I'm looking for a decent all-purpose lens to replace the 18-55mm kit lens on my Canon EOS Rebel XTi (400D). I'd like to keep the price as low as possible but something with a half-decent zoom and IS.
Any suggestions?
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2The kit lens is a decent, all-purpose lens. What's wrong with it? A few specific examples would be very helpful.– osullicApr 29, 2019 at 14:37
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Maybe more useful would be a lens that isn't an "all-purpose" lens?– osullicApr 29, 2019 at 14:38
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2@osulic Not the one that came with the 400D. I remember previews of the 450D praising the new kit lens on it (first one with IS I think...).– xenoidApr 29, 2019 at 14:42
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What is "half-decent zoom"? Your perception of what might constitute "decent" is likely different from someone else's — let alone "half-decent".– mattdmApr 29, 2019 at 14:47
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2@osullic The EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II (non-IS) was known as a particularly poor kit lens. Canon's QC seemed to be all over the place with that lens. The one I had was horrible. The EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS that replaced it performed much better. The difference seemed to be mostly about quality control rather than design, but everyone reviewing kit lenses and cameras noticed the improvement.– Michael CApr 29, 2019 at 14:47
1 Answer
Given the kit lens of the 400D, you can either:
get a modern version of the 18-55. But it's a bit of a minefield, because Canon reintroduced a non-OS version for the low-end cameras. So make sure you have IS, IS II or IS STM (on a 400D, the STM isn't very useful as a "video" lens but you may enjoy the non-rotating front lens). Since these are kit lenses, many are available on the second-hand market if you want rock-bottom prices.
get something a bit more expensive but slightly faster and with more reach, like the Sigma 17-70 f/2.8-4 (either the IS, or the IS contemporary)
- or something faster with less reach: a 17-50 f/2.8 from various brands (Sigma, Tamron)