Digital SLR 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.
So here is the big question:
What lens do you recommend? Price is a factor and I'd like to spend around $300-$350 for the lens.
Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Greg McCary]

I am not digital yet, but will be next week. I would think the kit lens 18-55mm would be a good walk around lens for chasing kids around. I thought that Canon lenes were pretty good quality. I would maybe look more at a good flash unit if I were going to take lots of indoor pictures. You might post in the sports threads if you want to get a good idea about a lens for sporting events.
Greg

[Glen A Ford]

i guess you are likely to get a zoom, because of the value for money aspect and because they cover a range of shots. at some point, it would be worth considering a 50mm prime lens. they are not that expensive and the picture quality will be good. it does not do lots of fab things but you will get some good portraits and it has a wider aperture than you will get on zooms.

as for what lens, i'm not sure, as i tend to buy pro-lens, which are heavy and expensive. don't forget to check out tamron and sigma, which do some good lenses at better prices than canon. their quality can be as good if not better than canon. a 18-200 zoom is a good option - as it is light and covers a wide range of situations. my daughter uses one all the time.

just my perspective - happy picture-taking

[pulpmojo]

based on what you've said and assuming your camera comes with the 18-55mm zoom, I would probably recommend the 55-200mm canon to use in conjunction with the kit lens, the focal range that this lens provides will really come in handy in your travels and of course in sporting events. The 18-200 is also a good lens but it's a bit more expensive especially when you consider you've already got the wide to normal range covered in your kit lens... at least that's what I would do

[SmartWombat]

One thing worries me, you said "There are lots of great deals on the internet for this camera" and generally if they are too good to be true, then they're not true. I'd suggest you look in the camera dealer feedback forum to see where people have (and haven't) had genuine good deals.

If you're more than dipping your toe in the water of photography, and you get serious about sports then drop by the Sports forum. Most people there end up with the Canon 70-200 lens eventually but it's out of your budget right now. I was lucky to inherit enough money to buy the lens I wanted, instead of upgrading several times on the way, selling hte old lens each time.

[ddkphotos]

I just got the Rebel xti in November. I chose to skip the kit lens because of the negative things I've heard about it and got the 50 mm 1.8 instead. Same cost (less than $100)... Much better lens - although there is no zoom... You must zoom with your feet !
I've been researching lenses for two months now. It is mind boggling!!! Don't believe that all Canon lenses are created equal though - they are not! That is why there are price differences! L lenses are the professional version of lenses - and the apertures also affect the price. - a Canon 70-200 2.8 is more than a 70-200 F4... Don't forget the IS also - image stabilization...
Bottom line is I've decided I only want 2.8 lenses and would prefer L and IS... In other words it will be a long time before I buy my next lens - but once I buy it I won't want to upgrade it for a while!!!

[another view]

You must zoom with your feet !

50mm prime (non-zoom) lenses are really sharp, lightweight and inexpensive - plus they're really fast (wide aperture). They're a great lens to have, but different focal lengths will also give you a different perspective as well. A lot of times I'll move from where I'm at and change my focal length to get a different perspective. Changing just the focal length (zooming the lens) might make the shot better, but you might get even better results by using the perspective thing to your advantage.

I can't give you specifics about what lens to get - I'm a Nikon guy. But make sure to check out the dealer before you buy from them, lots of scam artists out there. If it's too good to be true, it probably is...