Which Lens to Purchase for EOS 7D

Both of those lenses are not my best choice for the 7D. The 17-40 is wide enough, but very slow with no IS and falls a bit short for portraits. The 24-70 is excellent, but for full frame. Not that wide for a 7D. Consider:
ef-s 15-85mm IS.
ef-s 17-55mm f2.8 IS.

Enrique gives the same lenses I would prefer as "all-around" lenses. The 17-55 f/2.8 IS is as fast as any zoom lens by Canon, is very sharp for a zoom, covers the basic general range from moderately wide to short telephoto, and is generally well-regarded (though perhaps a bit expensive). The 15-85 sacrifices mostly in terms of aperture (3.5-5.6 is not fast) but is cheaper and gives a more comfortable focal range.

The 17-40 can work as a good quality general APS-C zoom, but with f/4 and no IS, not to mention the shortest range here, it would not be my first choice unless you definitely intend to get fullframe in the near future. Then it can pull double-duty as a great wide-angle.

The 24-70 also lacks IS and is not very wide at all on APS-C. It's a great range on fullframe, but again wouldn't be my first choice for a 7D.

“I would like to get a really good "all-around" lens . . . to use the 7D for photographing people in social settings (weddings, birthdays, parties, headshots, etc.) both indoors and outdoors. I also plan to use the camera for landscape photos (both day and night)”

The EF-S 17 to 55F/2.8 IS USM would be the best “one lens only” Canon solution for these tasks on a 7D

WW

The EF-S 17 to 55F/2.8 IS USM would be the best “one lens only” Canon solution for these tasks on a 7D

+1! Great lens and should give you a lot of mileage for your intended use, Emme.

Emme,

Since you have yet to purchase the 7D, permit me to suggest a dramatic change in your plans.

The 7D is, by all reports, an outstanding camera. However, within certain limits, the camera is the least important piece of gear you’ll have in your bag.

As you’re starting to learn, lenses are far more important than the camera.

So I would suggest to you what I suggest to all others seeing to get started with SLR photography. Start with a budget. Pick the best lenses suited for your intended purpose(es) that fall within your budget range. Set aside money for essential accessories (almost always including a tripod and often including flash, but that varies greatly). With whatever’s left over, get the best camera you can. And don’t worry if that means a used 20D; the 20D was and still is an excellent camera. It will laugh at high-quality 8″ × 10″ prints, and do half again as big with ease.

I’m not as familiar as others with the APS-C format, but I must also second William W’s recommendation of the 17-55 f/2.8 IS. From everything I can tell, it fully deserves a red ring around the barrel.

To that, for the portraiture, I would recommend adding the 100mm f/2.8 macro lens. It’s an outstanding lens with superlative image quality at just the right focal length for much of what you describe. It is likely to be as long a telephoto as you’ll want. And, oh-by-the-way, you can fill the frame with a dime.

I would also recommend at least one very fast prime lens. The 50 f/1.8 is the obvious choice for being so cheap, and would be my recommendation if you plan on doing lots of portraiture. Don’t let the price and plastic fool you; image quality is outstanding. If you’re more interested in reportage-style indoor photography (parties in dim light), then the 28 f/1.8 would be a better choice. (Getting both would be better still! Remember, glass is more important than the camera.)

Lastly, give some thought to adding an ultrawide lens, like one of the ten-ish or twelve-ish to something-or-other zooms. 17mm is wide but not impressively so on APS-C, and there may be times when you want to cram an awful lot of stuff into the frame.

Cheers,

b&

...the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM unless there is a better alternative that suits my needs? At the moment, I would like to get a really good "all-around" lens...

Hard to beat the 24-70... works perfectly of course with the 7D. :)
It's sharp, fast for a zoom, WELL built, and... awesome.

Ken,

As excellent as the 24-70 f/2.8 is, I think it would be a poor choice for Emme’s described uses. On APS-C it has the same field of view as a 38-112 on “full frame,” and that’s a rather awkward range. In particular, it’s nowhere near wide enough for parties and beaches. At the other end, it’s too short for a lot of portraiture.

Pair the 24-70 with a 5D (new Mark II or used original), and you’ve got yourself a winning combination, as good as it gets for a standard walkaround zoom.

You’re also lugging around a pair of heavy and expensive bricks, and some serious, serious overkill for 8″ × 10″ prints. It’s great for wedding professionals, but an albatross for the casual snapshooter.

Cheers,

b&

17-55 2.8 is a great lens but I would not recommend it for one simple reason of not being weather sealed. Dust was a serious issue for me when I had 50D. I simply could not stand it. And I am not talking couple of particles. Also I do not like its build. However, the lens does produce great images. Can't argue there. For all around setup I would recommend 16-35 f/2.8 II, 50mm f/1.4 (which can also be used as a portrait lens on a crop body) , 85mm f/1.8, 70-200mm f/4 if you need glass that long (360mm on a crop) .

It is not a matter of "beating" the 24 to 70 which is an excellent lens, indeed awesome. It is a matter of asking does the 24 -70 address the question asked and IMO it does not in the following matters where the 17 to 55 does:

- extra 7mm at the wide goes to more flexibility for: weddings, birthdays, parties - indoors and landscape

- IS goes to more flexibility generally

15 mm at the long end is not much to make up with a few steps forward or by cropping in post production – whereas if your back is literally to the wall and you are inside you cannot move backwards.

Both lenses are F/2.8 and the 17 to 55 has excellent Image Quality.

Weather sealing of a lens might or might not be important to some, but the opinion to dismiss the 17 to 55 and then recommend two other lenses which are not weather sealed seems to lack a logical thought process.

WW