Hi forum members,

I'm going on my first trip to Vietnam on May 20th, 2004 and I currently have the DRebel with the kit lens (18-55mm). I know the lens is perfectily fine for my skill level and needs, but I want a better lens, with more zoom for taking photos in Vietnam.

I'm on a strict budget so I've narrowed it down to two lenses. The Canon 28-135 and the 75-300mm, both with IS and USM. They're currently priced at $749 and $799 respectively at the local shops in Calgary, Canada.

Can I get some feedback on the performance of these lenses? or any suggestions on alternatives within the same price range. Thanks in advance.

If the kit lens is fine, I would be inclined to go for the 75-300mm lens. This will then cover 18-300mm focal length, with a small gap in the middle. You may want to consider the Canon 70-200mm f/4 L lens, which doesn't have image stablisation but offers greater image quality (I have one and you really can notice the difference).

Thanx for the reply Mark. I did look at the lens you suggested but it's out of my price range. I'm gonna go rent both of the lens I listed above and test them out for a weekend and base my decision from that. Thank you.

How about a 2nd-hand 70-200mm f/4 L lens then? That's how I bought mine - £450 for a mint 2nd-hand example versus £400 for a new 75-300mm IS. I know which one I'd rather have!

Have a look at this album for some examples of what the 70-200mm f/4 L can do - everything except for the wide-angle shots:

http://markgoldstein.designauthor.co.uk/gallery/album68

I'm using a Canon 75-300mm II lens alongside the 18-55mm and its good, but I would go with something like the 28-135 so that you dont need to be changing the lenses so often.

Thanx for all the replies. On one hand, I should go with the 75-300 for the extended reach and broader coverage of the spectrum, but with the 28-135 I won't have to change my lenses that much.

I called around town looking for a used F4 70-200mm L series and couldn't find any. Ebay did come up with some results, but I don't really trust buying a lens through the net. Well, if one shows up before May, I'll take a look at it and consider it as a purchase.

Thanx.

Personally I'd be taking the 28-135mm lens with my 300d if i went on a trip. 28-135 will cover the 45-215mm range in 35mm equivalent, which is plenty, and I find that my 75-300mm II lens is good, but realistically I dont think that 120-480mm focal lenghts will be needed unless you plan on doing lots of telephoto shots.

I also find that gap between 55 and 75mm annoying as i need to change lenses to get that slightly higher level of zoom, and 28-135 wouldnt need me to be changing lenses anywhere near as often.

Just purchased the 28-135mm IS USM lens. Haven't taken any photos with it yet, but I will soon. Thanks for all the advice. Also, I got the lens for really really cheap. Only $450 Canadian, it's used, but it's less than a month old. Checked the lens out and it was flawless, not a scratch or dust anywhere. Guess the owner didn't like it (or didn't know how to use it?).

75-300MM would be a good choice. If you can take a wide angle that would be great shooting in marketplaces and crowded city settings. What is your itenerate?