Recommend a good/cheap place for SLR lenses

[marcusbigdady]

Check Cord Camera and sears they both had the best price on the canon 28-135 IS lens,even beat the online price with their everyday price.....

 

[Wrench]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8828120#post8828120 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jeffbrig
The two "L"s that I recommended are by far the cheapest available, at ~$510 and ~$590 (after rebates).

Where are you getting glass that cheap? The 17-40 is still over $650 after rebates and the 70-200 is over $1000 after rebates.

 

[jeffbrig]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8828157#post8828157 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gasman059
hey jeff i have a 30d cannon with just d 35 mm lens. Any recs for a zoom lens? ty

Depends entirely on the range you want, and how much you want to spend.

The zoom lenses I posted above are high quality L glass, and are my personal choices. Not everybody wants to invest that much in a camera/lens system.

The problem with picking an all around zoom for a crop body camera is that 24- and 28- really aren't very wide. There are a handful of ultra-wides available (like 10-20mm), but they're pricey for their limited range. 17-xx and 18-xx lenses are more general purpose, but a lot of these have some drawbacks as well. In that group, I lean towards the 17-40. The sigma 17-70 is another solid lens in this range. They call it a macro because it can focus closer than most lenses, but it's not a true macro. Still, it has a lot of versatility in one lens. If you don't mind a 3rd party lens, that could be a solid choice.

If you're looking to go cheaper, the 18-55 kit lens is probably the best place to start. It has a lot of shortcomings, but the price (~$50 used) can't be beat for a starter. Another interesting find is the old Canon 24-85, which is mediocre on a full frame camera due to poor edge performance, but gives surprising results on a 1.6x crop body by using the sweet spot of the lens.

For longer lenses, there are a lot of options in the 70-200 and 70-300 ish range. Largely, you'll get what you pay for here. Some are fantastically sharp, others are soft. It really depends on what results you want. The 70-200 f4L is my favorite lens out of everything that's in my bag. Color, sharpness, etc. from this lens is simply phenomenal.

 

[jeffbrig]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8828269#post8828269 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Wrench
Where are you getting glass that cheap? The 17-40 is still over $650 after rebates and the 70-200 is over $1000 after rebates.

bhphoto

Zoom Telephoto EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM Autofocus Lens (non IS version)
$579 - $70 (doubled rebate) = $509

Zoom Super Wide Angle EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Autofocus Lens
$679 - $90 (doubled rebate) = $589

 

[jeffbrig]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8828193#post8828193 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 05Xrunner
going from $360 to over a grand could be a LARGE jump for alot of people.

Good point.

But I suppose you don't have to buy it ALL at once...

 

[gasman059]

well u guys r getting too complicated LOL, i bought this digital slr b/c i wanted to be able to get pics of my children w/o missing a beat
Now i wanna get a middle of the road zoom that will help with overall pics, preferably canon and cannon only , if that is the way to go.recs welcome

 

[05Xrunner]

well saying you would buy canon and canon only. you are right off the bat limiting yourself.
If I where you and wanted a good range the sigma 17-70 is a great lens.
sharp, good AF, great colors, solid build.

What do you wanna spend?

 

[BlueCorn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8828296#post8828296 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jeffbrig
bhphoto

Zoom Telephoto EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM Autofocus Lens (non IS version)
$579 - $70 (doubled rebate) = $509

That is a fantastic deal. This is one of my favorite lenses. I paid almost twice that last year.