Synomis192 said:
RC said:
That's a tough one. I don't consider wide until about 15, 17mm crop (24, 28 FF). Nothing in the Canon lineup in that price range, not familiar with all the 3rd party brand options. What are you considering wide?
For primes, I was told that the 24mm f/2.8 is considered a wide prime. But I did some test shots with it, and i found it to be really soft. That's the widest prime I've been able to find.
I wouldn't bother with 24/2.8 on a crop camera. You can get a Tamron 17-50/2.8 that costs the same, is just as fast, just as sharp, zero distortion, and it zooms. I have this lens and at 24 mm it's exceedingly sharp.
The two faster 24 mm lenses are Canon 24/1.4 and Samyang 24/1.4. The former is beyond you budget and the latter lacks electronic controls (aperture, focus).
Sigma make a 24/1.8. From hearsay: it has nice bokeh and it focuses very close, but its AF is slow and it perhaps it's not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Again this is hearsay, I haven't used this lens myself.
Klaus at Photozone retested the Canon 28/1.8 recently
http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/725-canon28f18apsc
I own a Sigma 30/1.4 It has superb bokeh, super creamy. The center is sharp but the corners never do get sharp, even when you stop down (just like Canon 28/1.8). The lens is fun to shoot wide open. It's definitely a specialty selective focus lens, not a general walk-around prime. Mine has a little c/a but nothing out of the ordinary.
So, the moral of the story is: all of your choices are compromises.