Wide angle and walk around lens advice

[Simon]

Hi, I have just joined this forum as I have just purchased my first digital SLR, a Canon EOS60D.  Previously, I have used a Canon SLR film camera (and a digital point and shoot camera), so I have a couple of lenses already that fit my new(second hand) camera.  I haven't used the film camrea for a while, but now I want to learn some more about photography and I am really impressed with the 60D.  I expect that the instant feedback that you can get with the 60D will help a lot to improve my skills.  I want to do mainly landscape and portrait type photos mostly while camping. The lenses that I have are as follows:
Canon EF 28-105mm f3.5-4.5 II
Canon EF 35-80mm f4-5.6 (the lens I got with my first SLR)
Canon EF 90-300mm f4.5-5.6
Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II

I have learned so far that my 28-105mm lens isn't very wide anymore when used on a crop sensor digital body.  Some people have suggested that this lens isn't as good on a digital biody as it is on a film body, but I haven't confirmed or denied this as I haven't had the chance to really test it out. I have read through a heap of reviews about possible wide angle lenses to get to help me with those landscape shots to the point of frustration. The choice seems pretty wide and now I don't know if I will "need", for example, a Canon EF-S 10-22mm lens and a Tamron 17-50mm lens, or if my 28-105mm lens will be OK and that a single lens like a Tokina 12-24mm lens will do the job??  Does anyone have any suggestions to get me on the right track?

Regards
Simon

[KeithB]

If money is no objecect, go with the Canon 10-22.

Here is Bob's review of the Tokina:
http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/reviews/tokina_12-24_f4_review.html

[Bob Atkins]

I think the Canon EF-S 10-22 is the best lens if you want a wideangle lens for landscapes. However it's not very useful as a portrait lens. It's too wide and too slow. While you can use any lens for portraits, lenses in the range of 40-60mm would be in the typical "portrait" range of focal lengths for an APS-C camera, and you'd probably want something fast (at least f2. if you want to blur backgrounds.

You aren't going to beat the 50/1.8 II that you already have for portrait work, but if you want a zoom that (almost) takes its place then you'd want one of the fast f2.8 zooms like the Tamron 17-50/2.8 (see http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/reviews/tamron_17-50_review.html)  or the Canon 17-55/2.8 or Sigma 17-50/2.8 (see http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/reviews/Canon_EF-S_17-55_Sigma_17-50_review.html).

The Canon EF-S 15-85.3.5-5.6 covers the right focal length range, but it's a bit slow at the longer end. See http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/reviews/canon_ef-s_15-85_review.html

[Simon]

Thanks for the advice. I don't know about money being no object, pretty much the opposite really, so I managed to find a secondhand Canon EFS 10-22mm lens for a quite few dollars less than a new one.  I'll have to wait a few days for it to turn up before I can try it out.

The portrait photography I was talking about is more of people around a camp site and people in the foreground of a landscape sort of thing and general walk-around stuff (cars, motor bikes, planes etc) rather than a studio sort of scenario. I suppose that a fast aperature isn't absolutely necessary but a nice thing to have available.  I'm still leaning towards the Tamron to fill in the gap.  I have read that quite a few people have to go through a couple of Sigma lenses to get a sharp one, so I'm not really seriously considering one of them yet. The Canons are a maybe.

Thanks again.

[Simon]

I think that the Canon 17-55mm and 15-85mm lenses are a bit out of my price range at the moment, especially considering what I have got away with spending on the 60D and the new (to me) 10-22mm lens    I think that the Tamron 17-50 looks like a possibility. Any thoughts on VC verses the Non-VC version? I get the impression that a lot of people like the Non-VC version the best. How fast do they focus compared to Canon non-USM lenses?

[klindup]

I have been very pleased with my Sigma 12-24 used my my 40D.
Ken Lindup

[whizkid]

A pet peeve. Not that it really matters but I have an issue with Tamron and Tokina lenses. They zoom and focus in the opposite direction of Canon. I zoom by instinct and Canon has it right with low numbers on the left and higher to the right (Olympus too).  Most other camera makers go the opposite direction so it makes sense for Tamron to do that.  Fortunately I own only oneTamron. If it didn't autofocus I would heave it. May do that anyway as I no longer use it and it sucks at 300mm (it's long end).

[Simon]

Thanks for your replies guys. I have thought about the reverse zoom/focus issue with the Tamron and Tokina lenses and wondered how annoying it would be.  Ideally, I suppose, it would be great to stick to all Canon lenses and reduce the number of potential problems, but $s are a problem for a lot of people, especially if photography is only your hobby, like me.  I think I could live with the reversed zoom rings etc if the price was right.  I'm trying not to over think it too much - otherwise I will never get to take any photos.

The Canon EFS 10-22mm lens arrived today and looks pretty good once given a clean.  We've had about 1/2" of rain here today so I didn't get outside to take any photos, but the the few shots I have taken of the lounge room are pretty impressive. I think that I will be very pleased with it. I hope to get up to Cradle Mountain soon and get a few shots of the snow. Can't wait!