Canon EF-S 17-55mm VS Sigma 17-50mm VS Tamron 17-50mm?

Dave Luttmann wrote:

I've got the Tamron 24-70 on order. I'll report my results when it arrives.

on hi iso FF, I think it might rock 

MAC wrote:

Dave Luttmann wrote:

I've got the Tamron 24-70 on order. I'll report my results when it arrives.

on hi iso FF, I think it might rock

I tried my brothers 6D with his new Tamron 24-70 IS over the holidays and I was mightily impressed with its wide open performance. Very sharp and good contrast. Strongly recommended (although I am using the Canon 24-70 II).

Dave Luttmann wrote:

MAC wrote:

Dave Luttmann wrote:

I've got the Tamron 24-70 on order. I'll report my results when it arrives.

on hi iso FF, I think it might rock

I'm more curious about it for landscapes around f5.6 to f8.... And for people shooting wide open at base iso. But as a standard walkabout lens, it should be pretty nice.

on your modern FF, in low light, shoot f2.8, without flash, shoot some hi iso shots.  These Hi iso machines obviate the need to carry F1.4 -F2 primes.

That will be the power and value of that tool in a pj environment...imo

If you only needed stopped down scapes, you could do that with my 15-85IS and T4i, which combined, cost what your new lens costs 

I think you'll be happy with it, it's a great lens.  Some thoughts on your comments below.

1.  I've done no research on this, so I can't really comment.

2.  Video is great with the Sigma as well, shorter focus throw is preferred by some and not by others, I have had no problems filming with either one.  The only advantage the Canon has here is that you don't need to move the AF switch to MF, because it's full time MF anyway.  You'll be happy with your new lens here though, so no worries.

3.  I call shinanigans on this one, MOST PEOPLE wouldn't know the difference if you were paying them to answer, MOST PEOPLE don't shoot DSLRs and are more likely to look at the name on the camera then the lens anyway.  The big white L lenses do get some attention for being....well...big and white, but that's not always a good thing, really.  This is the silly reason out of your list.

4-5.  You'll like the lens, I suspect, the only knocks I have on it is that it's big and the build is kind of not so great for the money.  If it were built like the 24-105 or 17-40 I think it would justify the price, but it isn't.  Still, one of the best lenses you can choose for Canon crop cameras, no question.

As to your flash question, I use the 430ex II and like it a lot.  I've used it off camera through an umbrella and as a bounce flash (most of the time).  I think it's a good compromise of size, price, and performance.  If you get serious about shooting in studio strobes are better and some are cheaper, it's a great situation to be able to shoot in really good lighting.  The 430ex II gives you ETTL off camera, which can be useful at times too, but the main arguments for it are size and price.

Have fun with your new lens, and let us know how you like it.

psychoticpanda wrote:

1. I need a high resale value because I will be upgrading to a full frame in the future and this will be my only lens which will be useless then...
2. I need this lens for video shooting also, and I read that the focus works more efficiently on the Canon for that.
3. Canon products give you a more professional look then a third party brand, most people (unfortunately) will see Sigma or Tamron as a knock off brand and relate that to cheaper quality work.
4. I found the money to afford the Canon, and realized that I can make enough to get a flash by the time I need it, which won't be for a few weeks when I have to do portrait shots.
5. There are more reasons due to my research and reviews I have read, unfortunately I have never tested the lenses because I don't have a local camera store... But I guess I can always return it if need be.

Now if anyone would like to suggest a good quality flash to me would also help... For party events and portraits both in studio and outdoors... I was looking for something simple like a Canon 430...

Can't wait for my lens to arrive for some practice shooting! Hurry up Amazon (Thank god for free 2 day shipping)

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR THE USEFUL ADVICE

Thanks for the reply,

3. That is just my opinion, you may be right, I guess it depends on the person I am shooting at the time.

4-5. Yeah I have read that many places and some say the sigma's build is about the same.. I'm sad to hear that because I just spent 999$ on this lens and would have expected a nice build but then again I never owned a L lens so I guess it will be my best built lens I own. I sure do hate the build of the 50mm 1.8 and my current kit lens (not even sure which one it is anymore cause its so outdated). I would of loved to get the 17-40 L lens or even the 16-?? but I wouldn't get that wide angle I am looking for and the 16-?? was out of my price range  Hope I made the right decision, but I have 30 days to figure it out since Amazon is pretty lenient with returns even on used items.

