What is the absolute best all-around lens for the Canon 90D if I only want to carry one thing on my camera for a whole trip? I finally upgraded from my old Rebel T3i and grabbed a 90D because I wanted that 32.5MP sensor for more detail but now I am totally stuck on what glass to pair it with. Im heading out to Olympic National Park in about three weeks so the timeline is getting tight and I need to make a decision soon so I can actually test it out before I go.
I have spent way too much time on forums and YouTube lately and I keep seeing the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 pop up as the gold standard but man it is an old lens. I read that it basically acts like a vacuum for dust and that kinda worries me since I am gonna be outdoors hiking near the coast where there is plenty of sand and mist. Then there is the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 which people swear is the sharpest thing ever made for crop sensors but the zoom range seems really limited for an all-purpose lens plus it weighs a ton. I dont want to be swapping lenses constantly while I am on the trail or walking around Seattle. My back already hurts just thinking about carrying a huge bag of gear.
My budget is hovering around 700 bucks give or take a bit and I am totally fine buying used gear from MPB or KEH if it means getting better quality. I just need something that can handle landscapes but also wont be useless if we go into a dark restaurant or if I want to snap a quick portrait of my wife. Is the 18-135mm USM kit lens actually good enough or am I gonna regret not having that f/2.8 aperture? I just feel like there are so many options and none of them are perfect and its honestly making my head spin. Does anyone here still use the 90D as their main rig and what stays on your camera the most?
I totally get the anxiety about gear safety, especially with all that salt spray at Olympic. I ended up picking up the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM for a similar trip to the Oregon coast last fall because I just couldnt risk getting sand inside a lens barrel or swapping glass in the wind. Honestly, it was a lifesaver. While the f/2.8 on other lenses is nice for bokeh, the 18-135mm range is way more practical for hiking... you can grab a wide landscape and then zoom in on a bird or an elk across the meadow without missing the shot. The Nano USM focus is basically silent and instant too. If you are worried about those dark restaurants, the 90D handles ISO 3200 pretty well, and the image stabilization on this lens is super reliable for slower shutter speeds. It feels safer than carrying around heavy, expensive glass that isnt as weather-resistant. Plus, you can find it for like 350 bucks used at MPB, which saves you a ton of money for gear insurance or a decent tripod.
Oh man, you are gonna love that 90D! I have been shooting with mine for years and it is a total beast. Honestly? Stop overthinking the age of the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM because it is still the absolute king of crop glass. I took mine through the PNW last year and that f/2.8 was a total game changer under those thick forest canopies where the light just disappears. The 18-135mm is a fantastic lens for hiking because of the reach, but you are gonna hate that variable aperture as soon as you step indoors for dinner. The 17-55mm is basically a bag of primes in one body! Just grab a decent protective filter to help with the dust seal and you wont have any issues at the coast. It is sharp enough to really make that 32.5MP sensor sing... you definitely wont regret the f/2.8 for portraits of the wife!
Fingerboardolq is totally right about the 18-135mm being a lifesaver for travel, but honestly, I have been pretty disappointed with how it resolves detail on that specific sensor. The 90D has such high pixel density that it really exposes the flaws in older zoom glass. Unfortunately, you are gonna see some soft corners and chromatic aberration that just wasnt as obvious on your old T3i. A few technical things to keep in mind for that PNW trip:
- The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM lacks internal gaskets, so coastal mist is definitely a risk for the electronics.
- Nano USM on the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM is lightning fast but the optics just arent sharp enough to feed that 32.5MP beast.
- Your sensor needs high-resolving glass or you are basically just getting bigger files with the same amount of actual detail. If you want reliability without the vacuum effect of the 17-55, check out the Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM Contemporary. It is a more modern optical design and handles the weather a bit better than the older Canon zooms. It is a shame Canon never gave us a truly weather-sealed, pro-grade EF-S zoom for the 90D before moving to mirrorless... kinda feels like we got left out in the rain, literally.
Huh interesting. I had no idea. The more you know I guess 🤷
