Good question...
I love outdoor and everyday stuff so that's why I've got the 24-105 f4L which gives me a broad spectrum of possibilities. I absolutely love it but I'm torn between a faster lens for some indoor shots or a macro lens to get some cool stuff like FBJ has floating around like droplets on a leaf.
I think what would be ideal for right now is probably a faster lens (prime or otherwise) for indoor work. I'll be traveling to Europe for Christmas and a lot of places won't allow a flash and I'll need the extra stop that a 2.8 offers.
As of right now, I've got $600 in Amazon gift cards so I'm open to just about any and all suggestions.
Thanks!
By interior shots, do you mean interior architecture shots (as in an ultra wide rectilinear) or just being able to take pictures inside without a flash? If you don't need the ultra wide, you might look at the
EF 35mm f/2.0 and the
EF 50mm f/1.4. You could get both for under you $600 limit, with a little left over to put toward a set of
extension tubes for your macro wants. I don't have the 35mm, but from what I hear, it is a really nice lens for not being an 'L'. I do have the 50mm, and I think it is a pretty decent lens for the price. It is a little soft wide open, but starts to look pretty impressive above f/2.0. Also, not being an L, it won't have the robust feel you might be used to in the 24-105, and the AF is a little slower that my 24-70, which I think is comparable to the 24-105. But despite being a bit on the slow side, it does AF accurately. My other gripe about this lens (besides the non metal build and the slowish AF) is that it changes length during focus, which isn't a huge deal, but it does make it a bit more likely to suck in dust over its' lifespan (although it does change length, the front element does not rotate). With all that said, it has been pretty much glued onto my 5D for the past few months for interior baby shots, so it gets the definite thumbs up.
If you need ultra wide and fast, then your choices go down a bit. You have the venerable
EF 17-40 f/4.0 which probably isn't fast enough for you, and there is the
EF 16-35 L mkII, which may be out of your price range. If you don't need an L, the
EF-s 17-55mm f/2.8 IS is a fantastic lens for 1.6 crop bodies which Rinkrat has, and might be able to offer a review of. Its' benefits are that it is f/2.8 and has IS, which might be a nice combo for your indoor work. If you want to get uber crazy, there is the
EF 14mm f/2.8 mkII, which is the fastest wide that Canon offers (sadly). If you need wider, but are willing to give up on some speed, there is also the
EF-s 10-22 f/3.5-4.5
