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Yes, this is the best deal if one has full frame camera. My best walkaround lens is 12-60mm F/2.8-4 which gives roughly the same coverage (24-120mm). However, what gives similar range for crop sensored Canon cameras?

My walkaround lens is the 24~70 F/2.8 on my D300 that gives me an effective range of (36~159mm).

If I were you, I would avoid buying this lens.

It is a very low end lens and lacks the three most important attributes that are essential on a long telephoto:

1. NO form of Image stabilisation. Believe me, you really NEED this at 300mm to avoid blurry photos due to camera shake.

2. NO ring Ring type ultrasonic AF motor. You need this for fast AF lock on fast moving birds & wildlife.

3. This lens has overall average optics and displays quite pronounced Lateral Chromatic aberrations at 200mm and 300mm, even when stopped down to f/8.You wouldn't like this when you are shooting birds perched on trees and back lit.

The only plus point that i can see is the extremely affordable price of USD 160

I would however recommend you stretch you budget a little and go for either of the following:

Nikon AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED @ USD 249

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR II @ USD 399

Both of the above are far better optically compared to that Tamron.

Hope this helps!
Ok, so what are we actually looking out for when we want to upgrade from the kit lens?

1. Better Optical Quality
2. Faster Apertures. I mean who doesn't want more light.
3. Better AF performance (quicker & more accurate) , Ring USM (ultra sonic motor) and FTM (full time manual focus), non rotating front element.. come into mind.
4. Better Build Quality, weather sealing, dust resistance, etc.
5. Better Focal Length Range compared to kit lens.

Not adding Image stabilization here, because most kit lenses already have these.

Its literally impossible to find that one SINGLE lens which will give you ALL of the above upgrades...

So if your existing Canon 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 IS fared as below on the above parameters:
Optical Quality : **
Max Apertures : **
AF performance : **
Build Quality : **
Focal Length Range : **

The Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM will give you:
Optical Quality :*****
Max Apertures : *****
AF performance : ****
Build Quality : ***
Focal Length Range: **

The Canon 15-85 f/3.5-5.6 IS USM will give you:
Optical Quality : ***
Max Apertures : **
AF performance : ***
Build Quality : ***
Focal Length Range: ****

The Canon 24-105 f/4 L IS USM will give you:
Optical Quality : *****
Max Apertures : ****
AF performance : ****
Build Quality : ****
Focal Length Range: ***

Now, its for you to decide which of the above five parameters are most important to your style of shooting.

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Wow, interesting discussion here. My favorite walk-around lens is the 50mm prime on the full frame. It was 35mm prime on my previous cropped sensor. I will be happy with my 50mm if I am on a 5 day travel and pressed to single lens choice. I shoot pano with this lens even when the 20mm is in the bag. My whole point is: Its not about the number of lenses or accessories you have in the bag, its about checking the maximum potential of a single lens that gives more satisfaction. :thumbs up

Nikon's 18-105 kit lens is a beautiful glass the widest and longest a normal person would ever need in decent light. For low light, one can add a 50mm 1.8 and then its a complete kit for any kind of occasion.

+1

Same here. There are times when I leave with only my Sigma 150mm Macro on the 50D.... at other times, I have the 10-22 on and don't carry any other lens.

In fact, I once did a week long family holiday abroad with just my Sigma 30mm f/1.4 on the 50D. Took over 1k photos and had a blast!

There's so SINGLE do-it-all walk around lens. Everybody had 'different' needs and expectations and therefore have different favorites:)

My walk about and most commonly used lens is the 24-70 f/2.8 G. If I need to carry more than 1 lens it would be the 50mm 1.4G and the 24-70 f/2.8.

Rgds,

Interested to know, why would you carry the prime lens as second lens that is already covered by your walkarond zoom ? That too when your zoom is a constant f2.8

Thanks!
Shyam

/\ Because there's 2-stops of light between them:)

Also, you just can't compare the subject isolation and bokeh between an f/1.4 shot and a n f/2.8 shot!

The prime is for low light situations. The 2.8 doesn't suffice after dusk without a flash and/or tripod.

Rgds,

What a 1.4 lens can achieve can never be done with a 2.8 or other aperture lenses. According to me a 2.8 lens is not really a helpful lens when it comes to really low light photography like street, candle light etc. There is another alternative of increasing the ISO above 1600+ but that can easily bring too much of noise and getting a shutter speed above 1/60 is really tough.

I am giving an example here, this is shot with 50mm 1.4 and the only light source to the face is the diya in hand, the bokeh whats seen is atleast 30 mtrs away from the spot which does not contribute to the light on subject. This is ISO-1600, 50mm at 1.4 and 1/250 speed which was very important as the subject was not posing for me but in a hurry to line up the diyas around.

That is at ISO 1600, unbelievable. I have a D3100 and anything over 400 seems very noisy.

That was shot with a D700 which along with the D3 and D3s is known for it's low light sensitivity.

I agree Shaju - you cannot beat the F1.4 for low light. Check this one out, I had posted this as a Diwali greeting in the non-auto image thread. Shot @ ISO200 with the 85mm 1.4G albeit using a tripod. All light is from the diyas. However this lens weighs over 2x more than the 50mm 1.4G (~600g v/s 280g for the 50mm) which is why the 50mm makes it into my bag as a 2nd lens for low light scenes.

Cheers!

Thats nothing buddy, ISO-6400 I have very very clean images from this lens. Its a beautiful glass to own ! Mate it with a full frame, its magic !

Thats another beautiful glass to own, but terribly overpriced. I wish I can have one to get portrait bokeh 'highs', which this lens is known for :)

R2D2 and Shaju,

Thanks guys. Now it seems a full frame will be added to my list.



Nikon has this wildlife and city workshops, you have any feedback or reviews on those. I wanted to register @ one of those but they replied saying it is full.

Thanks Vikash49, very much helpful, I will be going with Nikkor 55-300 mm lense which all the more make sense to me.