I am anxious to upgrade the 18-55mm kit lens that came with my Digital Rebel XT with some serious glass. I feel that sharpness is a key feature that I am currently lacking in the kit lens. I am forever using Unsharp Mask in Photoshop to crispen my photos. I also want something with telephoto range, as there have been several situations were I could have used one.
While I was initially eying a zoom telephoto lens like the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, I think that my needs would be better served by getting one of the Sigma or Tamron 18-200mm lenses instead. I could use it as a travel or all purpose walk about lens. It would have come in handy on my recent trip to St. Louis where I would have liked a little more DOF on some shots. The prices are also half that of the Canon, though they lack the image stabilization features.
Another lens that I am considering is a 28mm prime lens. With the crop factor of my XT, it would be the equivalent of a 50mm lens on a film camera. If you take cost out of the equation, then it becomes hard to decide between the Canon 28mm f/2.8 ($169) and the Canon 28mm f/1.8 ($399). The former is considered to be an extremely sharp lens, but the latter is an exellent performer in low light indoor situations.
I could almost go with both, as some in this forum thread suggest. Then there is a Sigma 28mm f/1.8 that splits the cost at $249, but the reviews that I have read so far have not been as favorable. I could probably not go wrong with either Canon lens, but I suppose it will have to come down to the budget and primary purpose for the lens. Do I want it more for outdoor day shots, or will it be used primarily for indoor photos of the kids and possibly nighttime landscapes?
For Christmas I received a Canon BG-E3 Battery Grip for my Digital Rebel XT. It holds six AA batteries or two NB-2LH lithium ion batteries (a single NB-2LH powers the camera normally). I also received a second of these batteries, so I will be using the latter option unless I am in a pinch for power. I have only shot a little bit with the battery grip on, but already I think it is going to be on there most of the time. I love how it seems to stabilize and make it easier to level the camera during handheld shooting.
