General Purpose Lens

Yours truly wants to buy another lens to replace the current kit lens EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS. (I have to use 'want' because after much consideration, I realized this does not quite justify to a 'need' *shrugs*).

I want a new general purpose lens because :-

1) I need to cover the gap for focal length 55 to 70mm

2) I need the lens to work better in low light

After much homework, the choice is narrowed down to Canon EF-S15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM. I may also consider third party lenses to take advantage of a bigger aperture at a lower price.

The other Canon lenses that were in my top considerations

EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM

Who wouldn’t love a lens with a f/2.8 aperture? But they involve bigger pieces of glass which makes them heavier and much more expensive. However, this lens does not come with an image stabilizer (IS). IS in the lens gives up to four-stop advantage and in my humble opinion, 4 stops is significant and it is a must to have an IS for a "walk around” lens.

EF-S17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

This will defeat my initial purpose of getting the new lens. I need to close the gap between focal length 55 to 70mm.

It is important to know why we want to buy another lens. If my friends were to tell me about their dilemma on choosing lenses, I will also throw back the same question, "WHY do you need a new lens?"