Best Lenses

I am shopping for a Canon Digital Rebel XT and have noticed a number of
package deals that include different lenses, 18 - 55 and 70 - 300 but
from manufacturers other than Canon such as Sigma. I've heard the lens
is every bit as important as the camera body in getting good shots and
it's made me wonder what's the best path, which are the best cost vs.
quality lenses and so on. I'm thinking I'll go with a body with the
stock lense, and add more later, but the best quality I can afford.
Does anyone have any good package deal stories out there?

Thanks,

SK

Sigma makes some fine lenses. Their lower priced models aren't quite so
fine. That's OK, as Canon's lower priced lenses aren't quite so fine either.
If you can do it, choose a better quality lens to start with. You'll never
regret spending a bit more for a lens that'll deliver a significantly better
image.

Rob

I am shopping for a Canon Digital Rebel XT and have noticed a number of
package deals that include different lenses, 18 - 55 and 70 - 300 but from
manufacturers other than Canon such as Sigma. I've heard the lens is every
bit as important as the camera body in getting good shots and it's made me
wonder what's the best path, which are the best cost vs. quality lenses and
so on. I'm thinking I'll go with a body with the stock lense, and add more
later, but the best quality I can afford. Does anyone have any good package
deal stories out there?

I picked up the 17-85IS with my Rebel XT and have been pretty pleased with
the results. It's not the fastest lens in the world, but fortunately the
camera's excellent ISO 400 capabilities overcome much of that. And the IS is
great for indoor shots, since you can hand-hold it at very low shutter
speeds with amazingly-sharp results. It's not a cheap lens, but the range is
very nice, and it seems relatively well-made (although I wish it had a zoom
lock, so it wouldn't keep floating out to max zoom when it's pointed
downward).

I've got that lens paired up with a 70-200 F4 L-series; between the two,
I've got pretty wide-ranging capability in a pretty-light & compact package.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

In article ,
Sken wrote:

I am shopping for a Canon Digital Rebel XT and have noticed a number of
package deals that include different lenses, 18 - 55 and 70 - 300 but
from manufacturers other than Canon such as Sigma. I've heard the lens
is every bit as important as the camera body in getting good shots and
it's made me wonder what's the best path, which are the best cost vs.
quality lenses and so on. I'm thinking I'll go with a body with the
stock lense, and add more later, but the best quality I can afford.
Does anyone have any good package deal stories out there?

I have been using my 20D with the 18-55mm "kit lens" for 9 months and have
been pleased with the results.

This lens is held in LOW regard by purists, for whatever THAT is worth. My
experience follows years of use with a Canon AE1 and T90 body and four Canon
FD lenses of good-to-excellent quality. I don't think the above mentioned kit
lens is bad.


JR

"Jim Redelfs" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Sken wrote:

I am shopping for a Canon Digital Rebel XT and have noticed a number of
package deals that include different lenses, 18 - 55 and 70 - 300 but
from manufacturers other than Canon such as Sigma. I've heard the lens
is every bit as important as the camera body in getting good shots and
it's made me wonder what's the best path, which are the best cost vs.
quality lenses and so on. I'm thinking I'll go with a body with the
stock lense, and add more later, but the best quality I can afford.
Does anyone have any good package deal stories out there?

I have been using my 20D with the 18-55mm "kit lens" for 9 months and have
been pleased with the results.

This lens is held in LOW regard by purists, for whatever THAT is worth.
My
experience follows years of use with a Canon AE1 and T90 body and four
Canon
FD lenses of good-to-excellent quality. I don't think the above mentioned
kit
lens is bad.


JR

I agree with you, my version produces good images stopped down although it
should remain a little soft in the corners I can't say I have noticed this.

I have used the kit lens to allow me to fill out my lens coverage with EF
10-22, EF 200mm f2.8L, EF 100mm f2.8 Macro and EF 50mm f1.4. The kit lens is
not as sharp as these but still very usable and the difference if just doing
casual handholding photography it not too noticeable..

PS I still have my much loved FD system, A1, Ftb, 28 f2.8, 50 f1.8, 85 f1.8,
135 f2.8 and 70-210 f4 only converting to digital at the beginning of the
year.

I bought an XT for my wife. After reading mixed reviews on the basic kit
lens, I opted for the 17-85 IS EF-S lens. She loves it. I've used in on my
20D and it's great.

Steve
Tucson AZ
"Stan Birch" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 08 Sep 2005 21:20:17 GMT, Sken wrote:
I am shopping for a Canon Digital Rebel XT and have noticed a number of
package deals that include different lenses . .

I went with the basic kit lens; and couldn't be more pleased with it's
performance!

I also have a big-buck 70-200 2.8L IS lens; but only mention that for
the purpose of perspective. The basic 17-55 kit lens is more than
capable of producing some really ultra-sharpe pics. The only
nay-sayers, have either not had any experience with the lens; or
couldn't manage a decent capture with the most wonderous lens in the
entire universe!