Buyer's guide: Wide angle lenses

The Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS

 So, you've bought your camera, and need a lens to look through. What now? 

We all know that the kit lenses are OK at best; the newest generations are pretty good, but once you buy that new lens, you'll never look back. So what is the first lens to look at on your path to upgrading? 

Lets start with the assumption that you bought a D-SLR that is not of the "Full Frame" variety. You'll need a lens that covers somewhere around 17mm or 18mm. Most of the lenses in this class go from that wide angle to about 50mm, and all generally have a maximum, constant aperture of f/2.8. 

Lets start with the bench mark, Nikon's offering of the Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 G IF-ED DX. It just squeaks by the Canon version in terms of absolute resolution. The Nikkor has great build quality, awesome IQ and tips the scales at a hefty $1,200 plus. Serious cash for a serious lens. Rest assured that you can find lenses out there that perform nearly as well, for around a third of the price. 

There are two well recommended lenses in the category. Lets start with the Sigma AF 18-50mm f/2.8 DC EX Macro . First a disclaimer: Sigma has little additions to their lenses to denote new models. So, there is a Sigma AF 18-50 f/2.8 DC EX (notice the lacking "Macro" moniker), that I'm not talking about at the current time. The Sigma is an impressive lens for about $400. The resolution barely bests the Nikon, and you get a well built lens for a fair price. The biggest downside is the lack of the Nikon's 5 year warranty. 

The next competitor is the Tamron AF 17-50mm f/2.8 SP XR Di II LD Aspherical [IF] (sick of the Alphabet Soup yet?). You get a build that leaves something to be desired, and the auto focus (AF) is a bit noisy. However, the image you get from this lens is probably the best of the trio. All of this is yours for the low low price of $450. 

It is worth noting that both the Sigma and Tamron include lens hoods, and the Sigma comes with its own deluxe case. 

If you have decided to go the Full Frame route, these lenses will not work for you. You'll need to take a peek at something a bit more expensive... mostly. Our benchmark this time? We'll dive back into the Nikkor lens library for the Nikkor AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, again just barely beating the Canon equivalent in lens performance. The price tag? A mere $1,800. 

Your two main competitors come from the Tamron and Sigma stables again, the only catch being that Sigma has updated their lens, and it hasn't been out on the shelves long enough for a good review. The Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG HSM retails around $900, and offers a first in this class from a third party manufacturer, their Hyper Sonic Motor AF, which is extremely fast, and, importantly to some, silent. Resolution of the old model was superb, matching the Canon equivalent, and this one figures to be just as good, if not better. 

Your other choice is the Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 SP XR Di LD Aspherical (IF). Resolution is above the Canon easily, and the Nikon slightly. The only downside to this lens is the build quality. It is nowhere near the levels of the Canon, Nikon, or Sigma models. This is not to say that it will fall apart in your hands, but it won't "feel" as substantial in your hands, but what do you expect for $400. I'll write that again, so you know that's not a typo: $400. Yes, you can get 4 of these lenses for less than one Nikon 24-70! 

So there you have it, a brief lineup of lenses that are along your upgrade path. Choose wisely, and choose the one most suited to your taste. With any of these lenses you can't go wrong. And, as always, look around and see if you like something else better. However, I doubt you'll find anything. 

Next in the series: Telephoto Lenses