I am between the 430ex II or the Yongnuo, but I am not 100% sure. I will probably have to research my flash choice some more before deciding... But the 430 seems to be what I would need for now.

Thanks for the help, will post back with some photos from the lens!

Keith Z Leonard wrote:

I think you'll be happy with it, it's a great lens. Some thoughts on your comments below.

1. I've done no research on this, so I can't really comment.

2. Video is great with the Sigma as well, shorter focus throw is preferred by some and not by others, I have had no problems filming with either one. The only advantage the Canon has here is that you don't need to move the AF switch to MF, because it's full time MF anyway. You'll be happy with your new lens here though, so no worries.

3. I call shinanigans on this one, MOST PEOPLE wouldn't know the difference if you were paying them to answer, MOST PEOPLE don't shoot DSLRs and are more likely to look at the name on the camera then the lens anyway. The big white L lenses do get some attention for being....well...big and white, but that's not always a good thing, really. This is the silly reason out of your list.

4-5. You'll like the lens, I suspect, the only knocks I have on it is that it's big and the build is kind of not so great for the money. If it were built like the 24-105 or 17-40 I think it would justify the price, but it isn't. Still, one of the best lenses you can choose for Canon crop cameras, no question.

As to your flash question, I use the 430ex II and like it a lot. I've used it off camera through an umbrella and as a bounce flash (most of the time). I think it's a good compromise of size, price, and performance. If you get serious about shooting in studio strobes are better and some are cheaper, it's a great situation to be able to shoot in really good lighting. The 430ex II gives you ETTL off camera, which can be useful at times too, but the main arguments for it are size and price.

Have fun with your new lens, and let us know how you like it.

psychoticpanda wrote:

1. I need a high resale value because I will be upgrading to a full frame in the future and this will be my only lens which will be useless then...
2. I need this lens for video shooting also, and I read that the focus works more efficiently on the Canon for that.
3. Canon products give you a more professional look then a third party brand, most people (unfortunately) will see Sigma or Tamron as a knock off brand and relate that to cheaper quality work.
4. I found the money to afford the Canon, and realized that I can make enough to get a flash by the time I need it, which won't be for a few weeks when I have to do portrait shots.
5. There are more reasons due to my research and reviews I have read, unfortunately I have never tested the lenses because I don't have a local camera store... But I guess I can always return it if need be.

Now if anyone would like to suggest a good quality flash to me would also help... For party events and portraits both in studio and outdoors... I was looking for something simple like a Canon 430...

Can't wait for my lens to arrive for some practice shooting! Hurry up Amazon (Thank god for free 2 day shipping)

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR THE USEFUL ADVICE

psychoticpanda wrote:

Thanks for the reply,

3. That is just my opinion, you may be right, I guess it depends on the person I am shooting at the time.

If you find someone stuck between knowing enough to know a lens manufacturer at a glace and not knowing enough to know that different lenses from different companies are good...yeah, I've never had it happen.  The only thing I've ever had happen in terms of lens reaction is "wow, that's a big lens", which happens about 20x more often with my white L tele's than with black lenses.  I carried around the Sigma 50-500 OS which is a MONSTER lens along with a 70-200 f4 L and people commented on the 70-200 as a big lens ignoring the much larger 50-500...go figure.

4-5. Yeah I have read that many places and some say the sigma's build is about the same.. I'm sad to hear that because I just spent 999$ on this lens and would have expected a nice build but then again I never owned a L lens so I guess it will be my best built lens I own. I sure do hate the build of the 50mm 1.8 and my current kit lens (not even sure which one it is anymore cause its so outdated). I would of loved to get the 17-40 L lens or even the 16-?? but I wouldn't get that wide angle I am looking for and the 16-?? was out of my price range Hope I made the right decision, but I have 30 days to figure it out since Amazon is pretty lenient with returns even on used items.

