Travel Lens for Mum <$500

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eaglespremiers
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p.1 #1 · Travel Lens for Mum <$500

My mother is going over to Europe for a month in September and being that it is her 50th birthday I was thinking of arranging to get a quality lens for her to use (combined with my old 400D that I sold her).

Having been a bit exclusive over recent years (all I own is L-glass and Zeiss lenses) I am out of touch with what would be a cheaper alternative.

We aim to spend AU$500 on a very-good quality second hand lens (to better help you translate that amount it is approx. how much you'd pay for a Canon EF-S 10-22mm).
She'll likely only have the one lens on most of the trip so we want it to be this one that we buy her (the other is just the kit lens for the 400D).

I have looked at Canon EF-S 10-22mm as well as alternative lenses like Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX. If you were spending less than AU$500 on a lens and it was going to be the only one you had on all trip, what lens would it be?

Thanks in advance.

Aug 01, 2012 at 09:23 AM

crazeazn
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p.1 #2 · Travel Lens for Mum <$500

honestly find a secondhand canon 15-85.. or a 18-135

Aug 01, 2012 at 09:27 AM

OneAnt
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p.1 #3 · Travel Lens for Mum <$500

Do you mean an alt lens? this is the alt lens forum or do you mean an alternative to Zeiss and Leica ....which again isnt the purpose of this forum.

Go to the Canon forum, lots of good ideas there...

Aug 01, 2012 at 09:30 AM

crazeazn
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p.1 #4 · Travel Lens for Mum <$500

I think he meant alt like (sigma/tokina/tam)...but i still standby my statement. I use a 15-85 and a 40d and it produces wonderful results.

Aug 01, 2012 at 09:43 AM

eaglespremiers
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p.1 #5 · Travel Lens for Mum <$500

I didn't know where to put this exactly.
Either Canon or Sigma or Tokina etc.
No preference in that regard.
crazeazn why do you recommend those two?

Aug 01, 2012 at 10:07 AM

crazeazn
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p.1 #6 · Travel Lens for Mum <$500

the 15-85 is great because its 24-135 equivalent (kind of heavy though/good iQ)
the 18-135 b/c its good range and very cheap 2nd-hand.

http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/465-canon_1585_3556is
http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/462-canon_18135_3556is

Aug 01, 2012 at 10:12 AM

crazeazn
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p.1 #7 · Travel Lens for Mum <$500

the 400d wont be as demanding on lenses so anything wouldnt be too bad methinks.

Aug 01, 2012 at 10:14 AM

eaglespremiers
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p.1 #8 · Travel Lens for Mum <$500

crazeazn wrote:
the 400d wont be as demanding on lenses so anything wouldnt be too bad methinks.

So what you're saying is that the Canon EF-S 10-22mm is overkill?

Aug 01, 2012 at 10:27 AM

David R.
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p.1 #9 · Travel Lens for Mum <$500

You *sold* your old cam to your Mum? To be clear "not gave"? You are a hard man. The mighty 400d.

Aug 01, 2012 at 10:50 AM

eaglespremiers
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p.1 #10 · Travel Lens for Mum <$500

David R. wrote:
You *sold* your old cam to your Mum? To be clear "not gave"? You are a hard man. The mighty 400d.

I'll make it up to her by buying a good lens for her.
Is the Canon EF-S 17-55mm a good lens to consider?

Aug 01, 2012 at 10:55 AM

eaglespremiers
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p.1 #11 · Travel Lens for Mum <$500

Has anybody used the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8?

Aug 01, 2012 at 11:01 AM

gowhow
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p.1 #12 · Travel Lens for Mum <$500

Another vote or the 15-85. Great value lens. My wife has one on her 40d.

Aug 01, 2012 at 11:07 AM

Jman13
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p.1 #13 · Travel Lens for Mum <$500

The 17-55 is an excellent lens, but it's not exactly in the $500 budget.

I honestly loved my old Sigma 18-125mm as a travel lens when I started out. The 18-135, Sigma 18-125 OS or 15-85 sound like the way to go for me.

Aug 01, 2012 at 11:26 AM

rioni
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p.1 #14 · Travel Lens for Mum <$500

I had the 15-85 on my Canon back and the day and absolutely loved it. I found it better than both the 28-135 and tamron zoom offering.

Aug 01, 2012 at 12:20 PM

eaglespremiers
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p.1 #15 · Travel Lens for Mum <$500

Excellent.
Well the local 2nd hand camera store say they have the 15-85mm and I'm usually able to bargain them down to a reasonable price. So I will go in tomorrow and check it out.

Just one question: Is weight an issue?

Also, apologies that this turned into a thread for Canon lenses. It was asked generally about lenses not just Canon.

Aug 01, 2012 at 12:33 PM

eaglespremiers
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p.1 #16 · Travel Lens for Mum <$500

Has anyone used the Canon EF-S 18-200mm?
Would this be a good option?

Aug 01, 2012 at 01:42 PM

freaklikeme
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p.1 #17 · Travel Lens for Mum <$500

eaglespremiers wrote:
Has anybody used the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8?

Yes. It's good. It's a little worse on the wide end than either the Canon or Nikon offerings (very bad corners and edges), and the color performance is okay but flat. This and the 120-300 DG I had both needed some extra handling in post to really shine.

I'd go Tamron and get the 17-50/2.8. In the States, the non-VC lens goes for about $500 and the VC lens for $150 more. There are rebates here right now, so check to see if Tamron AUS is offering them as well. Sharp, nice color balance (though it will still require tweaking for perfection), and your mum may find a VC lens very much to her liking. It's not perfect on the wide end either, but by 24mm, I'd say it'll outperform the Siggy.

Edited on Aug 01, 2012 at 05:52 PM · View previous versions

Aug 01, 2012 at 05:50 PM

crazeazn
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p.1 #18 · Travel Lens for Mum <$500

1) i think the 10-22 is a bit limiting as its a bit too wide on the longer end
2) weight could be an issue, as the 15-85 is well built...only your mother can answer that (significant difference between kit and the 15-85), the 18-135 is very lite
3) 18-200 is a great range but i think at that point theres some IQ sacrifice. personally I think the 18-135 is the max I'll go...plus the 18-200 secondhand would be still over your initial budget.

for me a good vacation lens = range, then weight.

Aug 01, 2012 at 05:51 PM

alexandre
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p.1 #19 · Travel Lens for Mum <$500

Tamron 17-50 VR

Aug 01, 2012 at 06:01 PM

millsart
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p.1 #20 · Travel Lens for Mum <$500

Do you know for a fact that she likes and more so, is willing to travel with a DSLR, even a smaller one ?

Not to say its a bad camera, but for the same money you could spend on a lens for it, there are a good number of smaller/lighter CSC's such as a Sony NEX or m4/3 system, or even something like a Sony RX100.

Again, not knocking a DSLR, but for many less than enthusiast shooters, such as my own Mother, an optical finder is not a feature they are looking for, and in fact the LCD is the preferred way to compose.

Add in things like face detect AF and the ability of a small camera like an Olympus PEN mini to fit easily into her handbag for when she doesn't want to walk around with a camera around her neck and it just seems to make for good option for travel, especially for a less serious photographer.

I know there is no way I'd want to drag my DSLR's around with me on a vacation unless I was getting paid to shoot.

Edited on Aug 01, 2012 at 06:19 PM · View previous versions

Aug 01, 2012 at 06:04 PM

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