zoom lens upgrade,maybe?

[AL.T]

Hi everyone,
sigma 70-300mm os(for canon), or canon 70-200mm IS " L lens "( or even canon 18-200m IS " L lens).Which lens would give sharper image at full zoom,and would the " L lens " hold a sharper image even when cropped a little.Hope this makes sense, any thoughts?
Thanks.

[Hillbillygirl]

If you are looking at 70-200 lenses, why not save some money, (if that is an issue), and look at Sigma 70-200mm?
As for Canon 18-200 "L", I did not know it existed, unless it is something REALLY new????
You never did say why you needed a zoom in this range as that would really help anyone giving you advice.
I do own the original version 70-200 F2.8L Canon and would not give it up for anything ,(except maybe a version II), if that tells you anything.
You can check here for tests and real owner reports also - Canon Lens: Zooms - SLRgear.com!
Hope this helps some.

[Mad Aussie]

Without testing them it's hard to say exactly but I'd vote on the 70-200 L being the sharpest thought out due to the focal length not being as long in range as the other two. The more a lens has to zoom, the less likely it can retain the same sharpness along the full range of zoom it has.

Having said that, I'd get the 18-200 and learn to sharpen your photos well in post.

[AL.T]

oops thought canon 18-200mm was an L lens

[thoughton]

I haven't used Canon since the 90s, but even I would say that the 70-200 L lens (a 'pro' lens) is highly likely to be leagues ahead of the Sigma 70-300 consumer zoom. The enormous price difference isn't solely due to the Canon badge you know

[kmunroe]

canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS is a great lens ( i've had 4 of them ) i shoot mainly birds and anything larger than 200mm you'll get your best IQ from a prime .. i have a canon 300mm, 400mm and 500mm and use 1.4 and 2x extenders on them.. whatever you buy, so long as you don't pay more than it's worth .. you'll always get your money back when you sell it

[Marko]

I too had the 70-200 F2.8 L lens by canon - it was awesome. The guy that bought it also agreed it was awesome.
It also holds its value really well. I used it for 2 years and sold it for 150. less than I paid for it. (but I kept it in absolute mint shape)

[AntZ]

I have the 70-200 F2.8/L and it is an awesome lens. I use it on a cropped sensor, so sometimes it is not long enough...sometimes it is too long I like it so much I tend to try use it in places where I really shouldn't. It is a heavy lens because of its large aperture, but it is also fantastic in fairly low light. It has a beautiful bokeh too when used as a portrait lens. I have the no IS version, and only occasional wish it were as it can usually be used at sufficiently fast shutter speed at f2.8.

[Mad Aussie]

The 18-200 is a great lens also. I plan to sell one of my 40D's soon and buy a 7D with the 18-200 on it. My daughter Chantelle has that combination and it's a great little lens for the money.