06-29-2009, 05:25 PM
A good walkaround lens that's more versatile would be something like the Tamron AF28-75mm F/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) http://www.tamron.com/lenses/prod/2875mm.asp It's got the range most shots would require, speed and sharpness. An 18-200 has the ability to take (by comparison) more lackluster shots over a broader range.
I'm terminally broke, so my only lens right now is a Canon's wonderful "nifty fifty" 50mm II. I "zoom" with my feet or by mildly cropping later on the computer. And because the thing goes down to ƒ1.8, I never use flash unless my subject is right in front of me and the room has essentially no light. Adjust ISO speed up a little and I'm good.
Want to have the subject in focus and blur the background? I can do it easily by adjusting shutter speed/aperture. With a slow lens, you get to do it in Photoshop later if you can.
With any of those 18-200s you're looking at, when indoors you'll be bumping up against how slow they are, turning on the flash, getting those fake-bright subjects with too-dark backgrounds instead of using natural light.
A 18-200mm lens is exceedingly limiting. You want it because it covers "all the bases" except performance, an SLR's greatest strength over point-and-shoot. You don't need pro lenses either.
http://www.shutterbug.com/features/0899sb_rediscover/
http://www.vothphoto.com/spotlight/artic...n-lens.htm
I'm terminally broke, so my only lens right now is a Canon's wonderful "nifty fifty" 50mm II. I "zoom" with my feet or by mildly cropping later on the computer. And because the thing goes down to ƒ1.8, I never use flash unless my subject is right in front of me and the room has essentially no light. Adjust ISO speed up a little and I'm good.
Want to have the subject in focus and blur the background? I can do it easily by adjusting shutter speed/aperture. With a slow lens, you get to do it in Photoshop later if you can.
With any of those 18-200s you're looking at, when indoors you'll be bumping up against how slow they are, turning on the flash, getting those fake-bright subjects with too-dark backgrounds instead of using natural light.
A 18-200mm lens is exceedingly limiting. You want it because it covers "all the bases" except performance, an SLR's greatest strength over point-and-shoot. You don't need pro lenses either.
http://www.shutterbug.com/features/0899sb_rediscover/
http://www.vothphoto.com/spotlight/artic...n-lens.htm