If you only have the 18-55 kit, and you're looking to get "a better" walkaround zoom, it's kind of like replacing a bargain hammer with an expensive hammer. Maybe what you really need is a screwdriver or a wrench...

Also, a lot of newbies read about how their kit lens sucks and they want to upgrade, when the problems they may be having could be technique related. Good handholding technique, using appropriate shutter speeds, stopping down, and learning post-processing could be the keys to sharper, more colorful photos. Maybe investing in a book or a class or a software licence is what you really need. Just a thought.

[omni]

Originally Posted by inkista

"Better" is relative. What is it about the 18-55 that's making you dissatisfied? Lack of reach? Sharpness? Colors? Chromatic aberration control? Speed? Autofocus performance? Build quality? Close-up capability?

And are you sure you want to replace the 18-55? Or do you want to supplement it?

The other "training wheels" lenses I tend to recommend to go with the 18-55 are the EF-S 55-250 IS and the EF 50mm f/1.8 II.

Walkaround zooms are good for landscapes and vacation snapshots. A telephoto zoom is good for getting closer--wildlife or outdoor sports. And a fast prime (non-zooming) lens is good for portraiture and low-light shooting. You increase your capabilities by getting different types of lenses. If you only have the 18-55 kit, and you're looking to get "a better" walkaround zoom, it's kind of like replacing a bargain hammer with an expensive hammer. Maybe what you really need is a screwdriver or a wrench...

Also, a lot of newbies read about how their kit lens sucks and they want to upgrade, when the problems they may be having could be technique related. Good handholding technique, using appropriate shutter speeds, stopping down, and learning post-processing could be the keys to sharper, more colorful photos. Maybe investing in a book or a class or a software licence is what you really need. Just a thought.

Thanks a lot for your insight! I'm looking to buy the lens in about two months or so. And I 100% agree with you that when there's something going wrong, it is usually the user, not the equipment. But I'm just looking for a lens from which I can get more use out of.

[inkista]

Ok, given that you were looking at the 17-85 IS USM as a replacement, I'm going to assume that what you want is more reach (telephoto) out of your walkaround, rather than going wider (10-22) or faster (17-55 f/2.8 or Tamron 17-50 f/2.8).

This isn't a great lens, but it's within your budget, and can give you more reach with fewer optical compromises and lower cost than going with a superzoom (e.g., 18-200). And that's the EF 28-135 IS USM's successor: the EF-S 18-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS. It's around the $450 mark, iirc.

A better lens would be the EF-S 15-85 f/3.5-5.6 IS USM (the 17-85's successor), but it goes for around $720, which is kinda nuts for a slow zoom, but is the price you pay for that much wide angle.

You may also want to read up on the basic features of lenses, if you're not sure exactly what focal length, max. aperture, focus motors, or stabilization mean in practical shooting terms.

But, as I said above, I really think your pennies will go farther and get you more use if you added a telephoto zoom, an ultrawide, a fast prime, or a macro lens, rather than trade up in another walkaround. The point of a dSLR is that you have interchangeable lenses. Trying to get a one-size-fits-all lens is going to be compromising image quality/optical performance, and it's P&S think . To me, if you really want a one-size-fits-all solution, a P&S camera is a better tool. A P&S is like a Swiss Army knife: it's small, pocketable, and does a lot of stuff well-enough but nothing spectacularly well. A dSLR is more like a big red toolbox: heavy, expensive, cumbersome, but with all the tools to do a variety of jobs well.

[omni]

Hi Inkista!
Thanks for that tip. I tottally understand what you are talking about, and I will definitley take that into account when I'm about to purchase my new lens. Instead of leaving my 18-55mm lens to rot, I should instead by an extension to that lens.
The ones that I'm looking at that totally fit into specifications are:
-Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
-Canon EF 100mm f/2 USM
Both are prime lenses

Both lens are good for portraits and what not, which is what I will pick up soon. Some reviews that I've read about the two lenses are that their both excellent lenses. The only difference between them is just that one is 85mm and the other is 100mm. Now b/w them, I'm not sure which to get
(Or should I get the lens that you mentioned earlier the 18-135mm?)

[inkista]

Yeah, those two lenses are very similar in price, performance, and features (and looks), so it all comes down to focal length. The difference on maximum aperture is only a third of a stop. They're both definitely worth their price tags, and both are great for head/torso shots.