Dale Rhyne wrote:
I recently bought a Canon EOS 80D to replace my Canon EOS Rebel T3. I bought the body only and have been using my kit lenses that came with the T3 on the 80D. They are the EF-S 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 IS II and the EF 75-300mm 4-5.6 III.
I have captured pictures that I like mostly like with the 18mm to 55mm range.
I don't shoot video. I've been looking to upgrade to a Canon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM ($599) or a Canon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM ($399). I have also considered buying a better 18-55mm?
I would like to stay at or below $599. What are your recommendations?
I recently bought a Canon EOS 80D to replace my Ca... (
show quote)
The EF-S 18-135mm IS USM and 18-135mm IS STM are essentially the same lens.... EXCEPT that the "Nano" USM is 2X to 4X faster focusing, so would be better for any sort of sports/action shooting. Also, if interested in shooting video, there is a Power Zoom module (PZ-E1) available that's exclusively usable with the USM version of the lens.
Either of the 18-135mm would be a very nice improvement on the lenses you have.... faster and quieter focusing (especially the USM), plus you might learn to enjoy the longer focal lengths more once you have IS to help you get sharp, steady shots (which the 75-300mm III, Canon's cheapest tele-zoom, lacks). You'll be able to take much more full advantage of the 80D's more advanced AF system with either lens, but would especially be able to do so with the USM version.
I agree.... check out the Canon USA website for refurbs.... or watch for "white box" specials or lightly used copies of whatever lens you choose... or maybe wait for an instant rebate promotion, if you want brand new. Too bad you didn't get the 18-135mm USM in kit with the 80D... last time I looked the lens & camera in kit cost about $200 less than buying them separately. (Some people buy that way, then sell the kit lens at a bit of a discount... and retailer split up kits are also the source of "white box" specials).
BTW, an 18-135mm lens on an 80D gives you equivalent to the entire range of focal lengths most 35mm DSLR film shooters ever owned in their lifetimes... all in one lens (where they had to buy 3 or more lenses, typically).
Also, a good "budget" alternative is the EF 28-135mmm IS USM lens. It's an older model, but was sold in kit with many cameras over the years and is pretty easily found for around $200, lightly used. It's also a very good performing lens, though it uses the older type of USM that's not so great for videography. And, of course, it's not as wide as the 18-135mm... and you say that's something you use a lot. But the EF-S 10-22mm USM or low cost EF-S 10-18mm IS STM can complement the 28-135mm pretty nicely.
There are some excellent third party lenses. Personally I prefer to stick with Canon lenses on my Canon cameras, as much as I can. But I do use a few third party, too. Investing in quality Canon lenses, you're pretty much guaranteed that they'll work on future camera upgrades you might do. I've got some lenses in my kit that I've used for 15+ years... on film cameras originally, and on four or five generations of DSLRs since. They work fine... no issues what-so-ever. Can't say the same for third party... they can work fine with current and previous models, but may not "play well" with some future camera model.
For example I've got a Sigma 28-75mm that worked fine on film Canon and 10D... but causes any later model DSLR to lock up and throw an error code. It's not worth fixing, if it were even possible to do so. There have been a number of different types of compatibility issues over the years, with third party lenses and new camera models. To be fair, the manufacturers have been pretty good about fixing recent and current models when problems occur, especially the more pricey lenses. And there are third party lenses that fulfill needs... I've used a Tokina ultrawide for years, it's very high quality and cost considerably less thatn the Canon equivalent at the time. I also use a couple Tamron macro lenses, which serve their purposes very well.