Which lens to buy for 20d?

Wow, That's the first time I've hear dof a focusing problem with the 50mm.

Granted, I have the tank variant (mk I), and mine does not work at f/2.0, but even with the microdrive, it focuses well (albeit slowly).

I hadn't heard that compaint of the 50 before.

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It's me.
I just checked.

I had a Minolta 7hi, no lenses so this is a whole new learning experience for me and very confusing I might add! But thanks for checking me out, I didn't know I'd made that many posts, mostly in retouching obviously. So I guess I'll now hang around in here for a while and hope to learn something from all you people, you're just as friendly and helpful as the retouchers and I really appreciate it!

Ingrid

I thought this thread would be dead by now but I keep getting replies and I'm very grateful! I'm writing down all your suggestions, will take them to my friendly little camera salesman and also check out the great lens site that someone gave me, I obviously need to go some homework on lenses.

As for budget, I really don't have any particular price in mind because I don't know what I'm doing yet. I just figure if I'm going to buy a lens it might as well be a good one so I don't have to keep buying more to get the distance and width I'm after.

I don't want to waste space here answering all your posts but want to say how much I truly appreciate them and I'm definitely reading them and taking everything to heart.

Thanks again for all your help and anymore I might get.

Ingrid

Try the 18-125. Not quite the reach but apparently it's a sharper, more controlled lens.

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Mike Randle
http://www.mikerandlephotography.com

Mike Randle said:

Try the 18-125. Not quite the reach but apparently it's a sharper,
more controlled lens.

Click to expand...

That's one reason (IS being the other) for my 28-135 IS suggestion. Good range to explore and it's a handy multi-purpose lens. The IS extends it multi-purposeness even more.

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It's me.
I just checked.

JBM said:

Mike Randle said:

Try the 18-125. Not quite the reach but apparently it's a sharper,
more controlled lens.

Click to expand...

That's one reason (IS being the other) for my 28-135 IS suggestion.
Good range to explore and it's a handy multi-purpose lens. The IS
extends it multi-purposeness even more.

--
It's me.
I just checked.

Click to expand...

The lens reviews I have reviewed rate the 28-135 as having a rating of "Poor" with an optical rating of 1.5 out of a 1 thru 5 rating. There were 25 reviews included in the final rating.

I have NOT used this lens to have an opinion that is based on usage, however; I would suggest anyone considering any new lens to look up these reviews (using Google) and at least study the lens of interest and also keep in mind that there can be differences between different lens of the same type.

I am confused since one reply indicated She has the 18-55 lens and another indicates that it actually is the 17-85. If it is the 17-85, it probably is a better lens for use with the 20d than several others that were suggested and especially better than the 28-125 and some of the "wide range" non canon lens that were suggested.

The Minolta Dimage 7xx series of Cameras have (overall) an excellent lens with good quality and a very versatile MM range (28-200 for 35mm equivalent) and that is VERY hard to replicate in the SLR lens areas.
The SINGLE most critical problem with the 7xx series cameras is "Shutter Lag"
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Vernon...

Vernon D Rainwater said:

JBM said:

Mike Randle said:

Try the 18-125. Not quite the reach but apparently it's a sharper,
more controlled lens.

Click to expand...

That's one reason (IS being the other) for my 28-135 IS suggestion.
Good range to explore and it's a handy multi-purpose lens. The IS
extends it multi-purposeness even more.

--
It's me.
I just checked.

Click to expand...

The lens reviews I have reviewed rate the 28-135 as having a rating
of "Poor" with an optical rating of 1.5 out of a 1 thru 5 rating.
There were 25 reviews included in the final rating.

Click to expand...

The review is: "Lens Performance Survey Results" .

Vernon D Rainwater said:

I have NOT used this lens to have an opinion that is based on
usage, however; I would suggest anyone considering any new lens to
look up these reviews (using Google) and at least study the lens of
interest and also keep in mind that there can be differences
between different lens of the same type.
I am confused since one reply indicated She has the 18-55 lens and
another indicates that it actually is the 17-85. If it is the
17-85, it probably is a better lens for use with the 20d than
several others that were suggested and especially better than the
28-125 and some of the "wide range" non canon lens that were

Click to expand...

28-135 .

Vernon D Rainwater said:

suggested.
The Minolta Dimage 7xx series of Cameras have (overall) an
excellent lens with good quality and a very versatile MM range
(28-200 for 35mm equivalent) and that is VERY hard to replicate in
the SLR lens areas.
The SINGLE most critical problem with the 7xx series cameras is
"Shutter Lag"
--
Vernon...

Click to expand...

--
Vernon...

I saved a reference file: as follows: 1st link was where I first saw the reference. The 2nd is the link to the Survey.
Lens performance Survey 11 03 2005

Reference: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1032&message=15709805

Photozone Site In Favorites under LENS

http://www.photozone.de/active/survey/querylenstxt.jsp?filter=%22brand=%27Canon%20EF%27%20OR%20brand=%27Sigma%20AF%27%20OR%20brand=%27Tamron%20AF%27%20or%20brand=%27Tokina%20AF%27%20or%20brand=%27Vivitar%20AF%27%22

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Vernon...

I checked your link

It's all goog, very good, and OK... I saw no poor on the 28-135 IS line at all...

I think you would be surprised at the good copies of this lens, as in our own forums, and in the Canon lens talk forum, this lens has always been highly regarded.

FROM THAT SITE:
Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 USM IS
Ok
( ) good
( ) Ok
( ) good

Compared to the kit kens (which got all poor), I don't know wich lens you looked at.
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It's me.
I just checked.

I know you have a lot of answers already, but before I'd give my opinion, I'd like to know how you think you'll use a new lens.

A lot depends of how you plan to use it. Do you want to take pictures of birds in trees? People indoors at a party. A soccer game from the stands? Museums where you cannot use a flash?

Do you tend to take pictures of things that are 10-30 feet away, or more likely to want a picture of something 100 feet away.

Knowing this would help.