New lens for Canon 450D

[paresh_hardas]

Hi, I have a Canon 450D with regular EF-S 18-55 lens. I'm thinking of buying a lens which supports a wide angle as well as okish telephoto zoom. Im considering buying something like a 18-250 mm lens in Canon/Sigma/Tamron. Can someone please suggest me good options?

[Photo-John]

I have the Canon 18-200mm IS lens and think it's pretty good. It's not as good as a lens with a shorter zoom range. But it is a really nice all-purpose lens and I've used it quite a bit - especially for ski photos where I don't want to change lenses or carry a lot of gear.

I also did a review for the Tamron 28-300 XR Di VC lens. I was pretty impressed with it - especially the VC Vibration Control image stabilization. It works really, really well - possibly better than Canon's image stabilization. The reason I mention that lens is it's very similar to the Tamron 18-270mm VC lens, which was introduced shortly after I did my review. It doesn't have the "XR" designation, so it's not as high-end of a lens. But I think it would be a good choice if you really want that kind of reach.

I haven't used any of the Sigma "OS" image stabilized lenses. But the reviews that I've seen have been good. And Sigma's good stuff is excellent. If you do buy a wide zoom ration lens, I highly recommend getting one with image stabilization. Image stabilization is an invaluable feature that really makes a difference in the number of usable photos you get.

Let us know if you have more questions. And maybe also tells us what you want to shoot and how much you have to spend. These lenses are all compromises and shorter zooms would deliver better image quality. If you're serious about your photography and in it for the long term, you may want to invest more now in a shorter lens and buy another lens later.

[95PGTTech]

I have the same camera and sprung for the Canon 55-250 IS. Between the two, I effectively can shoot 18-250mm. I am very happy - I'll probably pick up a wide angle next and be content with my collection.