You really couldn’t have picked a more different group of lenses to compare 🙂
First things first, I wouldn’t go into this with L envy. Get a lens that fits your needs, not just because it has a red ring. The L lenses are made to fit a full frame camera, so the zoom ranges may be a little less than optimal for your camera. And as I discuss below, I really recommend having a decent zoom before you stock up on primes.
Next, I’d cross the 17-40 off the list. That’s made for an ultra-wide on a full frame camera. Either go for something like the 24-70 recommend above, or an EF-S lens. You’ll be able to get a lot more for your money with EF-S, the only down side is that if you eventually change to Full Frame you won’t be able to use that lens.
I love primes, but I would recommend first getting a decent zoom lens that covers a general focal length first. I don’t use my zoom much, because I love how sharp my primes are, but it’s nice to have that flexibility when you need it. If you go EF-S there are a lot of choices. I’d look at the Canon 17-55 (which doesn’t have a large range, but gives you a constant 2.8 aperture), the 15-85 (large range, variable aperture), or the Sigma 17-70 (decent range, decent variable aperture).
When you’re ready for a new prime it’s time to decide if you like wide or tele. Nobody can tell you which is right for you, they’re all great lenses. 35mm is a classic. 85/1.8 is cheap and offers flexibility between crop and full frame, Sigma 85/1.4 offers fantastic performance at half the cost of the Canon L, 135/2 gives you great reach and performance, if you have enough light for it. Choices, choices… welcome to Pandora’s box.
