[rodger1138]

hi all~I have a Canon 400d with the standard 18-55mm and 55-200mm, and just bought a 50mm prime

just wondering if anyone can suggest a good, sharp all round lens thats not too expensive

like a 18-100 or even 18-300mm

purpose of use would be band shoots (mostly in stages are kind of dark) and just everyday/travel shooting

thanks

[ChrisRabior]

I started out using Sigma's 28-70mm f/2.8-4.0 lens, and that was a pretty awesome investment. I sold it when I bought my 28-75mm f/2.8. Kinda wish I kept it, it was a nice lens and was pretty intelligent for focus. Under 100 bucks if I remember correctly.

Sigma now has a 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5. I've considered adding that as my walkaround lens just because of the wide angle and lower f-stop.

If you really want to get into shooting bands, the coolest combo of lenses I've seen would be 18-50mm f/2.8 and a 50-150mm f/2.8.. but that's about a grand worth of glass. You can't go wrong with the wider angle if you have access to the stage, and you shouldn't need more than 150 if you're at a reasonable distance. Of course, if you can make due with primes, you can't beat 1.8/1.4/1.2 capable lenses for low light shooting.

[stepheno]

I think Chris has prettymuch answered the question about lenses but my question is what do you consider cheap? Can you put a price on what you want to spend?

[silkstone]

I can recommend the Tamron 18-200 Di-II, or perhaps the more recent 18-250.

Because of the 1.6x crop factor, 28mm is not really wide-angle, whereas 18mm gives you the equivalent field of view to a 29mm lens on a full frame camera.

The Tamron lens is extremely compact and lightweight, and is good as a travel lens even if you have other glassware. The main limitation is its maximum aperture of f/6.3 at 200mm, although perhaps that isn't so important these days with such good high ISO performance from modern cameras.

[stepheno]

Although I have since sold it, I would also recommend the Tamron 18-200, excellent walk-about lens.

[rodger1138]

thanks alot for the awesome suggestions!

to answer your Q stepheno my price range would be maybe $500usd max (including 2nd hand)

[stepheno]

..which equates to about £250 sterling so a new Tamron 18-200 is within your budget

[ChrisRabior]

For 500USD, I'd suggest going with a 28-75mm f/2.8 from Sigma or Tamron. Those came highly rated when I was looking for a lens. Ended up going with the Tamron (found it cheaper). I do a lot of concerts, and I usually always use that lens.. unless the lighting is really crappy.. then I switch over to the 50mm f/1.8.

[ChrisRabior]

Something to keep in mind..
When you speak about shooting concerts, there are two entirely different scenarios. The first is if you have access to very well lit venues. This is basically when you get a photo pass to a major event. These are very well lit, because people need to be able to see from way in back. I've shot a few like this with a 75-300mm f/4-5.6 (the non-IS version).
The second is the typical concert. Local venue, bar, anywhere with less than optimal lighting. For these, you HAVE to have a fast lens. I've shot a few shows with my 50mm f/1.8 at 1600 ISO where the only way to get a decent shutter speed was to underexpose by 2 full stops and try to bring out the shots in Photoshop.

My guess is you'll be shooting with the less than perfect lighting conditions. If you're happy with primes, that's probably your best option. 85mm f/1.8 is in your price range, and that's a pretty nice lens for concerts. If you're looking for a zoom lens, then the lowest you'll find is a constant f/2.8. That being the case, my earlier post covers the entry level lenses for that. Once you start making the big bucks, you could upgrade to Canon's L glass.

[rodger1138]

thanks for the comments~i might have a look at the tamron 18-200mm

i was looking around on ebay, also discovered the tamron 28-200mm an average of a pretty cheap price
is it any good compared to the 18-200mm? or should i not bother?

[stepheno]

Not a great deal of difference the 18-200 and 18-250 are similarly priced, both open to f3.5 but are DiII meaning they can only be used on a digital camera. The 28-200 is f3.8 and can be used on both digital and film. In your shoes I'd go for the 18-200/250 as it gives you an extra 10mm at the wide end which is better for landscapes.