if you could have only 1 lens

Tamron XR DI 28-75. I was looking for a general purpose lens to keep on a Canon 20D body most of the time. My requirements were, slight wide angle to short telephoto. Medium weight, nothing too heavy, but not something flimsy either. Fast, had to be a 3.5 or better and ideally had to be the same sped throughout its range.

With the 20D’s 1.6 multiplier (due to a smaller than 35mm negative sensor) the lens makes 45-120mm, this gave it a pretty ideal range for general use and gave it just under 3 times zoom range. It weighs in at 18oz, making it a reasonable carry round weight when combined with the 20D, a diameter of almost 3 inches makes it a good size to use even on those days when your hands may cold from being outside too long. Then there is the speed issue, at 2.8 throughout the range it fast enough to use almost anywhere, importantly combined with the low noise of the 20D at 1600 ISO, you can shoot hand help in almost any light conditions.

Is if all that was enough, there was the price $399, this made the sale. Over the last 12 months this has probably been by far my most widely used lens. The sharpness and lack of any edge effects at either end of the zoom has made it a constant companion. I have often printed up to 16x24 and sometimes up to 24x30 with no discernible image defects. I used it this taking senior pictures, most of which I do outdoors and it has proven itself to be a fantastic general purpose lens.

If you are in the market for a digital SLR and want to start off with a single lens to get used to the camera, this probably one of the better choices, buy just the body and one of these. With the constant 2.8 speed and the reasonable zoom range, it is a perfect companion.