What's a good wide angle lens for my Canon XTi?

Question

I am interested in getting image stablization. I am interested in being able to read a distance scale. I am interested in having a zoom lens. I am not crazy about fixed focus lenses or aperatures. I don't want to go too much over $500.00. I don't trust used lenes. Please give me your sugestions.

Answer 1

* Canon EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM
* Canon EF-S 17-85 f/4-5.6 IS USM
* Canon EF-S 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 IS (no distance scale)
* Canon EF 24-105 f/4L IS
* Canon EF 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

It appears that those are the only Canon lenses wider than 30mm that have IS. Anything longer than that is going to be in normal range because of the XTi's 1.6 multiplier. The two in the longer range are multitaskers and there are better lenses for that task.

The 17-55 is out of your price range at about $1K but the 17-85 is right there. For your specs, that's the lens. But f/3.5-5.6 for $500? Why not the EF 17-40 f/4L for not very much more and have some really sweet glass though without the IS?

Are you sure you want IS on a wide lens? The reason I ask is that you should be able to get your shutter speed well high enough to avoid any camera shake when you're under 30mm. If you're shooting in the dark (fast aperture needed) then IS isn't really going to help as much as having an f/2 or faster lens would.

Answer 2

Well IS lenses don't really come on wide angle...
that's more a telephoto/zoom thing... all IS lenses are god awful expensive...the closet you get to a Wide angle is the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM and that's a 1,600 lens new...

Now to be fair I do buy a lot of photo gear used on cregslist...but only from local buyers and only from people who will let me stand there and test it out before I hand over the cash... Just before thanksgiving I picked up a used RZ-67 with 80mm and 220 back for $175... at this price even if I had to send it in for a repair it was still well worth the money...so keep an open mind about used but do your homework..

Answer 3

Assuming you already have the kit lens, the logical choice would be Canon's 10-22 f/3.5-4.5 USM . It's about $CDN950.

Sigma's 10-20 is another good choice. Tokina and Tamron make similar lenses. They are all in the $600 range.

None have IS as it's not really considered necessary in short focal length lenses.

There is nothing sub-$500 that I am aware of.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

How wide?

You won't find any super wide lenses with IS, nor do they need them. The widest lenses with IS are the Canon 17-55 f2.8 or the 17-85 f4-5.6. 17mm is a typical wide angle, equivalent to 28mm on a 35mm film camera.

If you want a super wide lens, an option in your budget is the Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM:
http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-10-20mm-4-5-6-Digital-Cameras/dp/B0007U00X0/ref=pd_bbs_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1197430916&sr=8-3

Sigma also makes a 18-200mm superzoom with IS that is considered to be pretty good (for a superzoom at least).

Answer 5

Here's the best lens that Canon makes that fits ALL of your needs.

Wide Angle
I.S.
Zoom
Distance Scale
Roughly $500

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/351548-USA/Canon_9517A002_EF_S_17_85mm_f_4_5_6_IS.html