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Sadly, cheap zooms are generally very poor lenses. I'd be leary of the Tamron or Sigma packages for two lenses at this price.

You can never go wrong with the 50mm f/1.8 lens from Canon.  It is inexpensive and will give you much better photos than any cheap zoom ever will.  However, you do lose the ability to zoom, and dont get wide angle at all.

I'd suggest a Canon 28 f/2.8 and a 50mm f/1.8... but this might go over your budget.

Everything I've read about the Canon 50mm F/1.8 says it's a great portrait lens. That is definitely on my must buy list if/when I get a Rebel XSI this summer. There is another all metal version of the lens that's quite a bit more, but you lose nothing by sticking with the cheaper plastic one.

If you are looking for a shorter zoom I suggest either the Tamron 17-50mm F/2.8 ($420) - or the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 ($450). You gain a huge amount of flexibility using a fixed aperture zoom that you just don't get with those F4.5-F6.3 lenses. As far as I'm aware (someone correct me if I'm wrong) most cameras still have problems autofocusing when your aperture is set smaller than F6.

Most pros/prosumers will tell you you aren't buying the camera, you are buying into a lens system. Almost all prosumer level camera bodies are fairly equal feature-wise, the lens selection can be the deal maker.

macforme wrote:

As far as I'm aware (someone correct me if I'm wrong) most cameras still have problems autofocusing when your aperture is set smaller than F6.

I have not noticed that my Canon 40d has problems focusing with apertures smaller than F6, in fact both of my lenses are faster than F6 throughout the range.

Lenses are what makes the difference though.

-mark

Last edited by avkills (2008-06-12 9:12 am)

$85 at Adorama

Gateway? Like, the cattle company?

pottymouth wrote:

You have NO lens? Not even the 18-55 lens that came with the kit? It's nothing to write home about, but it's good for cheap. You can usually pick those up used for ~$50.

Nope!  I got it off my uncle who just bought the body.  He has some other Canon model now (XS, I think)

I'm going to go to the store to check out the 50mm and see if I can live without zoom, since I've been hearing so many people rave about it.  Thanks a lot!

I really think that if you are going to get a single lens, you'd be better off spending a little more and getting the 28 f/2.8. 

Because the DX sized sensor in your body has a 1.6x focal length conversion, the 50mm becomes, effectively, an 80mm, which is quite a bit longer than a "normal" lens.  The 28, therefore, is the equivalent of 44.5mm, far closer to "normal".

Or, get both, then supplement it later with an 85mm for excellent portraiture.

user wrote:

Use the 50 for portraiture on a DSLR.

However, I think he's shooting film.

Emm.... no.

blackzarg wrote:

Hi, I just got a used Canon Rebel XT (350D)...

Sounds digital to me

The 50 does make a good portrait lens on a digital body, yes.  But the 85 is better still.