Canon 18-125 EFS better than 18-55?

[Equilibrium8]

Hi

I have been using the 18-55mm kit lens and a 50mm 1/8 for a few months now. I am often wishing I had just that extra bit of range on my lens. The 18-125 looks like a fine deal. I'm just wondering if it would be an improvement over the 18-55 quality.

On one hand, I am just a hobbyist, so don't want to spend a wad of cash on serious lenses, but on the other, I do not believe in parallel "upgrades."

Any thoughts?

[dlambert]

The 18-135 should be a slight improvement over your kit lens. I've also heard really good things about Canon's 15-85 IS USM lens -- I've got the 17-85 IS USM, and I like the range on that lens. The 15-85 is supposed to be a nice step up in quality.

[Equilibrium8]

Originally Posted by dlambert

The 18-135 should be a slight improvement over your kit lens. I've also heard really good things about Canon's 15-85 IS USM lens -- I've got the 17-85 IS USM, and I like the range on that lens. The 15-85 is supposed to be a nice step up in quality.

Thanks. I'll keep an eye out for one. I wish I could envisage what range 85mm would give me, so I'd know if it would give me enough range. The 55mm is "just" too little sometimes, so I imagine 85 would be fine.

I just checked out the prices of those. Is the 15-85 a newer model? I see the 17-85 in the used market for decent prices, but used 15-85s are still pricey.

[dlambert]

Yeah, the 17-85 has been out for quite a while, and it was a kit lens on some Canons, so it's fairly common in the used market. I'm very happy with that as an upgrade to the kit lens -- it doesn't do anything to improve on low-light performance, but I like the range and the USM / FTM this lens adds. One of the knocks on this lens is that it's subject to a fair bit of distortion, especially on the wide end. I try to clean that up with Lightroom when I can.

My understanding is that the 15-85 has all the good stuff in the 17-85 plus noticeably better optics, too. The reviews I've seen have been pretty positive. It's newer and more expensive than the 17-85, though.

[Equilibrium8]

Originally Posted by dlambert

Yeah, the 17-85 has been out for quite a while, and it was a kit lens on some Canons, so it's fairly common in the used market.

This makes me wonder. Since the 18-125 is also a kit lens which is slightly better than the 18-55; how does the 17-85 compare to the 18-125, since they go for roughly the same price on the used market. Especially if I don't see much point to the USM (note that I do not have a USM lens...so it may be a feature I use and wonder how I ever lived without)