Is the 18-135 worth the upgrade

[Mile]

hi all,

i have a canon 550d with stock 18-55mm lens. sometimes i would like a bit extra zoom.

i dont need one of the super duper quality lenses but i would like to upgrade my stock lens to a slighly better overall walk around lens.

the two i though i would go for is the 18-85mm or 18-135mm.

i have found a second hand 18-135mm for $300. is this a good price and is it worth upgrading to?

thanks.

[Old Skool]

I have this lens and it is a great walk around lens. A good length zoom for most things, Quality is better than the 18-55 kit lens. No CA, mine is pretty sharp even wide open. Features metal mount and IS. When it was new mine was almost $600, You can now get a new lens for about $380 from overseas. For the price worth upgrading, it is better than the older 18-85 USM but not as good as the new 15-85mm, but then that is heaps dearer.

[Mile]

thanks, are you talking about the 18-135mm there?

also i meant to say 17-85mm not 18-85mm. i hope most understood that.

[Old Skool]

Yes that's right 18-135mm. & yes it is better than than older 17-85mm (not 18-85) but not as good as 15-85. If funds allow I would get the 15-85 but for $300 prob worth getting the 18-135.

[Gollum]

This lens is very soft (see link below) so you will need to set in on f8 for best results. I notice that the new (non-grey market) price is $600. I would recommend you pay no more than $200, one third the new price. Non “L” lens do not hold their price or have much of a market.

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=678

Hope this helps

[LJG]

I am also a lover of the 15-85, it is certainly worth the extra $$ to get if you can afford it, but have you thought about a later 55-250 with IS and teaming it with your 18-55? I know it is another kit lens but it is actually quite a good lens for the money. It can deliver some pretty sharp images for only a few hundred dollars.

[Mile]

Yeah , i did think of getting a 55-250mm lens when i first got my camera but thought its still a stock lens and better to buy a better quality one.
I dont have enough money for a 15-85mm.

i like to be able to use a low f number so if i get not benifit from the 18-135mm over the 18-55mm until i get to f8, prob better not to get one. now i am a little confused, i was originally told the 17-85 is slightly better than the 18-135mm. 18-135 has better range so id prefer that if it was better quality than my stock one. it seems i have to spend $800+ to get a noticable quality difference.

also how do i read that graph thing Gollum put up?

[Gollum]

Mile

This is a system that lets you compare the optical performance of lens. What they have done is taken a picture of a test chart and then cropped and blowup sections of the image. You can see how soft/sharp or how much CA (purple or green edges) is produced by the lens. The advantage of this site is that what you are being presented with is not subjective, it’s not somebodys opinion of what’s sharp.

Here is a link to the help page for the tool for more details.

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Help/ISO-12233.aspx

IMHO, the reviews on this site are very worthwhile and I would recommend that you read a few before purchasing a new lens. If he finds a problem with a lens it will be in the review, even if the manufacture doesn’t like it. Here is an example:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Sigma-24-70mm-F-2.8-EX-DG-Lens-Review.aspx

If you want a sharp lens (as do we all) than you need to go up market and buy from the L range. As you are like most of us and have a limited budget, just try and get the best lens in your price range.

Things to note:

It is very difficult (very expensive that is) to make a lens that is sharp at a low f number. If you change the f number settings on the tool you can see the difference. With low end lenses like the EFS range, they are all at their best at f8, as you reduce the f you will see images become softer.

If you want images so sharp that you are worried about cutting yourself, you need to go for the very expensive prime lens. This will require you to rob a bank or get a job on Wall St, as there is practically no chance of getting caught when you work on Wall St. I would recommend that option.