I just got a Canon 90D for my trip to Yellowstone next month but honestly I have no idea what I am doing with it. I only have like 500 bucks left and I just want one lens that zooms in and out for everything. what is the best all-around zoom lens for this camera?
You absolutely need to get the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM! It is seriously the perfect lens for a place like Yellowstone. Since your 90D has a crop sensor, this lens covers everything from wide-angle landscapes at 18mm to decent telephoto reach at 135mm for wildlife. The Nano USM focus is lightning fast and totally silent which is amazing. Honestly, swapping lenses in the wind and dust at a national park is a nightmare, so having one lens that does it all is a lifesaver. It fits right in your 500 dollar budget too, especially if you find a refurbished or used one. I love using this combo because it's just so versatile and easy to carry on long hikes. You're gonna get some fantastic shots with it!
I was actually looking through some old shots from my first trip to the park and it reminded me how much I struggled. I had a lens that stopped at 55mm and I basically ended up with a bunch of photos of tiny brown dots that I told people were grizzly bears... nobody believed me lol. Yellowstone is just massive and I really think youll regret not having more reach than a standard zoom. I would suggest being really careful about choosing a lens that doesnt go long enough. You think 135mm is a lot until youre standing at a scenic pull-off trying to capture a wolf across a valley. I eventually learned to just carry one big superzoom so I dont miss the shots while fumbling in my bag. It makes life so much easier when you're hiking.
- You might want to consider the Tamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD Canon EF-S. Its a bit of a beast but it covers every possible focal length youll ever need for travel and fits the budget used.
- If you want to stick with native glass, the Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS is a solid older option that is very affordable these days.
- Make sure to pick up a SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB SDXC UHS-I card too. The 90D has a high megapixel count and youll run out of space fast if youre shooting bursts of moving animals. One thing tho, be careful with these superzooms in low light. When the sun starts going down, the aperture on these lenses closes up quite a bit, so you wont get those super blurry backgrounds unless youre zoomed all the way in.
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