Tele zoom or macro zoom?—32 characters!!

so i recently purchased a Canon Rebel XTi digital EOS camera with the 18-55 mm lens

i want to be able to take great clear photos from afar
what zoom lens should i look for?

Best Answer —d5canon

Firstly I would not even consider buying the Tamron lens. You have purchased a fine high quality picture taking camera. Purchasing an aftermarket lens, unless it is the only thing you can afford, will detract from the picture taking quality of the camera you have purchased. The only way you should ever purchase an aftermarket lens is if you just can’t afford something better.
As to the 2 Canon lenses that you are considering, both lenses when used and supported properly will take outstanding quality pictures for you. The USM lens will focus a little more quickly and quietly, but either of these lenses will take outstanding quality pictures. I need to make a suggestion though… both of these lenses are capable of extreme magnification. When you magnify faraway objects, you also magnify camera movement which is the major contributor to unsharp pictures. You will not be able to hand hold either of these lenses steadily at much magnification. When you order your new lens I suggest ordering a sturdy tripod (if you don’t already have one), at the same time. In my opinion, and I have owned and operated a professional commercial photography business for over 40 years, anytime you are using either of these Canon lenses you should also be using a tripod if you are to expect great clear images.
Just a little clarification on the term “Macro”. A true macro lens is what we call a flat field focus lens which is specifically designed for extreme close-up photography with edge to edge image sharpness as you would find it with the Canon 100mm macro lens. In the case of the Tamron lens however, I think that you’ll find that this is simply a telephoto Zoom lens with a separate setting to allow it to focus closer to your subject than most telephoto zoom lenses will allow. It would be like putting a close-up lens on your Canon telephoto Zoom lens allowing it to focus closer to your subject, but with no true macro flat field edge to edge sharpness advantage, in other words just an advertising buzz word.

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