So, I’m using a Canon Digital Rebel Xti and their standard 18-55mm lens. Its to the point now that I am looking for a better lens, that will work well outdoors as well as in. I need something that can take photos at concerts (dark, close range, indoors), portraits, and out doors general shooting. A close focal range and wide aperture would be nice and the ability to zoom in and out. I was thinking along the lines of a Canon 28-105mm But I also want to know if there are any other decent lenses makers, Tameron, Sigma, Phoenix… that make good lenses for my camera. And if anyone has personal favorites with what they shoot with.

Hello Scoleman,

I'm using a Sigma 18-55 DC EX f2.8 - Nearly excellent lens ! You can have a look at my gallery (not the 20 last photographies, it's classical film with Leica).

Hope this help !

see you
Olivier

Is that the lense you used in Shinai abstraction #7 and Dark Autoportrait 1?

ha.. heee... no :o$

In the shinai serie, it was a Zeiss Flektogon 35mm f2.4 M42

the Dark Autoportrait was with a Leica Summicron 50mm f2

Both on my canon 20d. Landscapes (before the last 20) has been made with my sigma.

Which lens do you mean... there are two 28-105mm canon lenses:

Link

I would check that site for other lenses you might be thinking about - as they are user reviews it comes with good advice as people have used the lens for a time before posting their review.

*"I need something that can take photos at concerts (dark, close range, indoors), portraits, and out doors general shooting."

*I have the 17-85mm IS USM - and that is a good all round lens.  However - you have just outlined a rather broad range of shooting conditions... The IS is good for indoors shooting, although it isnt the camera moving which you should be worried about there (the IS will deal with that allowing you a slower shutter speed) it is the subject moving (the IS wont help you there - nor will the f4-5.6 aperture). So if you want to get good indoor shots it is either invest in a good flash or use a low aperture lens - the 50mm f1.8 or even f1.4 is good if you can get close to your subject.  Which brings up another problem - distance from subject.  The 17-85mm is good for "general shooting" but unless you are close to your subject you wont get much range (thinking outdoors and concerts here).

I'll close by saying that the 17-85mm is rarely on my camera.  I have the following lenses as my "core" carry all solution: 70-200mm f2.8 (distance work in all kinds of conditions) and a 10-20mm (landscape work and general wide angled fun) with the 50mm f1.8 (portrait work and maybe low light stuff too).  But that is me - i try not to work with a compromise - i change my lenses a lot - maybe you dont like doing that... in which case it will have to be a compromise for the specifications you mentioned.

IMO...

Okay, tell me about your 70-200mm... Do you like it, and how well does it function? And do you know of any other brands?

My 70-200mm is the Sigma EX DG f2.8 - it is fantastic.  I would leave it at that but such an evaluation might not be what you are looking for.

Thing is "outdoor work" - if you are refering to getting a building completely in your shot or a tree you have to be standing about 50 metres away from it at 70mm on a 1.6x crop.  The 70-200mm is a telephoto lens...meaning any sort of close work is pretty much a "macro-style" shot. It focuses down to 100cm which is pretty good and useful.

Anyway - apart from those constraints of the focal length, the thing is one of my favourite lenses - fast AF, nice bokeh, crisp image... alround corker of a lens - RRP is ~£750 if i remember rightly, but that is a bit cheaper than the Canon version and at that end of the spectrum (this thing is basically part of the sigma "pro" lens range) the differences are minimal and only really scrutinised by perfectionists.  Chances are that you might not want to spend so much on a lens... but getting the best shots out of the worst conditions means spending $$$'s sadly :-(

I'm not saying you shouldnt get something like the 17-85mm or the 28-105 - it might be exactly what you are looking for... just bear in mind that you might want to attach the lens to the camera before you purchase it and get a feel for the focal length (ie it's reach and its wide end capabilities.)

28mm is not wide on the 1.6x crop sensor, which is why cannon brought out the 17-85mm for the EF-S series of cameras: 17-85mm on the 1.6 crop is the equivalent of a 27-136mm lens on a full frame sensor - meaning that the 28-105mm you were thinking of getting is the (roughly) equivalent lens for a full frame.

Anyway - i'll say it again - check that site i posted for all the good lenses on offer... pay attention to what people say and rate for each lens and make a decision from there.  Here is a link to all of their reviews... check out tamron and sigma as well - they are reputable lens manufacturers for the canon mount.