Hi all I’m starting a photography degree in September and having bought a canon 40D while the cash back offer is on I’m now faced with the choice of buying my first lens/lens’, as I’m a student I’m not on the best budget maybe £1500 for two good solid lens’. Firstly I need a good standard zoom lens my thoughts on them were:
Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR DI LD ASP
Have read some good reviews of this lens when compared to others in its class and at only £240 it’s a great price!
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens
This lens is almost triple the price BUT does have IS and is a canon L lens so obviously better build quality etc, is the image quality any better? I is also double 55mm longer but I think I would miss the 7mm at the other end quite a bit more.
They are my first choices for standard zoom, if anyone has any thoughts please feel free to add them.
As a second lens my first thoughts draw me towards a telephoto lens as I enjoy wildlife/bird photography probably more so than anything else, my thoughts for this are:
Canon EF 70-200 mm f/4L IS USM
This is small and lightweight compared to others but I feel it is lacking the range I need, but maybe with a 2x TC?
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
Have been told this is the best all in one wildlife lens you can get at a sensible price?
Sigma APO 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM
New one just released from sigma, an extra 100mm at the long end but some reviews say it gets a little soft past 400, is it worth having the extra 100mm if it’s soft?
Sigma APO 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG OS HSM
Range very similar to the canon L lens but at £400 cheaper! Both the sigma offerings are relatively new so I am unable to find to much information on them to get a good picture on if they are worth it.
If anyone has got any thoughts on any of these lens’ then please help me out
Jak