The 50 f1.8's build is simply horrible, I have one and love the little lens, but it's really the junkiest built lens I've ever seen, great image quality though.  The 17-40 and 16-35 are good lenses, but the 17-50(55) lenses are just a better choice for crop cameras IMHO with IS/OS etc...  It sounds like the 17-55 will be your best built lens.  For what it's worth I find the Sigma build to be much better than the Canon 17-55, but in the end I'm not sure how much that really matters unless there's an "incident".  I doubt you'll return it though, it's a great lens.

I am between the 430ex II or the Yongnuo, but I am not 100% sure. I will probably have to research my flash choice some more before deciding... But the 430 seems to be what I would need for now.

Thanks for the help, will post back with some photos from the lens!

Which Yongnuo??  I would recommend getting a flash that supports ETTL 2 as it's pretty useful for starters and in certain situations where the lighting will change rapidly.  Manual flash is great too in a more controlled situation, like studio, where you can dial in the flash power.  Yongnuo makes a 565 EX that does ETTL and it's about 150$ US, but I've not used it.

So which one did you end up buying?

I'm currently deciding between sigma 17-50 and canon 17-55 for indoor fast action sports.

I have canon kit lens stm, it's not good at indoor sport because I have to increase my shutter speed all the way between 1/800 to 1/1000 and its the image is very dark and if I want some light I have to increase iso really high and the picture quality is not good at all.

nobi wrote:

I have canon kit lens stm, it's not good at indoor sport because I have to increase my shutter speed all the way between 1/800 to 1/1000 and its the image is very dark and if I want some light I have to increase iso really high and the picture quality is not good at all.

What level and type of fast action indoor sports?  I found my Canon 17-55 for high school basketball and volleyball too short for my liking.  It did do a nice job early on for YMCA volleyball where we had to sit right on the sideline of a gym half court.  The first lens I bought for indoor sports was a Sigma 50-150 EXII 2.8 (no longer available) then I moved to the Canon 70-200L 2.8 IS v2.  For me, the 50-150 focal range was perfect on my crop T1i and later, 60D; the 70-200 was OK on crop but preferable when I moved to the 5DIII.  I see you have the 85 1.8.  If you are using it for the tighter shots and looking for wider coverage the Canon 17-55 will do the job although due to its focal length it is not known as a sports type lens.

You might research the Sigma 50-100 f/1.8 also.  Could help get the shutter speed up and ISO down as long as it didn't make the DOF too thin.

i take badminton pictures and im relatively close to the court, you could as im just next to the court. And yes i do have the 85mm f.18 but thats really close to the subject as i could only get half body shots, if i want full body i have to be really far which sometime there are people in other courts.

Canon 18-55mm kit lens focal length is perfect for me but not good when i increase the speed so i was thinking between sigma 17-50mm f.12.8 and canon 17 - 50mm f2.8. But i do have limited budget, later on in future i do plan to buy canon 24-70 f2.8.

OK, now I understand. Given the Sigma 17-50 2.8 is presently on sale for $300 off, costing only $369, maybe you should give it a try. I had good experience with my Sigma's HSM system when shooting sports.  Buying it this cheap you can probably sell it for not a whole lot of loss when you are ready for the 24-70.

I found several Sigma 17-50 on local Craig's list around/under $300.

You might want to check local listing or eBay.

I sold mine last year but that was my favorite lens on 70D.

I sold all my EF-S lenses with 70D.

nobi wrote:

i take badminton pictures and im relatively close to the court, you could as im just next to the court. And yes i do have the 85mm f.18 but thats really close to the subject as i could only get half body shots, if i want full body i have to be really far which sometime there are people in other courts.

Canon 18-55mm kit lens focal length is perfect for me but not good when i increase the speed so i was thinking between sigma 17-50mm f.12.8 and canon 17 - 50mm f2.8. But i do have limited budget, later on in future i do plan to buy canon 24-70 f2.8.

Oliver Bedford wrote:

In my experience the Sigma's AF is not reliable at F/2.8. Camera used: 60D

Oliver

My 17-50 does real well on my 7D with one shot mode but when I move to servo mode for moving subjects it does hit a small but noticeable hit in AF hit rate. I think if I were in nobi's shoes, I would stay with the Canon 17-55 or maybe try the 35/2 IS for the badminton shots where 85mm is too long.