Help Spend My Money!!

[mbbye]

I currently have a Canon XTi, Canon 18-200mm lens and 50mm f/1.8 lens. I'm going on vacation to Tokyo soon and I want to treat myself to a new toy before leaving. Besides travel photography I enjoy taking pictures of cars and people. Here are the options I was thinking about:

1. Canon 10-22mm lens. I think that this could be a really fun lens, but I'm not sure how much use I would actually get out of it. It seems a bit gimmicky.

2. Canon Speedlite flash. I never use the pop-up flash, ever. But I've heard these can be fun.

3. Sell both of my lenses and get the Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 lens. I've found that the majority of the photos I take with my 18-200 are in the low focal range (55mm and under probably about 80% of the time), so I'm thinking it may be better to invest in a lens with better image quality and less zoom. The IQ of the 18-200 is enough for quick travel snap shots but I find it to be a bit soft when I try to use it for more "artistic" shots. Can anyone with experience with the 17-55 chime in?

4. Sell the XTi body and get a 50d.

Right now I think I'm leaning towards #3, getting the 17-55, but does anyone have any suggestions on these or maybe a completely different alternative?

Thanks in advance.

A couple of sample photos of mine:
People/Animals

Car

Travel Snap Shot

 

[scorpion_tyr]

Either the 10-22 or the flash.

 

[Dallmeyer]

Hey I hope someone can give you some recommendations but if you posted a few of your photos too, it would give an insight into what style of pictures you make with existing lenses. Your approach to cars and people. In what context etc.

 

[Dallmeyer]

There's a bucketload of second hand primes out there. Two or three focal lengths will serve you well and IMO your dedicated shots working with those focal lengths will be better than the occasional shots at the same length using a zoom.

 

[icassell]

Here's something that might help:

10-20mm.com

Actually, I might hold off and look at the new Sigma 8-16.

 

[mbbye]

Hey I hope someone can give you some recommendations but if you posted a few of your photos too, it would give an insight into what style of pictures you make with existing lenses. Your approach to cars and people. In what context etc.

I added some pictures to my original post.

 

[mbbye]

Either the 10-22 or the flash.

Any particular reason for these?

 

[fokker]

For travel shots you're going to want something that can shoot wide angle. Look at sigma alternatives to both the canons you mentioned if money is an issue, otherwise go for gold. I wouldn't bother trying to take any more than 2 lenses or a flash, it will just be a hassle.

 

[Dallmeyer]

Hey I hope someone can give you some recommendations but if you posted a few of your photos too, it would give an insight into what style of pictures you make with existing lenses. Your approach to cars and people. In what context etc.

I added some pictures to my original post.

Hey that's really sound of you! I'm going to sit back and smoke and look at your pictures- try and come up with something worthwhile to say!

 

[Dallmeyer]

I think if it was me taking those pictures i'd opt for a good quality 28mm, a 2.8/135 and continue to use the 18-200 as well or get something like a 70-200 as well and carry that. All secondhand, manual - Canon mount. But i appreciate you're going on holiday and may not want the photography to be such a mission! I'd use two lenses each day and build it up over a week or so across the city.

 

[TomBlaze]

Sell both lenses and get the Canon 24-105mm f/4 L.

Holds the the aperture throughout the whole zoom range and that range really is a nice sweetspot for different shooting situations. You can get it for about 1k. I am getting one soon. The reviews are awesome.

If you can swing it, get it. If not look for Sigma alternaitves.

EVEN BETTER! Rent a kick ass lens just for the trip. Hell, rent two. Try the one I mentioned AND the wide angle. See what you like then make a decision.

 

[fokker]

Sell both lenses and get the Canon 24-105mm f/4 L.

Holds the the aperture throughout the whole zoom range and that range really is a nice sweetspot for different shooting situations. You can get it for about 1k. I am getting one soon. The reviews are awesome.

If you can swing it, get it. If not look for Sigma alternaitves.

EVEN BETTER! Rent a kick ass lens just for the trip. Hell, rent two. Try the one I mentioned AND the wide angle. See what you like then make a decision.

A great lens and I would agree with that choice, but only if he was using a full frame camera - 24mm simply isn't wide enough for most of the landscape/cityscape/buildings/architecture type shots that you generally want to take when travelling. Even 17mm is borderline at times.