which of these 2 lens sets would you get?

soaringoak · Oct 10, 2008

Hello, I'm looking to basically complete my lens arsenal this fall and would appreciate any advice.
I currently own a Canon 10-22, Canon 17-40 and a Sigma macro 105.
I'd like to complete my range of focal length for up to 400mm, and here are the two paths that I foresee, granted that I have just over a $2,000 budget this fall...

Scenerio 1: Purchase the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 and Canon 400mm

Scenerio 2: Sell my 17-40mm and purchase a Canon 24-105mm f/4 and Canon 100-400mm f/5.6

Scenerio 1 would give me a gap between 40 and 70mm (albeit the "normal" range thats not that important to me)... however it would give me a sharp 2.8 constant aperture lens and the canon 400mm prime versus zoon. Scenerio 2 would give me more versatile zooming in 100-400 but may not be as sharp.

After selling my 17-40 in scenerio #2, both options would be about the same cost. Thanks for any opinions and advice!

update: "upon further review"... since my body is a 40D, and I'm totally in love with this camera and won't be trading for a full frame anytime soon... I've decided that a 300mm f/4 L IS will be good enough for my needs since I have a 1.6 crop factor and I'm not as interested in shooting birds as much as I am deer, bear, bison, elk, fox, coyote, etc. Plus the ability to add the 1.4x to create a 420mm f/5.6 sounds great to me.
For the shorter range, I'm afraid I'll have to settle with the Sigma 70-200mm 2.8 versus a Canon design since that will max my budget.... but I've heard of many having great luck with the Sigma.

soaringoak · Oct 11, 2008

Yes, the common and legitimate answer is usually 'it depends on what you want to do'. Ok, well the answer to that has never been clear to me, therefore I want to have convenient versatility for a variety of situations. I have successfully shot a couple of weddings in my time, but I dont feel that I could make a career of it... not for lack of talent or knowledge but because of lack of patience organizing people and the sheer stress. Wedding photography is not always fun, and like my photography to be fun... although I dont rule out that maybe some day I'd have more fun doing that.
For shooting wedding events in the past, I have either borrowed or rented lenses.
I live 3/4 hour drive from Cades Cove in the smokies, and I enjoy shooting wildlife and scenics. I'd like to focus more on black bears, and thats why I'm wanting something at least up to 400mm that is going to be sharp, bright (bears are dark to see in the viewfinder) and easy to handle, but that I can get with my budget. The 24-105mm appeals to me because I bet it would be a great focal length for portraits, and I do like to take local classes that involve people shooting (I'm in a certificate program at UT). The 70-200 2.8 appeals to me because I once owned the Nikon 80-200 2.8 which I found to be extremely sharp and bright, and would like to have a version of its optical design for my Canon.
Hope that helps formulate a lens opinion then based on these 2 scenerios...