Canon Zoom Lenses

So, you just got your Canon SLR, and want to go beyond the kit lens. There is no better choice than the Canon 50 mm f/1.8 II. I have owned it for two years. I own higher-end lenses (70-200 f/4 L and 100 mm f/2.8 macro), but end up using this lens more often than any other. On a 1.6 crop body (like the Rebel series) the lens is a great portrait length. The lens is sharp enough that I cannot on a Rebel XS (12 mp) I go to pixelation before seeing effects of loss of sharpness from the lens on test photos.
The biggest upgrade from the kit lens is the huge gain in speed. This lens is very sharp at f/2.0 or 2.2, and with normal indoor light you will be able to shoot flashless at ISO400 comfortably. This was the lens I trusted for the birth of our first son, and I couldn't be more happy with the images it captured. Even in the low light of the hospital room I was able to catch those first eyes-open moments without a flash.
This lens is very light (maybe a little cheap feeling),... Read more

The reason this lens is selling for less than the same item listed at http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8-Camera-Lens/dp/B00007E7JU/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1350244710&sr=1-2&keywords=canon+lens
is because the item here is a direct import item (What is commonly referred to as Grey market. Meaning, it was manufactured with the intention of sale in a country other than the USA.

The seller stated in an email to me:

"There is no restriction on a retailer to purchase these items for sale in the US. However, manufacturer's, by way of serial number tracking, are aware of which models were intended for sale in the US, and thus often refuse warranty service on the imported model.

In lieu of the manufacturer's warranty on these imported products, Unique Photo offers our own warranty to support what the manufacturer will not, so that the customer can make their decision with piece of mind. This warranty would be for a period of one year from... Read more

This lens has an excellent aperture (f1.8) for the price. It allows you to really control the depth of field when taking portraits and other settings where you want to have the background blurred or softened. The lens is cheap because it is made out of plastic. Even the bracket to mount to the camera is plastic. The manual focus ring is very small, about 5mm wide, or just a little wider than a polarizer filters' ring.

This lens is sharper than the standard zoom lens that comes with the Rebel series (18-55mm). So if you are on a budget it is a great buy. I knew it was made out of plastic before I bought it, so I wasn't surprised when i got it. I do not regret this purchase, because for what you get, you can't beat this price.

So, you just got your Canon SLR, and want to go beyond the kit lens. There is no better choice than the Canon 50 mm f/1.8 II. I have owned it for two years. I own higher-end lenses (70-200 f/4 L and 100 mm f/2.8 macro), but end up using this lens more often than any other. On a 1.6 crop body (like the Rebel series) the lens is a great portrait length. The lens is sharp enough that I cannot on a Rebel XS (12 mp) I go to pixelation before seeing effects of loss of sharpness from the lens on test photos.
The biggest upgrade from the kit lens is the huge gain in speed. This lens is very sharp at f/2.0 or 2.2, and with normal indoor light you will be able to shoot flashless at ISO400 comfortably. This was the lens I trusted for the birth of our first son, and I couldn't be more happy with the images it captured. Even in the low light of the hospital room I was able to catch those first eyes-open moments without a flash.
This lens is very light (maybe a little cheap feeling),... Read more

This lens has an excellent aperture (f1.8) for the price. It allows you to really control the depth of field when taking portraits and other settings where you want to have the background blurred or softened. The lens is cheap because it is made out of plastic. Even the bracket to mount to the camera is plastic. The manual focus ring is very small, about 5mm wide, or just a little wider than a polarizer filters' ring.

This lens is sharper than the standard zoom lens that comes with the Rebel series (18-55mm). So if you are on a budget it is a great buy. I knew it was made out of plastic before I bought it, so I wasn't surprised when i got it. I do not regret this purchase, because for what you get, you can't beat this price.

This lens is so cheap but it's a great introductory prime lens. I bought this with my Canon XTi and haven't taken it off! I love how beautiful the images are that come from this lens. When I have used my zoom (which was only maybe once when I first got the camera) I have been disappointed with the images in comparison to the prime lens. I just bought the Canon 28mm 1.4 and can't wait to get it. Go Prime!!!

I received my Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM lens today (12/28/06). It feels heavier by far than the 18-55mm kit lens, but lighter than I expected. Feels good (well-balanced) cradling the lens in the left hand near the base of the lens when mounted to my Canon Digital Rebel XT. I put the lens on the camera right away in a manner that would limit the opportunity for dust to intrude on the back of the lens or into the camera, since I've read about this lens not being sealed as well as "L" series Canon lenses. I may never take it off. 8-)

This lens focuses fast and sure--even in low light, no hunting around to lock onto a subject. Pictures taken with the camera hand-held at 1/10 to 1/15 sec shutter speeds inside with no flash were tack-sharp (Thanks to the IS). With F2.8 and IS, this lens opens up a whole new world of natural low-light photography. Not only are more inside shots possible, you also have the versatility to create gorgeous bokeh. You create these bokeh effects... Read more

Folks, I know you want it short. But I am covering quite a bit of information and condensed it so that you can get good information and are able to digest it in less than 5 min.

It is quite surprising how many people are being "tortured" with the question on which lens is the right lens when it comes to finding the perfect lens to upgrade the Canon XTi Rebel kit lens (18-55) or even for the Canon 40D (which is often sold with the 28-135 USM IS lens).
I read about 500+ reviews and many of them I found very interesting but really did not answer my question on what a good lens is for the Rebel XTi... and with good reasons because YOU have to know what you want or need and then make a call. Here were the criteria I used and I hope you can leverage from these:

1. I wanted a lens which has a great picture quality to have a true upgrade feeling from the Canon 18-55 kit lens (during day light that lens is actually very good and with its light weight is a great... Read more

11-3-2008 Update:

I now have a single spec of dust inside the corner of this lens under the front element. Hope this is not a trend. I am now using this lens mainly in dust free in-door environments and my Canon 24-70 F/2.8 which is sealed for outdoor dusty areas.

I just got this fantastic low light lens last week. Will be adding more comments as time permits.

This lens has quickly become one of my most used lens. It's the lens I would choose if I could just choose one to shoot a wedding with and I'm free to approach the bride and groom during any part of the ceremony. It's also THE one lens I would choose to take on a vacation, it's that versatile. I love the part where I can walk into a dark cathedral and hand hold a shot at 1 second and it's razor sharp. What a lens!!!

Pros:

Sharp even at F/2.8
No internal dust so far
Great zoom ring location and size
Very pleasing shots with nice Bokah
Auto focus... Read more