Lens recommendation for Canon 60D - Urgent

[saketb]

Hello everyone...

Well, this would be the first DSLR in my life and I want to be perfectly sure what I am buying is good. So, I decided to buy a Canon 60D for myself and was looking for some options for everyday or a walk-around lens for the camera.

I am planning to buy in a week's time.

As far I have read online and visited a few stores, I came to know that the 60D is available with these kits in my city - Bangalore, India.

1. 60D Body only
2. 60D Kit (EF S18-55 IS)
3. 60D Kit II (EF S18-135 IS)
4. 60D Kit III (EF S18-200 IS)

Now, I need suggestions as to which kit (lens) would be best suited for everyday use, including portraits, people, street, landscape, etc.
I have read at many websites that the 18-135 & 18-200 have many cons (distortion, vignetting, CA) and the image quality is not that great.

Another lens I found out which has good reviews and goes along with the basic 18-55 kit, was the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II Lens. What's your take on this?

I am a bit confused and would need the help of members here to convince me to a particular lens or 2 lenses to start with.

Thanks in advance.

[TCav]

I would suggest that the Canon 15-85 IS USM would handle what you want to do (plus a few things you didn't mention) better than any of the lenses you listed.

The 15-85 is not cheap, and since it's not part of any package deals, you wouldn't get any price break for buying them together, but if you want to get just one lens, it's the one to get.

[HavToNo]

I agree with TCav. I have the 15-85 with my Canon T2i(550d) and I'm very happy with it. It's very well built and has full time manual focus.

[JPW2020]

May be too late now but if you havent yet bought yet here's my take.Don't disagreee with the above posters-the 15-85 is a fine lens.

However, when I had the same decision to make I couldn't afford the Canon, so I went for a Sigma 17-70, about 60 % of the Canon price, nicely built and with a larger maximum aperture of f2.8 at the wide end, though slightly less coverage at both ends.I have been very pleased with it.In the UK it also comes with a 3 year warranty.Two notes of caution if you are tempted:

1.Sigma's quality control is not always all that it should be and some lenses supplied can produce soft results, particularly at the frame edge and
2.The lens I use has just been updated to a newer lighter model but early reviews suggest that in terms of image quality it is not as good as its predecessor,it is described as the "contemporary"-the older model is cheaper and still available, if you are tempted it might be the one to go for.

[shoturtle]

I would just get the 18-135 kit, shoot with it for a while and add or upgrade form there once you get uses to dslr shooting. If you need a more all in one solution get the 18-200 kit.

Now if you have a wide open budget. the ef-s 15-85 is excellent, but pricey. Or you want a big aperture standard zoom ef-s 17-55 2.8, or go big dollar L lens EF 24-70 2.8.

[saketb]

Well, thanks for the suggestions.

I have already bought the camera with 18-55mm IS II kit + 55-250mm IS II lens. So, I guess for some time now this should be sufficient and will help me in getting both wide angle as well as tele photos.

I do agree with the quality of 15-85mm but that was much above my budget.
Next on my purchase list is the Prime 50mm 1.8 II.