"Walk Around" Lens question

[2jack15]

I am about to step into the (scary) world of Digital SLRs and I am seeking some advice. I have read a lot of threads on this forum and have learned some good tips. This is a great website. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

My wife and I have a 3 month old girl and we have taken about 1,000 photos with our point and shoot. Right now, we take most of our photos inside of our house, but my wife wants to start taking "nice" photos of all sorts of stuff. My research has guided me to the Canon Rebel XTi 10MP. There are lots of great deals on the internet for this camera and I don't know which way to go with the lens. I know that I want to upgrade my lens from the standard factory lens that comes with the camera. Like I said, most of our photos will be taken of our daughter around the house, but I attend a lot of sporting events and travel a good bit and would like to begin taking more advanced photos. I guess I am looking for a good "walk around" lens.
So here is the big question:
What lens do you recommend? Price is a factor and I'd like to spend no more than $300-$400 for the lens.
Any help is greatly appreciated.

[w_mone32]

Personally, I think a good "walk around" lens would be the tamron 18-200 Di II
it has the focal lenght you want and more. Plus it still maintains the wide angle capability.
It is also small and lightweight, making it convenient for travel.

Here is a linkto some reviews:http:
//www.photographyreview.com/cat/lenses/35mm-zoom/tamron/PRD_338018_3128crx.aspx

[Loupey]

I'd wait until you try out the kit lens that comes with the camera. I think you may be disappointed down the road if you try to buy that "1 perfect all-around lens" which ends up not being particularly good at any one thing.

I think you're talking about 2 lenses here (at a minimum). One mid-range zoom (wide to mid telephoto) for your daughter and travels; and one telephoto for the sports. Trying to get one zoom will have you not wanting to use it for casual shooting of your daughter or not wanting to pack it with your luggage.

My old 10D came with the 24-85mm lens. I used it for 3+ years by itself before I bought my 2nd (then 3rd, then 4th,...) lens.

[ciddog91]

When I purchased my 30D I also picked up a Canon 28 - 105 (non-IS) for my "walking around" lens. I ahve used it for pics of the kids as well as some non fast paced indoor sports (soccer and such). I love the lens as it has the focal lenght I wanted and it is a fairly sharp lens. I will not be getting rid of this one anytime soon. It was about $425.00

Just a thought...
Phil

[danag42]

Start with whatever comes with the camera, or something like it. As you gain experience, you'll know what other lenses you need.

[trog100]

the tamron 18 x 200 is a good lens.. i have one and teamed up with a sigma apo 70 x 300 will cover most needs.. landscape to birding or sport..

around its low end it takes better picture than the average kit lens and covers the shorter range tele as well..

people that have one dont say bad things about it.. people that dont have one echoe the standard mantra.. dont buy a super zoom..

mine is used on a pentax k100d.. as a walk around it cannot be beaten..

trog

[trog100]

tamon 18 x 200 at 200mm.. pentax k100d



at 28mm..



a macro form the same lens..



a 100% crop of birds sat on the bridge visible in the 18mm landscape shot..taken at 200mm from the same spot..



pic of the lens itself for a size idea..



trog

ps.. full frame images except for the birds.. .. jpegs straight from the camera no post process enhancements.. a few pics are worth a thousand words even if they are just lens test pics.. and they have all been pixel peeped and compared with primes at 100%.. and they are all good enough to print A3 if u wish to..

sorry for my over emphasizes but i have got a bit bored with the standard tamron 18 x 200 comments from people who have never used one..

at 200mm its not a fast action sports lens but thats why i team mine up with the sigma apo 70 x 300 unless u want to spend thousands for the same coverage u wont better the combo..

my camera plus lens weighs in at 1140 grams..

[Loupey]

the tamron 18 x 200 is a good lens.. i have one and teamed up with a sigma apo 70 x 300 will cover most needs.. landscape to birding or sport..

trog

So still 2 lenses. Three for the original poster (counting the kit lens). So I still say try what comes with the camera first since cost is an issue.

Better to work with what one has in order to develop an "eye" and improve one's technique. Good skills with average equipment beats an average photographer with good equipment.

[trog100]

yep i tried just the one but added the second.. but its pretty good coverage thow.. and my kit lens went on ebay.. at a slight profit to be honest..

for anybody moving into the dslr world from the average super zoom compact out there now 18 x 55 is just too restrictive.. and the quality of the average kit lens cant be used to justify it either..

and the bottom line here is the body is just the start.. dslrs arnt quite as cheap as they are made out to be.. not by the time u add the lens to make use of the bigger sensor and take those better pictures.. with just the cheap 18 x 55 kits lens a dslr is a bit of joke.. something lke a panasonic fz50 would make more sense..

trog

[mwt]

I bought a 350D last february and got the 18-55 canon kit lens and a Sigma 70-300mm lens. I bought it to shoot my kid playing softball and I probably never took a hundred pictures with the 18-55 lens.

After softball season I started messing around with the 18-55 lens and have been very happy with some of the indoor shots I have captured.

Now here is where I expect to get hammered on by the more experienced people.

I bought a .45 wide angle/macro attachment that screws onto the 18-55 and I love the pictures I have been able to get with it.

most of the 18-55 pictures have been in the house and I want to get something like a 28-105 next.

I learned a lot about my camera though with the 18-55mm kit lens that came with it.

This is my first experience with anything other than a 2mp olympus P&S
I am also taking a digital photography class that starts next week.

Mike

[gryphonslair99]

I am about to step into the (scary) world of Digital SLRs and I am seeking some advice. I have read a lot of threads on this forum and have learned some good tips. This is a great website. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

My wife and I have a 3 month old girl and we have taken about 1,000 photos with our point and shoot. Right now, we take most of our photos inside of our house, but my wife wants to start taking "nice" photos of all sorts of stuff. My research has guided me to the Canon Rebel XTi 10MP. There are lots of great deals on the internet for this camera and I don't know which way to go with the lens. I know that I want to upgrade my lens from the standard factory lens that comes with the camera. Like I said, most of our photos will be taken of our daughter around the house, but I attend a lot of sporting events and travel a good bit and would like to begin taking more advanced photos. I guess I am looking for a good "walk around" lens.
So here is the big question:
What lens do you recommend? Price is a factor and I'd like to spend no more than $300-$400 for the lens.
Any help is greatly appreciated.

I am going to make a totally different suggestion than the others. When you enter the world of DSLR's or SLR's for that matter it is a whole new experience. The range of what you can do is endless as are the accessories. You are not buying a camera now, You are buying a system. In 18 months to 2 years or so your camera body is going to be obsolete and there will be a new generation. Get the camera and the kit lens and pratice, pratice pratice. Make that lens do the very best it can for what you are photographing in the short term. Learn it's strengths and weaknesses This does two things. You learn about the lense and photography with a DSLR and it gives you time to save your pennies, nickles and dimes. Ok it really lets you do a third thing. That is look at quality glass with some knowledge and decide what lenses you really want and in what order of need.

Then start purchasing good lenses in the order of need as you can afford. Two or three years from now when you decide you want that new camera, you can buy the body alone, save some money and already have good glass to put on it. Good lenses if properly cared for will last a lifetime.

[trog100]

having dropped two similar posts in two different places jack seems to have disappeared..

trog