Question on which?

[Diesel6401]

Which lens?
I need something a little more than the 18-55mm standard lens for walking around with. Using a T3.

Looking at the following used for about the same price on eBay (or is their a better place for used lens?)?

Canon EF 28mm-80mm USM II F3.5-5.6

Or

Canon EF 28mm-90mm III F4.0-5.6.

Anyone have one, the other or both? I'm just a hobby shooter so bang for the buck is what I'm looking for. Thanks in advance. 

 

[Designer]

With the two choices given, I don't see that you're improving your range by much. The 55mm to 80mm range is something to consider but to purchase a new lens just for that amount of increased zoom is not getting much "bang for your buck", IMO.

I'm not a Canon shooter, but in terms of getting more "range" you might consider a wide-angle prime that will open up to wider than f3.5. That and your current lens will give you extra shooting capability that you don't have now.

 

[Diesel6401]

With the two choices given, I don't see that you're improving your range by much. The 55mm to 80mm range is something to consider but to purchase a new lens just for that amount of increased zoom is not getting much "bang for your buck", IMO.

I'm not a Canon shooter, but in terms of getting more "range" you might consider a wide-angle prime that will open up to wider than f3.5. That and your current lens will give you extra shooting capability that you don't have now.

Thanks for a insight. This is the type of information that really helps. I'll look into those. Thanks again.

 

[rexbobcat]

I would not get either of the ones you listed. The 18-55mm is not the most fantastic lens, but I believe it has a newer design and better optics than those others. Plus, it has Image stabilization.

If you want more flexibility look into the 50mm f/1.8 or the 85mm f/1.8. Yes, the 85mm is more expensive than those other options, but it is much, much sharper and with a wide aperture you can use it in low light. The 50mm is the same in that it is much sharper than those zooms, but it has a cheaper price tag at $100.

Or, if you don't mind going third-party, look into the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8. If you find a good used one it will cost about the same as the 85mm, but it has a wide aperture.

 

[Diesel6401]

I would not get either of the ones you listed. The 18-55mm is not the most fantastic lens, but I believe it has a newer design and better optics than those others. Plus, it has Image stabilization.

If you want more flexibility look into the 50mm f/1.8 or the 85mm f/1.8. Yes, the 85mm is more expensive than those other options, but it is much, much sharper and with a wide aperture you can use it in low light. The 50mm is the same in that it is much sharper than those zooms, but it has a cheaper price tag at $100.

Or, if you don't mind going third-party, look into the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8. If you find a good used one it will cost about the same as the 85mm, but it has a wide aperture.

Thanks. I have the cheaper 50mm and love it. I'll look at the Tamron.

 

[wyogirl]

If its any help... I LOVE (yes with all caps) my Tamron 28-75mm 2.8. Its on my camera most of the time.

 

[Diesel6401]

If its any help... I LOVE (yes with all caps) my Tamron 28-75mm 2.8. Its on my camera most of the time.

Any and all information helps!

 

[KmH]

My favorite everyday lens has a 24 - 85 mm focal length and a variable aperture of f/2.8-4, but mine is for a Nikon camera so the specifics wouldn't apply to Canon.

Note the EF- 24-80 mm has the USM auto focus motor, which is an upgrade from the standard AF motor. The extra 1/3 EV of maximum lens aperture at 28 mm (f/3.5 over f/4) is also a slight improvement.

 

[TCampbell]

Keep in mind that on a crop-body (such as your T3) the "normal" focal length is roughly 31mm (that's the equivalent of using a 50mm on a full-frame body). Nobody makes a 31mm lens, but 28mm and 35mm are popularly available focal lengths for prime lenses.

I think you'll find that some of the lenses you are looking at don't offer you any wide-angle range on your camera (they would on a full-frame body, but the T3 isn't a full-frame body).

But for a general purpose "walking around" lens, you want some wide angle as well as some telephoto. The kit lens is the EF-S 18-55mm because it offers a little of both and is extremely affordable.

If you want a bit more range, the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS used to be the lens... but then Canon introduced the STM focusing lenses AND... when they did, they also upgraded the glass.

The EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM is about $50 more than the non-STM, but frankly the STM is well-worth that extra $50 when it comes to image quality and focus performance. Also the STM provides full-time manual focus unlike the non-STM -- but that's in part because STM lenses are "focus by wire" (there is no direct mechanical linkage from the focus ring to the focusing mechanism... the electronics take care of the focus.) STM lenses are also almost completely silent when focusing (video guys love this because the lens is so quiet that the built-in microphone has an extremely hard time picking up any noise at all.)

