Walkaround lens

killbillvol2

I'll be doing a fair bit of travelling in the next while and I'm travelling light. I only want to carry one lens with my 450D. I've seen these that might fit the bill:

Canon 18-200 F3.5-5.6 IS (approx €440)
Sigma 18-200 F3.5-6.3 DC OS (approx €300)
Tamron 18-270 F3.5-6.3 VC (approx €440)
Tamron AF18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II LD (approx €275)
Tamron AF 18-200 F3.5-6.3 Di II (approx €225)

Prices are what I'd pay in Singapore roughly.

Any advice/experience of any of the above much appreciated.

pixbyjohn

I would suggest you go for the Canon 18-200

greeneyedspirit

I own a Sigma 18-200, it's my standard walkaround lens, and I do like it. However, having since aquired a few Nikon lenses, the quality is noticeably better on the Nikon lenses.
If you have the extra cash, I'd go for the Canon, then.

Ghost Train

what about a 28mm prime?

daycent

killbillvol2 wrote: »

I'll be doing a fair bit of travelling in the next while and I'm travelling light. I only want to carry one lens with my 450D. I've seen these that might fit the bill:

Canon 18-200 F3.5-5.6 IS (approx €440)
Sigma 18-200 F3.5-6.3 DC OS (approx €300)
Tamron 18-270 F3.5-6.3 VC (approx €440)
Tamron AF18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II LD (approx €275)
Tamron AF 18-200 F3.5-6.3 Di II (approx €225)

Prices are what I'd pay in Singapore roughly.

Any advice/experience of any of the above much appreciated.

I read a review recently on superzooms in a magazine. There is a Sigma 18-250 out now that is a big step up from the 18-200 apparently. A bit dearer though I'd imagine.

killbillvol2

daycent wrote: »

I read a review recently on superzooms in a magazine. There is a Sigma 18-250 out now that is a big step up from the 18-200 apparently. A bit dearer though I'd imagine.

Just what I need - another one to consider! Thanks though, looks interesting.

killbillvol2

Ghost Train wrote: »

what about a 28mm prime?

Same sort of money but I think it might be a bit limiting as the only lens in the bag?

PabD

Pixmania have the Sigma 18-200 on sale for €200 if that helps at all. It is the non is version. Not a bad price though.

Simplicius

forget zooms , you want to travel light get two basic primes, 50mm for city and 28mm or 24mm for landscapes.... you'll find you'll spend more time taking photographs that fiddling with equipment. Yes you will get times on your trip where you go "damn if I had a 200mm blah blah blah , i could really capture that" but those generally I find, tend to be rarer than you fear.

AnCatDubh

How well does the 450D handle high iso? / How happy are you to shoot and process high iso images from your 450D?

While a zoom will be the most versatile, (and indeed maybe necessary depending on what it is that you expect to be shooting) but depending on how you feel about the my leading question, you may be better with simplicius's suggestion - grab a prime or two that will give you the ability to stretch an extra stop of light (or three) to give you better performance options / better resulting images in more challenging light or more creative aperture induced capturing.

That being said, is it possible that your purchase is driven by a more longer term desire to have a great zoom than just something for your trip(s). There is a trade off there I think.

dinneenp

Wouldn't something like a Sigma 24-70 f2.8 or Tamron 28-75f2.8 offer a zoom and good low light capabilities?

davmigil

Simplicius wrote: »

forget zooms , you want to travel light get two basic primes, 50mm for city and 28mm or 24mm for landscapes.... you'll find you'll spend more time taking photographs that fiddling with equipment. Yes you will get times on your trip where you go "damn if I had a 200mm blah blah blah , i could really capture that" but those generally I find, tend to be rarer than you fear.

Full frame equivalents. So on a APS-C sensor a 35mm for city and a wide angle. Definitely onto something. Less is often more.

The beauty of primes is that you start to see 50mm framed photographs where ever you look. You never really get that with a zoom.

dinneenp

I'm thinking of selling my nifty fifty (have another thread about it...).
But I have a work week in Getmany, then a long weekend in Barcelona and will use it a lot then.
Maybe I'll come home in love with it?
Best probably to go walkabout with just it So I don't end up swapping lens and see what all the hype about this baby is really about...

killbillvol2

Went with the Canon in the end - the guy in the shop let me try all the lenses and even look at the pics on a laptop afterwards. Got it for €410 with a filter. Not bad. It just felt more solid than all the others, better built.

I've brought my nifty fifty too as a result of advice here - can't really count that as luggage!

RoryW

You might also find this lens useful as a walk around lens

Nikon AF 24-70 f2.8G ED

Only Euro 40