Having trouble deciding on a wide angle lens for my canon digital rebel xt?

Question

I need some information on wide angle lenses. I take mostly portrait shots. I just dont know which ones are better than the other.

Answer 1

You're style doesn't match most peoples'. Most people wouldn't use a wide-angle for portraits because this generally doesn't provide a flattering perspective.
The obvious choice for a portrait lens would be the Canon 85mm f/1.8 - around $320 retail. Or if you have money to burn, the professional Canon 85mm f/1.2. These lenses combine a beautiful perspective, great image quality, and shallow depth of field for pleasing background blur (use them between f/2 and f/4).
If you don't want to invest this much cash in a fixed focal length lens, the Canon 70-200 f/4 or the massively expensive 70-200 f/2.8 are also good choices.
If you want a wide-angle zoom that also covers the traditional portrait range, the Canon 17-85mm is a very good lens for $500.
If you don't mind going wider than this, the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 is a $450 budget alternative to the Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 ($1050). The Canon 17-55 is probably the best walk-around lens for the Rebel XT that money can buy... but the zoom range is not really suited for portrait photography.
If you want a super wide angle, the expensive Canon 10-20mm can't be beat. Sigma, Tamron and Tokina have alternatives for around $400-$600.
These are all pretty expensive lenses. If you're budget doesn't permit any of these, consider a Canon 50mm f/1.8. This lens only costs $100 new and peanuts for a used copy. It's a tad short for portraits but the trade-off is that you can use it at f/2 with great image quality and a degree of background blur that beats ANY zoom lens.

Answer 2

i got a used 30d from my buddy so he could get a 40D. I was looking at wide angles, and have tried his a lot. he has the 17-40 and its AWESOME!!! when I can afford it its my next lens. He has a 10-22 also and he says its too wide for most shots and the 17-40 works fine if you think the shot thru. Also I got the 70-200mm Tamron 2.8 I like it a lot but wish I had gotten the Canon 70-200 F4 L IS instead or even the non is but the tamron is nice but it focuses kinda slow. A lot slower than my other buddy that has the normal 70-200 F4. He also has a 100-400 tellephoto zoom and its really cool. pricey at like $1300+ but its good quality and a lot better quality than those knock offs liek Sigma crap! I tried a sigma lens and it sucked!!!! What i read was the Tamron SP is good its their pro line, but they seem to focus a little slower than the canon lenses do. hope this helps.

Answer 3

I would opt for the 50mm 1.8. I have this lens and love it. It does an excellent job and doesn't drain your pocketbook.

Answer 4

go to adorama.com
it will give all the info that you need