The STM is fairly new. It sometimes shows up on Canon's "refurb" store and when it does it's about $440 (list price for new is $550). It might be hard to find them on the used market since they haven't been out very long.

 

[Gavjenks]

double post.

 

[Gavjenks]

If your budget is seriously only under $100, then don't try and upgrade, you're not going to get anything significantly better than your >$100 kit lens...
The only real option is the 50mm prime f/1.8, which obviously doesn't extend your range at all, but does give you a very significantly wider aperture in your collection. ~$100.
I agree with tcampbell that for a serious range upgrade, the cheapest solid option is the 18-135 STM, which is about 4x more than the ones you listed, though in price, even used.


Well MAYBE one other option is to buy a $5 pentax converter, and get an old vintage 135mm department store type of mass produced tele prime lens. I have a couple of things in this range like that, and they are actually pretty great, and reasonably bright, usually f/2.8. For example:
Vivitar 135mm F 1 2 8 M42 Pentax Mount Adapts 2 Sony Canon 4 3 027075023284 | eBay or
135mm F2 8 M42 Lens Can Fit Pentax K Canon EOS EF Digital Superb Results 000410465000 | eBay

Pretty much anything that says pentax mount is easily and cheaply adaptable. Or M42 mount. You're looking at lens + adapter = $50ish, and 2.5x the reach of your current lens. MANUAL FOCUS though, and NO IS. Need shutter speeds of at least 1/200th second to get anything sharp with these. And you should probably shoot with thems topped down 1/3-2/3 stops at almost all times. NEED GREAT POSTURE unless you're in bright sunlight.

However, the JC Penney (lol) 135mm lens, one of the vintage ones I have, is the sharpest lens in my collection by a long shot, more so than any modern L glass, when used correctly.

 

[Diesel6401]

If your budget is seriously only under $100, then don't try and upgrade, you're not going to get anything significantly better than your >$100 kit lens...
The only real option is the 50mm prime f/1.8, which obviously doesn't extend your range at all, but does give you a very significantly wider aperture in your collection. ~$100.
I agree with tcampbell that for a serious range upgrade, the cheapest solid option is the 18-135 STM, which is about 4x more than the ones you listed, though in price, even used.


Well MAYBE one other option is to buy a $5 pentax converter, and get an old vintage 135mm department store type of mass produced tele prime lens. I have a couple of things in this range like that, and they are actually pretty great, and reasonably bright, usually f/2.8. For example:
Vivitar 135mm F 1 2 8 M42 Pentax Mount Adapts 2 Sony Canon 4 3 027075023284 | eBay or
135mm F2 8 M42 Lens Can Fit Pentax K Canon EOS EF Digital Superb Results 000410465000 | eBay

Pretty much anything that says pentax mount is easily and cheaply adaptable. Or M42 mount. You're looking at lens + adapter = $50ish, and 2.5x the reach of your current lens. MANUAL FOCUS though, and NO IS. Need shutter speeds of at least 1/200th second to get anything sharp with these. And you should probably shoot with thems topped down 1/3-2/3 stops at almost all times. NEED GREAT POSTURE unless you're in bright sunlight.

However, the JC Penney (lol) 135mm lens, one of the vintage ones I have, is the sharpest lens in my collection by a long shot, more so than any modern L glass, when used correctly.

I have the 50mm Prime and love it. My budget isn't necessarily $100, but I try and be cost efficient (kids and only I work). I've been/started looking at the Canon 28-135mm. I see them for $200 used. I like to buy cost effective, but not buy twice if that makes sense. Thanks for the input.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[ronlane]

It's not under $100 but you might consider the 28-135mm from Canon. I use it as a walk around lens for now. I am looking to upgrade to the 24-105mm f/4L sometime this year though.

 

[Diesel6401]

It's not under $100 but you might consider the 28-135mm from Canon. I use it as a walk around lens for now. I am looking to upgrade to the 24-105mm f/4L sometime this year though.

Yes I started looking at that one 28-135 as well as the 18-135. The 28-135 is a little cheaper than the 18-135 on eBay.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[ronlane]

The 28-135mm is one of the kit lenses for the 60D. I feel that it is a better lens than the 18-55mm because it gives you a little more reach on the tele end. but that is just my opinion and it works for me.