Hey all.

Earlier this week I popped into the local camera shop with the intention for getting some passport photos, and ended up leaving not only with said photos, but a Canon 20d with the 18-55mm lens!! That was one pricey lunch break!!

Way back in the distant past I used to have a Film SLR, but much of what I learnt I've forgotten (and from what I remember anyway I pretty much made it up as I went along :P ). I've not used that camera since 1995. The year before last I got a Sony 717 and my interest was re-kindled and I found my way to this little corner of the world wide web :)

Anyway, I'm finding it very hard to decide what set of lenses I should obtain. Comparing the 18-58mm that I have to my old 717, I have a wider wide angle, but the max zoom is shorter. Now I didnt often use the max optical zoom on the Sony 717, except when using a close up lens (Hoya +4) for macro work. Dpreview.com lists the sony as having a 38mm-190mm lens. So compared with the old camera, I'm loosing a fair bit of telephoto performance.

So any suggestions on what a good second lens would be (may help to take a brief look at my gallery to see what images Ive produced with the old sony 717)?

Some ideas that I've had:

• 75-300mm lens. Giving me that telephoto capability. Would this be ok for close up work using +4 close up filter?.
• 17-85mm IS lens. This would replace the 18-55mm, the extra range giving more versitilty, and of course image stabilzation would be handy for a clumsy beast such as I.
• 10-22mm Wide angle...for those landscapes I like so very very much...but have never been able to fit in frame ;)
• I'm off to Iceland for a week in a months time. I'd like to have one new lens before I depart, and I can't make up my mind what! Basically though I want to first build a set of basic lenses that will cover the majority of pictures Im likely to want to take, and that will act as a base level from which I can learn from, and then expand upon.

Any advice to a D-SLR newbie is very much appreciated!

Wow, that was one expensive lunch. lol Hard choice, looking at your gallery, seems like you are split between sceneics and close up. You might want to check out the Sigmas zooms with Macro. One good one lens from Canon is the 70-200 F4 L lens. This would be a good companion for the 18-55. The L lens is a pro level lens that is super sharp and is on my want list. If I was starting over again, I think I would have gotten this instead of the 75-300 IS.

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/messages.ez?ForumID=12379&Form.ShowMessage=2091679

Look at this thread; it may help as this has been discussed

The Truth is Out There

Sounds like you are at the same place as me on this one. Yes...see that thread. Was talking about same thing.

"The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions."

Aha, I didnt realise you'd veered off into lens talk, was all about bodies last time I checked :D Thanks gang, I'll redirect to there. Cheers :)