Buying a 70D body this week. Any lens suggestions would be VERY helpful.

[aholeinthewor1d]

I know a lot of people debate about getting a camera with a kit lens or getting the body and then a better lens. I am not asking about that. The deal I am getting through Adorama is for the body only so I have to get a separate lens. For right now I just want the best possible "general" lens I can get for a decent price. So I am considering getting the normal 18-55 STM lens that would normally come with the kit but I wanted some opinions about if there was anything better for the price or around the price. This is canons rebate form with some lenses and I would also consider 3rd party lens suggestions. http://www.adorama.com/pdfs/rebates/Canon_MIR_Nov_2014.pdf

If you had to get the body only please let me know what you would get for a general lens. If there is something similar to the kit lens price (or a little higher) that is better I would like to get that. Thank you!!

[Skirball]

Well that changes things.  A bit anyway.

---

@aholeinthewor1d wrote:

I'm sure the 15-55 is decent enough but doesn't make sense to buy another when she already has one.

---

Totally agree. Except for the decent enough part  🙂 

I don't know much about that Tamron, but you have two general purpose lenses, one of them STM for if you want to do video.  And assuming your gf lets you use her lenses.  And you even have something for low light.

I would either hold off or get a telephoto. Even the 55-250 kit lens.  It's not superb, but it's a nice little lens for the price.  Or, on the flip side, you could get the new 10-18 and go ultrawide.  Both are around $300.

[HPL]

Try here.  I filtered by brand, mount, and price range.  

https://www.keh.com/search/list?n=147&category[]=Zoom+Lenses%2C+Mfg&mnt[]=9&mnt[]=11&price_min=10.00...

Your budget is really screaming "Previously owned!!".  I have had good luck with these guys.

[TCampbell]

Canon has a "refurbished" section on their website. The benefit is that their refurb products carry a 1 year warranty (which is the same as new products).

The link is: http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/lenses-flashes/refurbished-lenses

[RobertTheFat]

How about the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS?

[ebiggs1]

"How about the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS?"

One of the real "sleepers" in the Canon line.  This lens does it all and very well considering it's price point.  Some call it the "Golden Boy" of lenses.  It is my next in line, to the 24-105mmf4 L, best buy in a Canon lens.

[Skirball]

---

@RobertTheFat wrote:

How about the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS?

---

I was going to suggest the same.  In fact it's on sale at the refurbished site, I was just about to post the link when he mentioned that they already have two standard zooms.   Well, "they" is his girlfriend, but for now they have two.  Might as well expand your capabilities a bit instead of add a third.

[HPL]

KEH.com has several of them also. 

[HPL]

After re-reading this part of your post: "family parties, holidays, pictures of my nephew and cousins"   I believe you will be better served by something wide and relatively fast as opposed to a longer zoom.  Unless your girlfriend is always with you, I think you might want to reconsider duplication of the 18-55.  That lens has the advantage of being available pretty cheap previously owned.  It will give you somehting to start with without cutting too deeply into your pocketbook and then you can begin saving up for something like a previously owned 24-70 F:2.8 or maybe one of the wider zooms.  It sounds to me like you will likely be capturing lots of images in relatively tight quarters and with the APS-C you are going to need a pretty short lens.  If you keep with it you are eventually going to want an L series lens so might as well save as much as you can now to start building.

[RobertTheFat]

---

@Skirball wrote:

---

@RobertTheFat wrote:

How about the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS?

---

I was going to suggest the same.  In fact it's on sale at the refurbished site, I was just about to post the link when he mentioned that they already have two standard zooms.   Well, "they" is his girlfriend, but for now they have two.  Might as well expand your capabilities a bit instead of add a third.

---

On a 70D, I think of the 28-135 as a moderate telephoto rather than a standard zoom. It goes 60mm longer than any lens "they" already have.

[Skirball]

---

@RobertTheFat wrote:

---

@Skirball wrote:

---

@RobertTheFat wrote:

How about the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS?

---

I was going to suggest the same.  In fact it's on sale at the refurbished site, I was just about to post the link when he mentioned that they already have two standard zooms.   Well, "they" is his girlfriend, but for now they have two.  Might as well expand your capabilities a bit instead of add a third.

---

On a 70D, I think of the 28-135 as a moderate telephoto rather than a standard zoom. It goes 60mm longer than any lens "they" already have.

---

Sure.  And a 55-250 goes 175mm longer than any lens "they" already have.