What lens?

[Monarch1st]

I need a new lens.
I've got a canon 20d that my old lenses don't work on, the firmware is too old according to the local repair guy.
I rented a lens for a trip that worked just fine so it's not the camera.
I saw a nice canon lens at a local store that's 28-330mm, f3.6, with stabilization (not sure of exact numbers but that's close.) It sounds ideal for me.
They're selling it for 350-ish, new out of a kit.
Anybody know the model number?
and
Is that a good price? What's a good site for photo equipment? Or if there's not a substantial difference I'd rather buy locally.

 

[BKMOOD]

I buy all of my used stuff at www.keh.com

Nice bunch a guys. They know their stuff.

 

[Josh66]

I've got a canon 20d that my old lenses don't work on, the firmware is too old according to the local repair guy.

Your local repair guy doesn't know what he's talking about.

Firmware can be updated. (And it wouldn't affect a lens working or not anyway.) What are your 'old' lenses?

 

[NateWagner]

I'm thinking you're talking more like a 28-200 3.5-5.6IS

I don't think they make a 28-330. If you type in what I wrote above you'll find it. Sigma also makes a similar one, it's an 18-250 I think 3.5-6.3OS (OS is their IS).

 

[NateWagner]

Well, I thought the same thing, unless it's a really old sigma or something, in which case maybe the problem is the lens. Those sometimes don't work on newer cameras (I've been told).

 

[Overread20]

Older sigma lenses will sometimes have problems communicating to the camera yes - this is mostly a result of the fact that sigma have to reverse design the interface since canon don't give out such details and thus small changes can end up with the lens unable to communicate.
Sigma can rechip lenses but not all of them and not for all models of camera. I assume the same is also true of other 3rd party lens makers

that is if the lens is the problem - what older lenses is it that you are having problems with

 

[Monarch1st]

Older sigma lenses will sometimes have problems communicating to the camera ... Sigma can rechip lenses but not all of them and not for all models of camera...what older lenses is it that you are having problems with

Sorry it took so long to get back, I can't always jump back on in a timely manner. Thanks for the input.
They both are sigma lenses. One is a 30-100mm (don't have it in front of me but that's close) the other is a 100-300 f1:4.5-6.7, model number may be 055? That's the only likely number I see on it.
No, the repair guy was right, confirmed by another photo shop guy, that the firmware is out of date. And the lenses can probably be re-chipped, but it would cost close to what a new lens would be. These lenses aren't anything special so it's not worth it.
I'm looking for a general purpose lens that I can use indoors at dances, and outdoors at airshows. I can't really afford two decent lenses so I'm only looking for one.

 

[JustAnEngineer]

Your two applications are so different that you'll probably want to use two different lenses. Indoor dances might be captured with something like the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM, Tamron Di-II 17-50mm f/2.8 VC, Tamron Di-II 17-50mm f/2.8 or the Sigma DC 18-50mm f/2.8 HSM. If cost is the overriding concern, the $90 EF 50mm f/1.8 might do the trick. If you're further from the dancers, the $380 EF 85mm f/1.8 USM might be used for shooting with limited available light.

None of those lenses will be suitable for air shows. The $250 EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS is a reasonably inexpensive telephoto zoom lens. Prices go up rapidly from there.

 

[Monarch1st]

Your two applications are so different that you'll probably want to use two different lenses. Indoor dances might be captured with something like...

None of those lenses will be suitable for air shows. The $250 EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS ...Prices go up rapidly from there.

Thanks for the recommendations. Looks like I'll have to go with two lenses after all.
The ef-s 55-250 sounds like a decent one for outside work that might fit in the budget.

But for inside, I need something longer. I used full 100mm zoom on my old one all the time to zoom in on faces.
Also I'm leary about getting a non-canon lens. I'm doubtful when I move up cameras the lenses will be able to follow. The last ones didn't and I'm having to spend hundreds more than I planned. I understand canon doesn't give out its codes which means after-market players need to back-engineer their stuff, leading to my situation.
Is there anything in the around-20mm to 100mm-or-more zoom that you'd recommend? Cost is not the absolute overriding concern, but it is one of the major factors.

 

[JustAnEngineer]

If you were shooting at 100mm with a full-frame (film) SLR, that would correspond to (100mm ÷ 1.6 Field of View Crop Factor) = 63mm on the EOS 20D. That's only a little beyond the reach of the 17-50mm zoom lenses.

Giving up all of the wide-angle capabilities of the 17-50mm zooms, you might consider the $460 Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 if it is necessary cover that focal length with a large-aperture zoom lens. With a camera with an APS-C size sensor, this full-frame lens provides a rather unusual middle zoom range of focal lengths, equivalent to 45-120mm.