Hi all,

I’ve asked similar questions in the past but always stuck with what I have at the end of it all. Just wanted to revisit this with a new line of questions.

I’ve been longing for a lens that will get me sharper pics with better IQ when photographing my children in mostly candid shots, some posed. But also, and importantly, when playing sport.

If the same lens could also offer good/better results for wildlife at a distance, such as birds, if I’m ever that way inclined, that would be a much desired bonus.

So what I have at the moment is a Canon 70D with;
Canon 18-200mm
Tamron 18-250mm

As per previous threads, I packed away the Tamron lens and only use the Canon lens for photos of my children, and wildlife etc. General photography.

As with all my queries about this kind of stuff, budget is the main deciding factor for me. I only really have a couple of hundred dollars to spend (coming into Christmas and thinking to have this as my offering from Santa).

The 18-200mm has been a good servant with it’s wide range, but the IQ generally leaves a little to be desired. Just not sure whether it’s worth getting a new lens in my price range, or will the results not really be any different? The other issue I see is that if I buy one of the zoom lenses I am looking at, will that then mean I need an 18-55mm or 20-70mm type lens to use for that range, or is the 18-200mm still okay in that range?

Anyway, the lenses I was looking at and wondering if they were worthwhile;

1. Canon 70-200mm ; this is only on my list as it’s extremely highly recommended, but well outside my price range. I may have an opportunity to pick up a secondhand one for around $400, but that’s still way more than I have to spend and I could get 2-3 of the other lenses I’m looking at for that price. But, it’s a lot cheaper than I’ve seen it for so far. But it’s apparently great for sport? If I can get it around this price, is it recommended?

The other options, closer to my price range (secondhand);

2. Canon 70-300mm ; the best option in this focal range?

3. Tamron 70-300mm ; has IS too and seems about equal with the canon option? If considerably cheaper, possibly worth going with this over the Canon equivalent?

4. Sigma 70-300mm ; delicious prices I’ve seen, but lacking IS puts it far at the bottom of my list.

So, the question is, with the info I’ve provided, is it worth purchasing one of these lenses for a good secondhand price, or do I just stick with the 18-200mm lens as the results won’t differ greatly?

Thanks for any feedback!

I’m also more interested in thoughts on options 2-4, as the 70-200mm option is probably a bit outside of what I can afford.