What lens?

[miniman]

Here's what I currently have for my 350D body:

Canon EFS 18-55 3.5-5.6
Canon EF 90-300 4.5-5.6
Canon EF 28-90 4-5.6

All are kit lenses, the EFS came with the 350D, the other two came with my 35mm EOS 300V.

I quite fancy something a bit faster. Mostly for landscapes and perhaps a bit of portraiture. Is there much value in an image stabilised lens?

How about a Sigma 17-35mm f2.8-4 EX DG HSM at £300 from Warehouse Express?

[simpo two]

miniman said:

I quite fancy something a bit faster. Mostly for landscapes and perhaps a bit of portraiture. Is there much value in an image stabilised lens?

Fast lenses and stabilised lenses both work in lower light but give different results. IS (VR in my language!) lets you use a slower shutter speed but won't get you shallow DOF if that's what you're after.

Carrol Shelby said of the AC Cobra 'There ain't no subsitute for cubes'. In a similar way I'd suggest that 'there ain't no substitute for glass'

[RobDickinson]

Landscapes dont tend to move, why fast? Rule of thumb says 1/focal length, low focal length = longer shutter speed and no camera shake, so you wont find IS on wide lenses as much, prehaps the 17-85 IS? IMO wide on the 350d (1.6 crop) needs to be <20mm.

For portraits and fast go for the canon 50mm f1.8 or the 85mm f1.2?